For the many of you who watched Love Island this summer, going unnoticed at MWC is a little bit like putting all your eggs in one media basket, then realising that you’re not their type on paper.
The fact is: if you want to get the media attention you deserve at MWC, you need to work a little for it. So here are some tips from CCgroup’s Mobile & Telecoms team on what you can do to make an impact this Mobile World Congress.
Embargold
Competition is rife at MWC, especially when it comes to media attention. Naturally, the big vendors and operators make the most noise, especially on day one, leaving smaller companies somewhat drowned out. When it comes to making announcements at the show, chances of cut-through will increase if you have shared the news with your media targets under embargo in advance of the show.
While it is often assumed that attending media are in a haze of diary management and scheduling during the weeks before the show, it is usually the case that some time will be set aside for pre-show embargoed briefings and writing up announcements in advance. Journalists are on the lookout for announcements that will make compelling stories at the show, so think less product news and more ground-breaking, industry-shaking announcements.
Be selective
A great brand often has a great story to accompany it, and that’s a sure way of standing out from the crowd. Think carefully about what your technology, and company, means for the industry, what problems does it solve, and why will it be vital for the future of telecoms? Also, not forgetting the specific themes this year’s MWC Barcelona agenda is based around! By sketching a media story that is not only pertinent to the telco industry, but also to the wider tech industry, companies will stand a far better chance of securing coverage in both the telecoms sector and amongst the nationals, business and broadcast players covering the show: CNBC, Bloomberg, BBC, Reuters and the like.
However, it’s not just about securing coverage across as many publications as possible. While this is an enticing prospect, for depth of coverage you should pick your media targets wisely. Not only will this ensure that your message resonates within the sector you operate in, but it’ll also ensure that you target the outlets most relevant to you, and your customer base. If your company specialises in SD-WAN, why seek the attention of a smart cities or IoT-focused publication or journalist? By carefully handpicking which media outlets to target, you’ll increase your chances of receptiveness, and coincidentally, the likelihood of coverage.
Match the talk, with the walk
Every company attending MWC will come ready to blow their own trumpet, and by all means, join in the fun, but have you got the proof points to back this up? Remember that most journalists attending MWC will have grown bored of hearing the words “leading provider”, so craft your Congress story in a way that focuses on how your company is helping service providers around the world. After all, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know – and in the case of MWC, you’ll go a long way by having a willing customer available to discuss how your solutions have helped their business thrive.
And if you can place your customer story in the context of an industry-wide issue, you’ll not only make your own story more compelling, but give journalists a reason to write about you.
Go against the grain
Finally, be interesting – no one ever got ahead by being dull. Sure, you may not be an Ericsson or a Huawei but that’s not to say you don’t have an interesting story to tell. When polishing your messaging ahead of MWC, think outside the box. What will help you and your company to be looked upon as visionaries?
Remember, journalists are on the look-out for thought-provoking content, so if you can bring a refreshing perspective to an industry too often caught up in buzzwords and claims, the media is likely to be far more receptive.
Achieving maximum media attention at the biggest telecoms trade show in the world is no easy feat, but with a carefully crafted media strategy, willing customers and partners, and a great announcement to boot, you’ll be on your way to hitting those industry headlines. Take a look at some of the results CCgroup has achieved at Mobile World Congress by searching the Mobile and Telecoms case studies on our case study page.
