Enterprise Technology Archives - Elate Communications

What does Trump’s surprise (was it?) win say to ambitious scale-up tech brands?

So, the polls were right. Or wrong. Or something. Much like Kamala faced an uphill battle against a well-known incumbent in Donald Trump, many scale-up tech brands must challenge established market leaders while trying to cut through the noise and build recognition. And now the dust has settled, to me Trump-Harris provides lessons that could be applied to the tech PR and communications world:

1. Build a Strong Brand Foundation Early

Donald Trump entered the 2024 election with a well-established brand—a former President, businessman, and media personality. Thus, he had already created a solid foundation; supporters knew what he stood for, and that gave him an advantage.

Scale-up tech brands need to apply the same leverage. It’s crucial to build your own brand foundation and messaging from the outset. Take time to review and refine your brand identity, ensure your messaging is consistent, and develop a clear PR strategy that aligns with business goals. The groundwork will pay off as you execute, making your brand more recognisable and credible to your audience.

Presidential To-Do Item: Start by reviewing your company’s brand, vision, mission and values. What problems do you solve? How does your product or service benefit your multiple audiences? Ensure everyone is aligned and give yourself time to prepare the foundations before you enter the ‘race’.

2. Simplify and Test Your Messaging

One of Trump’s key strengths in the election was his ability to communicate his message in clear, simple terms. Even if they didn’t agree with everything, you know what’s on offer. For scale-up tech brands, the clarity of your messaging is equally important.

Technology can be complex, but your audience doesn’t need to understand every product feature from the outset; what they need to understand is how your proposition benefits them. It’s essential to take the time to simplify your messaging, remove the jargon and focus on communicating the value your offer. Spend time with your team and stakeholders to ensure your messaging resonates with your target audiences. You must be able to answer, What’s in it for the client?

On the campaign trail 2024: Run messaging workshops with key team members, gather feedback, and constantly test your messaging with your stakeholders. Create messaging that is concise, impactful but which also allows for some audience and geographical flexibility.

3. Build a Supportive Ecosystem

This year, the Republicans capitalised on the support of a diverse range of high-profile influencers, from business figures like Elon Musk to politicians like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While some of this was controversial, it was 100% strategic in amplifying their message and reaching a broader audience.

For scale-up tech brands, building a supportive ecosystem is equally beneficial. Influencers, industry analysts and media outlets all play a role in amplifying your message and building credibility. Building relationships with these key players takes time, but it’s an investment you need to make to get that positive media coverage, higher analyst engagement and those tier one thought leadership opportunities.

Why you want to do the equivalent of Joe Rogan: Identify industry influencers and analysts who align with your brand’s values and vision. Look for opportunities to engage with them through smart content, interviews, and/or collaborations that helps solidify your street cred.

4. Target the Right Audience with Strategic Campaigns

From rallies to Fox News to niche podcasts, Trump used a variety of platforms to connect with his audience. Rather than focusing solely on large-scale national TV media coverage, he instinctively understood that reaching specific audiences with authenticity where they already spend their time is key to building his version of brand loyalty.

For scale-up tech brands, it’s essential to understand where your audience is consuming content and engaging with industry thought leaders. While national media coverage can boost brand awareness, it’s not always the most effective way to shorten the sales cycle. Better: focus on reaching the right people in the right spaces, whether that’s niche trade or vertical media, industry events and/or specialised podcasts.

Now you’re changing The White House curtains: Work with experts to craft a campaign strategy that combines broad visibility with highly targeted outreach. Identify the channels where your target customers/prospects are most active, and build compelling packages of information, advice and customer backing to maximise such opportunities.

Conclusion: Getting that all-important Second Term

Building a successful tech brand doesn’t happen overnight. 2024’s US presidential election brings out ways to do it: establishing a solid brand foundation, simplifying messaging, cultivating influential support and smart targeting of the right audience.

And just as political underdogs need to work hard to build recognition, scale-up tech businesses must be patient and strategic, too. But with time, consistency, and smart planning, you can position your brand to stand out and compete effectively in your market.

To discuss your Comms planning for 2025, click here to book a short intro strategy call.

2025 PR planning has started, so don’t get left behind

by Elate Communications

Let’s face it, the UK has two seasons now: Wet and Less Wet. Goodbye former, welcome the latter!

Even though comms and PR teams at ambitious global tech firms are still amid executing plans for the all-important Q4, it’s useful as we consider 2025 to take stock of where you are in terms of execution.

