Things to Consider Before Planning a Press & Analyst Tour

Getting in front of analysts, press, and industry bloggers is an essential part of any new, major product launch plan.  There are many advantages to doing this right, with the first and foremost being building relationships. We will explore how this process works and why it’s important activity to consider in your next launch plan.

Why Bother?

In most cases, markets are crowded with vendors clamoring to get their message heard. Corporate and product brands need to be introduced to influencers in the market who have a role in disseminating information to market at large and ultimately reach buyers who may enter a buy cycle.

Analysts in the tech sector are a well-regarded resource for many companies making enterprise-level technology decisions and will consult or subscribe to analyst services to assist them in making the best choices for their business.  Analysts need to know about new players in the market so they keep up to speed with the latest advancements/offerings available.

Business and industry press have a unique role in that they provide unbiased information to the markets they serve.  Information generated from the press is perceived as credible and their publications (off and online) are used as an information source to support many buy cycles in technology. Press also need to know about new players in the market so they keep up to speed with the latest advancements/offerings available.  I consider bloggers in the same fashion as editors and reporters for publications, because (if they are worth their salt) they have similar motivators to publish accurate information.  Some do it out of a labor of love vs. a paid gig, but they, too, have an audience they keep informed.

Ultimate Goal of Effort

1. First and foremost this activity is designed to build relationships.  This is critical and must not be taken lightly.  It’s a small world out there, and people remember people who are interesting, are value-add, and make their job easier.
2. Get on key influencer radar screens.  Once this happens, these folks are more likely to pay attention to news and content generated from your brand in the future.  And, they will have some level of context to apply to it.
3. A desirable outcome is to have your brand/product be included in future reports, articles, or blog posts.  It’s never a guarantee, but it’s part of the value your brand receives in doing this activity.
4. Another desirable outcome is to get your brand short-listed as a vendor to evaluate or help pave the way for new partner connections.  This opens new doors for your brand and gets you in front of the right people faster.

Remember, in the absence of information, assumptions will be made that may or may not be true.  Most good influencers will perform some level of due diligence to gather accurate data, but if all they have access to is your web site then that’s what they go with.  What usually happens is that your brand is not mentioned at all.

Rules of Engagement

1. Once you have appointments scheduled, gather as much background info as you can on each person to best understand their concerns and how they cover your market space.  Download articles, reports, blog posts, etc to give you an idea of their hot issues.
2. Once you brief analysts in particular, they will monitor your progress and hold you accountable to the plans you set forth with them in your briefing.  It will be your job to execute to plan and impress them with your progress.
3. Once meetings are set up, they must be taken seriously. Canceling a press appointment can unravel progress as they are constantly dealing with impending deadlines and are much harder to engage after the fact. Analysts are more understanding of schedule shifts, but it can take a while to get back on their schedule.
4. If your company does not subscribe to analyst services, there are no shortcuts in scheduling an analyst briefing despite any relationships anyone (agencies, internal personnel) may have.  If you are a subscriber, then you can reach out directly to your assigned analyst. Other than that, most analyst firms have a web-based meeting request system that will require follow-up and sometimes more than one submission.   Some firms allow you to request an analyst to brief, but in most cases, the analyst firm will assign the analyst despite who you want to meet with.
5. On the press/blogger side, established relationships do help reduce barriers to securing appointments.  Agencies or internal personnel can have influence to getting in front of an editor/blogger they know and have worked with before so use those relationships accordingly and with the utmost respect.  Take nothing for granted.
6. In new analyst meetings, there may be a sales person assigned to attend.  They may pitch you back to encourage subscribing to analyst services during the meeting or request to talk after. Be prepared.

There is more to this process, but these are some key points to keep in mind as you begin to make your plans.  As with all influencer interactions, you must do your homework and understand what they are about before getting in front of them.

We will be publishing a more detailed report for download that describes the entire process of planning a successful press and analyst tour.   Stay tuned.