A machine-building company may produce items for agricultural purposes, for construction work, for freight transport, for industrial enterprises (machines and equipment), and a construction materials manufacturer may offer its products to construction companies, architectural bureaus, designers, DIY-segment companies, etc. All of these customer groups read fundamentally different media and receive information from different opinion leaders. But your company is used to being perceived as a manufacturer of a basic product and the niche mass media (to which you are not directly related) are not interested in you. Does this situation sound familiar?
If a company offers products for several specialized business sectors, sooner or later the question arises whether to enter the media, that are read by different groups of customers. Many businesses find it difficult to move away from positioning the company as a basic product manufacturer and become a supplier of ready-made solutions in their target markets. But there are certain advantages in it: first, it is an opportunity to separate from competitors (you are not just a producer of the same product as everyone else); second, modern corporate customers are willing to pay more for highly specialized (niche) solutions that meet their needs. Therefore, it is worth reconsidering your approach to communications – stop paying for advertising articles (clients have little confidence in them) and start working "for the client", offering journalists what they need and when they need it. Here are some possible PR solutions.
1. Success stories, case studies and "best practice" with clients
If your company itself is not interesting to the media your clients read, do joint projects with your clients' PR departments. If your product or a project you have implemented at a client's facility has brought good results for the client's business, don't hesitate to talk about it. Success stories or case studies are something that the industry media is always interested in.
For example, SKF, a Swedish manufacturer of bearings for industrial enterprises, and its partner implemented a project to automate the consignment warehouse at Severstal. PR-specialists of the company (i.e. us) processed this story into a case and offered it to the industry media, getting more than 20 publications in online and print media and a solid coverage of the audience. By the way, the publications continue to appear several months after the activation of the story in the media (remember the principle "good PR continues after the PR campaign ends"?).
Use customer experiences more often in your communications: interviews with customers, quotes from them in your press materials, etc. In B2B, customers especially trust other customers of yours. And for the industry media, a mention of a company they know (perhaps even a "favorite company") in your press materials can be seen as an additional argument for publication. In June we had an excellent client expert column about the professional cleaning market in a special section of RBC Pro - clients and partners of the company took part in preparing the material, so the material turned out to be large-scale and credible.
2. Data PR and analytics
If your company conducts its own research or has interesting statistics or forecasts of the market in which your customers work, feel free to use what you have. Good data is newsworthy material that may be of interest to the industry media.
If you don't have your own research, monitor studies done by reputable consulting companies and analytical agencies such as McKinsey & Company, PwC, EY, KPMG, Nielsen, RBC, InfoLine and others. Firsе, you can always supplement the results of their research with your own data (offer the media local data or additional expert information), and secondly, you can give your own assessment of the research results, outline your vision and prepare interesting comments.
3. Monitor the industry news agenda
To be useful to the industry media of your interest, keep an eye on the industry news agenda. If your company offers ready-made solutions for the construction industry, follow the news and official statements of the Ministry of Construction (Vladimir Yakushev, Dmitry Volkov), Glavgosexpertiza, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Government of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, statistics GKS.ru, news of the SRO "Association of Professional Builders of Russia", National Association of Builders, etc. on issues related to the development of the industry. Similar lists of information sources can (should) be compiled for each industry that interests you, so as not to miss the opportunity to "hijack" the news occasion and offer the industry media the right information at the right time.
Here are three relevant examples for companies that produce building materials.
The first example. Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin in an interview with Rossiyskaya gazeta stated that the construction industry should become the driver of the development of the Russian economy. Your company can promptly contact the industry media and talk about the potential use of your products in the construction industry - with facts, figures, examples, references, forecasts of the use of similar solutions in the future and an assessment of their effectiveness.
Second example. The EMERCOM (Ministry of Emergency Situations) warns about the hot summer of 2020 and the risks of an increase in the number of man-made fires. Your company can tell you that fires at industrial enterprises, infrastructure facilities, social institutions, their rapid spread and the consequences of collapse of supporting structures can be reduced by using modern fire-resistant materials in construction (read - such as yours) and you have a strong case for it (facts, figures, conclusions of the expert committee, client references, etc.).
Third example. In June, a harvesting campaign (harvesting grain crops) began in Russia. A good grain harvest is expected. Russia will be among the three world leaders in grain production. For storage and subsequent transportation of grain, modern and reliable grain storage facilities are required. Using the example of the implemented projects of its clients, your company can tell you how a modern grain storage should look like (and how many problems there are with current granaries! But there are also solutions).
Third example. In June, the harvesting campaign (harvesting of crops) began in Russia. A good grain harvest is expected. Russia will be one of the three world leaders in grain production. Modern and reliable granaries are required for the storage and subsequent transportation of the grain. Your company can tell how a modern granary should look like by the example of realized projects of its clients (and how many problems there are with current granaries! But there are also solutions).
4. Analytical materials and reviews
Do reviews of new technologies and modern methods of solving customers' problems in different segments. If you produce building materials, talk about the latest technologies and your best practices: value engineering, BIM and lean technologies, the latest materials for construction, innovative knowledge-intensive developments and future technologies, while indicating the potential for their implementation in your company and customers' enterprises. If your business is in machinery, talk about the latest developments, improved mechanisms, complex projects and their potential (automation, control and diagnostics of equipment, etc.) - everything that will change the business of your customers, provide new incentives for growth and development, solve the problems of today and open more opportunities in the foreseeable future. Be as specific and focused as possible on your customers' immediate and practical needs. Write less about yourself and more about your clients' business.
5. Expert columns
If your company develops solutions for highly specialized markets, you are bound to have experts who understand the needs and challenges of your customers and can professionally address topics that are relevant to the entire market. Involve them in communication with the industry media: talk to them and find out what they can say about the market, about customer needs, about your company's capabilities to meet those needs, prepare expert columns for the industry media with them, motivate them to participate in PR-activities (for example, as they do in BDO Unicon Outsourcing).
These are just a few opportunities for PR in the industry media. There’s a lot more to come, and we at Fresh Russian Communications are especially fond of this part of working with B2B companies. But to be successful in this area, don't try to substitute expert opinion with advertising for your products. You have to offer your expertise to the industry media, and the expertise will work for your reputation and brand recognition, helping your sales managers (and distributors) do their job – to sell (faster, more expensive and more efficiently). May your PR be successful!
Ksenia Alekseeva, CEO of Fresh Russian Communications