After all, as past British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan once said about the need to flex plans, things always happen you hadn’t expected: ‘Events, dear boy, events.’ You’re delivering on assumptions that could have been made months back, so it will help your business to refine your approach for next year.

As ever, your drivers are to build reputation, strengthen brand awareness, shorten sales cycles and ensure your share of competitive voice is where it should be. Given how important these goals are, how can you craft the most awesome 2025 PR strategy that will carry you through?

Use this time to its maximum effect

As Autumn sets in, now is the time to get your internal and your external comms partner teams aligned and energised about pipeline, product roadmap, innovation and direction. So, focus the teams on brainstorming, messaging and planning meetings to refine your thinking.

Annual PR Plan health check

Like cars, and indeed people, that benefit from an annual health check, it’s also important to do a performance check on your PR programme. Be as objective as you can: What worked well, what didn’t? What can be improved next year? Speak with relevant stakeholders to assess where are how the PR is adding value. Be constructively critical to create that optimal 2025 plan.

Programme development and scrutiny

Once this has kicked off, you should now be in a better position to define the annual plan, to include objectives (SMART ones), audience, strategy, tactics, resources (more below on this) and how you’re going to measure and define success. Importantly, get buy in from budget holders, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and agency partners. Be bold and ambitious but practical.

Get those messages fighting-fit again

Once you’ve re-identified your key audiences, do you need to check (perhaps with a mini-audit) if your corporate and product messaging still work? Do they need a tweak, upgrade or total overhaul? Are they still communicating the value proposition and key thematic narratives in a relevant, impactful way? Message development is a collaborative endeavour, so get the key people onboard to provide input–but it’s one thing to create the messages: are your spokespeople trained to deliver them with passion and competence?

Ending up with the right budget

It’s great to get an ambitious 2025 plan in place, but having the team resources, aka budget, signed off and actionable is critical. You need to clearly understand what team and agency support is available to deliver the plan, and where the skills gaps are. To do that, have honest conversations with the finance teams, senior leaders and your team and agencies, so everyone is clear on what is both possible and expected with the resource available.

So, to make this a successful PR year ahead for you, your business and your teams, think

preparation
annual health check
programme development
messaging refresh and
budget realism.

While you’re at it, maybe check you still fit into the Santa Suit for the Office Party. That’s not far off either!

Why Both The Boss and PR Were Born To Run

by Simon Glazer

Remember your first big live rock concert? I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing some true classics over the years, including David Bowie, The Police, Elton John, Billy Joel, and The Rolling Stones. My first concert–back in the, er, 80s–was The Thompson Twins (Hmm) at London’s Hammersmith Palais!

While all these were memorable, for me the greatest live performer is Bruce Springsteen. I had the chance to see him for the fifth time at Wembley Stadium over the weekend. The crowd and I sang along to his classics like “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run”—and on the drive back, it struck me how similar the magic of Springsteen’s performances is to a successful PR programme.

Here are what I consider to be the top four similarities:

1. Storytelling

Bruce Springsteen’s authenticity in his lyrics and the stories he tells is unparalleled. Done right, this same principle applies to PR; your prospects, investors, or the media will all respond positively to a good story.

Likewise, a successful PR campaign delivers for you as a brand when it tells compelling stories that have meaning and impact—connecting you emotionally with the audience. Take the time to build that story so it’s relevant and interesting to hear.

2. Simple & Catchy Messaging

Messaging is crucial in both B2B and B2C, but is often overlooked by tech brands. Here, keeping your language simple and jargon-free will have significant impact. Like Bruce’s catalogue, your content should be simple and catchy–something people can’t stop repeating. Remember the line, “Everybody’s got a hungry heart”? Your language should have that same stickiness.

3. Presence and Presentation

At 74, Springsteen’s stage presence (supported by the E Street Band) is still phenomenal: his energy, passion, and obvious enjoyment on stage still captivate us. Similarly, when communicating with clients, prospects, journalists, analysts, investors, partners, or staff, your presence and presentation skills are key. If not delivered effectively, even the best words and messages will fall flat. To ensure your delivery matches the quality of your content, take guidance and expert advice to polish or improve your presentation skills.

4. Longevity

Springsteen has been around for decades, with his first album released in the early 1970s. While no one PR programme should necessarily last that long, longevity and staying power are crucial for building a reputation. Some of the most well-established global names in business hail from Japan, a country known for playing the long game. As a tech brand, take the longer view in building your reputation and brand awareness. Your audience needs time to recognise, understand, and follow your suggested CTAs; don’t be a one hit wonder—consistent effort over time will secure you a lasting place in the tech industry.

