By administrator | 16 December 2020 | Uncategorized

It feels like not long ago we were in Las Vegas in January navigating our way through busy crowds to see the brightest and best that the consumer tech world had to offer. Yet,  at the same time it also feels like a distant memory. Although the stage is set in a virtual format this year, we’re thrilled that CES will still take place to celebrate innovation and showcase the exciting advancements for the year ahead. 

Changes in the usual format to CES come with the inevitable need to adapt your PR activity to stand out from the digital crowd petitors attending during the show. To maximise your presence at the show, drive awareness and optimise sales leads, a perfect combination of content and media relations will be key. 

With that in mind, check out our tip tips for a PR success at CES 2021.

Plan your content strategy

We already know that unique, insightful content is king when in-person interaction is temporarily limited. Ahead of CES 2021, blending the right mix of content across a range of digital channels will be the secret to catching the eye of potential customers and increasing awareness of a business. These must engage, inspire and more importantly, align with your goals for the show.

Are you launching a new product? Announcing a break-through partnership? Or simply celebrating company growth? Your purpose for PR around the show will ultimately determine your content strategy. Planning news well ahead of the show will be key to gaining an early advantage on the market noise CES brings with it every year, giving your brand the competitive edge. 

Opinion articles can also showcase the expertise of a business and provides a valuable opportunity for a brand to establish itself as an authoritative voice in its industry. Such articles are able to delve deeper into certain topics and give the chance to showcase expertise across a range of subjects. Planning and research is critical when creating thought leadership articles, and by providing commentary on the themes and topics you think will be discussed at the show, businesses can make sure they get ahead, and drum up a significant amount of interest.

Creating a planned pipeline of content that runs before, during, and after CES 2021, will give you multiple opportunities to hijack conversations around the show, ensuring you  stand out early on at a time when the consumer tech sector makes the most noise.

Harness the power of social media

Although we can’t be together at CES physically, social media has the power to connect us wherever we are. We’ve seen it do just that in 2020. In fact, almost three quarters (73%) of us have increased our social media usage this year alone.

Actively posting on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook not only lets your audience know that you’re attending the show, but using the official ‘CES2021’ hashtag is a simple but effective way of placing yourselves amongst other attendees and competitors, as well as potential new customers that are following the show.

Brands also have full control over the content they post on social media, and so can promote the core messages that they will be discussing during the show. As a result, companies can promote their own content to increase website traffic, build their online presence and show stakeholders, including current and potential customers, their industry expertise. 

Build relationships with the media

CES is the biggest consumer tech trade show in the world, and back in 2019, a whopping 6,365 journalists attended the show. The event creates the perfect opportunity to connect with journalists within your industry and build connections that will last beyond the show.

News announcements or insight content about your latest innovations provide fantastic talking points to initiate conversations with the press. Consumer tech titles often plan their early editorial calendars around the show, with  daily features, show round-ups, interviews and more. By planning ahead and identifying the most relevant press, successful connections can be made which can contribute to a whole host of media opportunities in the future.

Through researching the journalists that have covered the show in previous years, keeping an eye on the press that have used the CES2021 hashtag, and reviewing the shows media partners, business can develop a good idea of the media that is attending the show.

In January, we’ll be swapping our smart (but comfortable) shoes for a good WiFi connection. We have a decade of experience in supporting clients with their PR activity around trade shows, and since March, we’ve also successfully supported businesses with virtual trade shows. 

From content and social media strategy, to media relationships and product launches,  get in touch at hello@jargonpr.com if you’d like to hear more or work together at CES 2021 and beyond.