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How B2B PR can tell your story
I spend a lot of time talking to technology vendors and ask them to explain their product; what it does and how it benefits retailers and brands. Unsurprisingly, I get the same response – so much so that it is very difficult to discern one from the next.
For the most part, the problem is that vendors operate in an enclosed world, developing software to meet problems they think retailers have. The reality is that the C-suite has an arm’s length of issues and, as Sean McKee, head of eCommerce at Schuh recently pointed out, “no-one will sell me something that I haven’t already thought about”.
In this regard, when marketing their solutions, technology providers need to show an appreciation of each area a retail decision maker deals with, and demonstrate how their solution fits in.
This is where B2B PR is a particularly effective tool. For example, when generating national media coverage for our clients, it is necessary to talk about broader issues and of course topical calendar hooks such as Black Friday. By commenting on or around a subject, our clients demonstrate an understanding of the wider implications, and open the door for further discussion.
At a recent Evening Standard event I attended, the entrepreneur Michelle Mone stated that she has never waited for prospects to come to her; she has always gone out there to generate interest and demand. This is great advice and something PR can trumpet through the right media.