Summary

In the world of PR, as in the world of rock and roll, the elements that make a performance unforgettable are the same elements that make a PR campaign successful. Authentic storytelling, simple and catchy messaging, strong presence and presentation and a commitment to longevity are all crucial components of lasting success.

So, just as the lad from New Jersey built a legendary career by mastering these elements, tech brands can achieve enduring success by applying similar thinking to their PR strategies. So, take a page from The Boss’s playbook and create PR campaigns that not only capture attention, but also build successful and profitable connections with your audience.

To discuss how to Boss your PR for 2024 and beyond, click here to book a short intro strategy call.

The Similarities between Euro 2024 and European PR

by Elate Communications

The UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 2024) is now well underway in Germany, so while awaiting England’s next match I’m playing with the parallel idea in my mind on how global scale-up tech firms can effectively set up quality European (or indeed global) PR campaigns.

As the European footballing nations will be tested as they adapt to the diverse and quality European footballing styles opposing them, breaking into new European markets is no easy feat either–especially for non-native tech firms.

To expand in to the world’s second largest trading bloc, Public Relations is the most cost-effective way to build reputations, brand awareness and accelerate your sales momentum. But, doing it right takes time and focus, so here are five initial tips when setting up that winning European PR game plan!

1. The Importance of Planning

Currently, England Coach Gareth Southgate is in serious planning mode for his team’s upcoming games.

By the same token, effective planning is the cornerstone of any successful PR work. Whether targeting one, two or several countries in Europe, aligning global, European and local plans upfront is crucial.

That translates to solid business briefings and regular updates from the right company advocates to ensure that local teams are up to speed with business developments and potential issues. This mustn’t overload the team, but planning needs to remain flexible and 100% outcome-focused.

2. ‘Glocal’ Thinking

While the core global and product messaging should remain consistent, localisation to the country context is essential. You need to find the right balance, but this goes far beyond basic translation.

Ensure your local teams are allowed the flexibility to capture and use relevant local market themes, evidence, customers and anecdotes to spark engagement. Your best ‘striker’ here is a “glocal” approach—combining global strategy with local execution by local executives, to ensure your messaging scores.

3. Use Local Expertise and Insights

With European PR, one size does not fit all. Working with the right PR partner means collaborating with professionals who have navigated these waters before and understand the local language, culture, holidays and media landscapes.

Listen carefully to these local teams to ensure your approach is culturally sensitive and insightful. If England get through the group stages, and need to take on the mighty Spanish team, for example, Three Lions midfield hopeful Jude Bellingham played for Real Madrid last season, so his insights will help Southgate’s team.

4. Communication, communication, communication

Effective communications is critical across the whole football ecosystem (within the team, the coaching staff but also fans back home) before, during and after every game. Regular, team-wide communication is also important in European PR programmes, too, ideally face to face, but virtually too of course.

While top-down/HQ communications will naturally play a role, ensuring each country is given the time to explain what’s working locally and where the challenges lie is vital.

Best practice tells us this approach helps build team culture, aids understanding and addresses problem areas before they escalate.

5. Keeping Score

Aligning on outcomes from the outset is vital. Tools are available for measurement, but getting alignment with your PR/marketing colleagues and the local agency team is key.

Ultimately, collective understanding helps ensure you’re on the right track and allows for adjustments. Local executive teams should also be aligned with PR plans to maintain that collective focus.

Extra Time

Whether it’s one or several European markets, winning in Europe requires a well-thought-out PR strategy that embraces local nuances and leverages both global and local strengths.

The good news is that by focusing on planning, localising your messaging, embracing local insights, maintaining open communication and measuring your outcomes effectively, scale-up global tech firms can power through the ‘group stage’ and establish the strong PR foothold in Europe they want.

Love to stay and chat more, but it’s time soon to shout at the telly. Come On England!

To discuss your PR programme needs for 2024 click here to book a short intro strategy call.

ELATE SECURES GREAT CLIENT WIN IN THE AI B2B TECH SPACE

by Elate Communications

We are delighted to say that we’ve been appointed to support the UK and European PR for H2O.ai, a leading Silicon Valley based AI technology software company. We’re excited to help the firm communicate the commercial benefits of a strategic AI and ML approach to digital transformation amongst enterprise European CIOs and business function heads.

Stay tuned for more new client wins!