From the thought leadership launch pad and planet press release, to entering a new pitching stratosphere
April marked a huge moment in time for mankind as Artemis II returned humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, and returned them home safe and sound. But they weren’t the only ones reaching new heights! IBA has been shooting for the stars to kickstart 2026 by turning podcasts into articles and back again, flexing the power of company press releases to audiences both large and small, and launching a client into a new geography with a bang!
So, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, liftoff! Strap in as the IBA crew takes you on a voyage of our PR discovery in April!
The thought leadership launchpad – from podcast to article, and back again
Establishing a strong executive profile starts at the very top, so when we heard the CEO of our business management software client had recorded a podcast on the importance of strong leadership in the AI era, we jumped at the opportunity to use the source material in our next media-facing asset. We hear all the time about the out-of-this-world powers of AI, and they’re great, but we don’t hear as much about the skyrocketing number of failed AI implementations. Far too often, this is down to mismanagement by leadership, but our client was ready to provide guidance on how organizations could avoid this fate.
The IBA team repurposed the CEO’s podcast into an industry-agnostic thought leadership article on how leaders need to lead in the AI era. With journalist interest hot, we spotted a call from a journalist who was putting together a feature on ‘why AI initiatives struggle to move from intent to operational’, so armed with our client’s article, the IBA crew pitched to them, and hey-presto, an interview was landed.
A true example of the powers of content repurposing, how one idea can be taken from a podcast to an article, and back to an interview – a successful thought leadership flight if you ask me!
Landing on planet press release, and planting Signal Theory flag in the ground
It’s been a busy month on the press release front. With trust now playing a crucial role in the B2B industry and its media, establishing signal theory is crucial for B2B brands. Journalists publish content from brands they trust and know, and press releases are the perfect way to do this. Our enterprise software client on both sides of the Atlantic perfectly demonstrated this when they announced their solution had been chosen by a leading multinational electronics company with a global brand association. Partnering with well-known brands helps to boost brand affinity, and if a journalist or a prospect sees your brand name alongside a brand they know and trust, it’s only good news! It’s all about increasing mindshare among the reader’s mind!
Where local news plays its part
But trust isn’t just established through partnering with household names. When your brand has a hyper-local story to tell, getting into the local press matters most. This we saw firsthand when a press release from our emergency air medical provider announcing the renewal of their service within a local area in New Mexico landed five local media placements, including online and in the one and only hardcopy newspaper in town! Building trust in the users of its life-saving service and, through them, its brand trust.
We have liftoff in a new client geography
April has been a momentous month for our connected worker platform client as they looked to expand their press activity footprint to include the DACH region alongside their existing North American campaigns.
Entering a new geography for a client is no easy task, it requires careful pitching of the right story to the right audience! But no task is too big for the IBA crew! What’s more, finding a hot topic that can resonate across multiple geographies is a win-win, as our client realized. We secured placements for an article on the need for improved cybersecurity in smart factories in no less than nine placements in top-tier IT and Business publications in North America, and it was the perfect piece for us to test the DACH waters for our client. Fueled by a carefully crafted media contact list and a localized version of the article, we had liftoff and landed with a bang, with six placements already and four more to come – watch this space!
Time to reach a new PR orbit
From podcasts acting as thought leadership launchpads to achieving liftoff for clients in new geographies, April has proved to be a constellation of great PR performances. With momentum moon high and strategy ready to fuel our next PR flight, the IBA crew is already launching the mission sequence for May!
Sam Walker is a PR Executive at IBA International.
