Case Study
Delivering global media coverage for an internationally-expanding business
Delivering global media coverage for an internationally-expanding business
Securing media coverage is vital for any cleantech company looking to achieve its commercial goals. We deliver effective and successful PR campaigns that make tangible contributions to the growth of our clients, making sure to keep strategy front and centre of all PR activities.
The client
Danfoss Editron is changing how the world moves with hybrid and fully-electric powertrain systems for the marine, off-highway and transportation markets. The company develops and manufactures high-performance power systems for heavy-duty vehicles, machines and marine vessels, based on its unique synchronous reluctance assisted permanent magnet technology.
The challenge
Our relationship with Danfoss Editron began back in 2017 when it was still known as Visedo. After a very successful year working together, Visedo was acquired by the Danfoss Group and renamed Danfoss Editron. We were subsequently retained to continue leading PR activities for the company.
Remaining in charge of Danfoss Editron’s external communications meant that we had to change our strategy, with several new challenges to overcome to ensure the campaign remained successful. One of the most pressing challenges we faced was ensuring that the company received global media coverage to match its fast international expansion.
“We’ve been working with Life Size for around five years, initially when we were fresh start-up Visedo to the present day as global Danfoss Editron. Life Size’s ability to understand our commercial goals and transmit these to various types of media, whether it be mainstream or trade, has really helped to bolster our reputation within the industry and was an important contribution towards our acquisition by the Danfoss Group.”
Nina Harjula, Marketing Director
The Solution
Ensuring global impact for local projects
In all of our PR activities for Danfoss Editron, we reinforce its vision that everything can be electrified. We make sure to set the scene in press releases, case studies and articles by including facts about the emissions produced by a country, region or sector, or stating the decarbonisation plans of its customer. Furthermore, we always mention the expected carbon emission savings of a project, a fact that we later use when pitching it to journalists.
Building solid relationships with journalists
When we began working with Danfoss Editron, then still known as Visedo, we spent several months building relationships with journalists from trade media in each of the company’s target markets. We’ve never stopped cultivating these connections or forming new ones as the campaign has evolved. While establishing good working relationships with journalists takes time and persistence, it is advantageous in terms of PR success. Journalists from trade publications are incredibly loyal, evidenced by the repeated coverage we see for Danfoss Editron’s press releases. They also help to build trust with journalists from high-profile mainstream outlets, who are heavily influenced by brand reputation. Danfoss Editron’s name regularly appearing in the marine, transportation and industrial press has directly influenced securing mainstream coverage for the company.
Establishing effective PR processes
Behind the scenes yet crucial components that drive the success of our Danfoss Editron campaign are the PR processes that we’ve implemented, with the help of our contacts in the company’s marketing and communications team. We make sure to have a weekly catch-up call with our day-to-day contacts so everyone can keep up-to-speed with what’s happening and quickly act on new opportunities. We also make ourselves available and flexible to wider team members, helping raise our own visibility and establish a company-wide understanding of the importance of PR. Both Danfoss Editron’s sales teams and those delivering projects on the ground know who we are and when to contact us when they have something newsworthy to publicise. Additionally, we’ve created templates for communications materials, such as press releases and case studies, plus standardised questions that help gather the information we need. These documents allow us to write material quickly and efficiently. On an incredibly busy campaign such as Danfoss Editron’s, having effective processes is crucial to ensuring both day-to-day and long-term success.
The result
Our PR activities’ success can be measured by the long-standing nature of our relationship with Danfoss Editron, which is approaching half a decade. The last two years especially have proved to be incredibly fruitful.
2019: gaining U.S. mainstream recognition
In 2019, we secured a 51% increase in total global PR coverage for Danfoss Editron compared to the previous year. This was aided by sending out 16 press releases and solidifying its market-leading position in the marine industry by setting up many interviews and writing several feature articles. Our efforts in 2019 also led to further mainstream coverage for Danfoss Editron, with a Forbes contributor based in the U.S. interviewing several high-profile members of the business for a wide-ranging article about how the Danfoss Group is looking to electrification for new growth opportunities.
2020: securing a huge amount of coverage, including further mainstream success
Our achievements with Danfoss Editron continued last year, despite the impacts on business generally caused by the pandemic. We secured 365 pieces of coverage in total, plus set up 14 interviews and podcast appearances with trade publications that resulted in articles. We also helped organise two further pieces of mainstream coverage with the BBC and The Guardian, ensuring that a broad audience continues to hear about how Danfoss Editron is leading the electrification charge worldwide.
