June seems to have kicked-off the business “silly season” earlier than ever before. The beginning of the summer season for the Northern Hemisphere coincided with public holiday dates including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in the UK, Whit and Pentecost across Europe and Memorial Day in the U.S. The ‘happy holiday’ feeling seems to have initiated travel plans across the business and media world, with OOOs, PTOs and annual leave commonplace at the moment.
But for the team at IBA this doesn’t mean we slow down – there’s also the small matter of closing out Q2 and ending the first half of the year! We’ve kicked off new campaign messaging, attended the hottest industry events and been hot on the technology awards trail in another action-packed month.
Repair, don’t replace: Legislation provides a messaging springboard
Comment pieces or quotable quotes on government or regulatory legislation have always been a great way to position client spokespeople as leading subject matter experts. Proposal of a new Fair Repair Bill in the U.S. has sparked renewed focus on the Right to Repair movement and represents a turning point for the manufacturing industry to implement long lasting change – providing a perfect opportunity to make sure our clients are front and center of the debate.
We were not only able to ensure one of our client’s comments and quotable quotes were used by Tier 1 tech horizontal and industry manufacturing publications, our media outreach quickly sparked an informative interview with a top North American tech publication on how manufacturers should approach this new legislation. Key to this interview was how it provided a platform for our client to explain how companies can use this legislation as a springboard to create a more sustainable business with the help of disruptive technologies. Thought and industry leadership at its very best.
In-person events are finally back!
For one of our insurance technology clients, the month of June has been a cause for a celebration milestone of its own. After a long hiatus from the in-person events circuit due to the prolonged pandemic, our client hosted its first in-person event after two years in London. Exploring future InsurTech topics, from the rise of insurance ecosystems and automation to challenges around tech talent, risks and climate change.
Beyond providing event support, the IBA team coordinated a regular drum beat of social media activity to encourage attendance over several months – and it paid off! The event was an all-round success packed full of attendees and it provided guest speakers with plenty of opportunity to explore the latest digital developments in the Insurance industry.
And the award goes to…
For our business management client, the past few months have been a busy time with new clients coming on board – but a highlight for us was to see a five-generation’s old family firm work with our client to take digital transformation to the heart of its bakery business. With the newest digital technologies, the bakery was able to take advantage of a business-changing opportunity all while facing pandemic pressures. The project was delivered in an incredibly tight timeframe, and has brought great value to their business.
We all felt such foresight and vision from this company deserved to be recognized, for its achievements. So much so that our client has nominated the customer for a prestigious enterprise technology award.
IBA identified a key opportunity, drafted the entry that effectively demonstrates the collaborative nature of the transformation project and the team’s combined success in the face of pandemic restrictions. Fingers crossed as the shortlisting are unveiled in Q3!
It’s a wrap!
The end of Q2 and the first half of 2022 has flown by and, despite the raft of early holidays, has seen IBA successfully complete a range of different PR activities, including interviews, events, awards, top tier placements and much more. Let’s check in next month as the “silly season” gets in full swing.
Hannah Watson is PR Executive at IBA International.
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