CES strategies you should never try
Too many companies sabotage their chances of CES success before they ever arrive at the show.
Even if you have a standout new gadget or your company is growing wildly, even if you’ve invested thousands of dollars in your CES appearance or you’re bringing your A team, just showing up isn’t enough. You need a strategy that works.
Every year we see opportunities squandered through popular but ineffective CES strategies. We gathered five of the worst that you should avoid at all costs if you want to achieve CES success.
Email blasting your press release to media.
Spray and pray is a surprisingly common approach to media relations, especially leading up to CES, but one with a predictable outcome: no coverage and annoyed reporters. Instead of emailing everyone on the media list and asking them to write about you, take a more discerning approach. What reporters cover your space? What have they written about recently? If you’re more selective about media you contact, you’re more likely to get journalists over to your booth for a demo or interview.
Guerrilla for guerrilla’s sake.
If you think you can just hop off a plane and walk the show floor with your product, picking up customer leads and wowing reporters, you might want to go back to the drawing board. You can’t expect results simply by showing up without a booth, without preplanning, and no real goals. Guerrilla tactics only work when they’re deliberate. Years ago, one of our clients brought their product — an OLED display for wearables — in a briefcase, which they carried around the show to the media meetings we set up for them. For another client, we wore their hair-growth helmet around the show, directing traffic back to the booth and intriguing reporters who later wrote stories. In both cases, the guerrilla tactics worked because the company has an unusual product and we planned ahead.
Waiting for the crowds to come to you.
If you’re waiting at your booth for crowds to materialize before you, you’re doing it wrong. Take the time to snap some photos, record a quick demo of your product, and post to social media. Watch Twitter for reporters at the show looking for a story. Share, engage, create, and make the most of the time.
Saving money by doing everything yourself.
Going it alone is certainly cheaper than seeking the expertise of outside agencies, but by limiting your investment, you could also be limiting your return. Design firms can advise you on how to build an effective booth that catches the eye and is delivered, set up, and waiting for you when you arrive. A PR firm can dig up better media opportunities, train you to ace an interview, and help hone your messaging. Let your PR rep schedule interviews while you focus on greeting attendees at your booth. By tapping outside resources, you’ll save time and tap into expertise that can produce better results.
Planning at the last minute.
You have less than three months to go. While a CES campaign can still succeed after being thrown together in a few weeks, you’re much more likely to get the results you want with long-term planning. It’s not too late, but it soon will be. Get moving!
For more about what works and what fails at CES, we compiled our best advice in “Operation CES Success.” Get your free copy now!
These are the kinds of stories that intrigue Yahoo Tech’s Editor-in-Chief
Dan Tynan lays out his litmus test for tech stories....
Peter Shankman on how to know your audience
Know your audience. It’s the most fundamental — and most ignored — communications advice around. Too many...
7 of the best tech shows for catching the media’s attention
Here are a few big-impact technology shows widely attended by media that should be on your radar over the next several...
2 takeaways on how, when, and where people read news
A deadline used to mean “get your article to your editor.” Now it means the best time for your editor to publish...
How Muck Rack’s Greg Galant is putting a stop to bad PR
VIDEO: The #1 reason media don't return your email, the future of the press release, and a more deliberate approach to...
NewsHacking 2016: Build a standout PR campaign in 12 months
Start the new year with newshacking. Review your PR campaign and refocus your efforts with these 12 steps for greater...
CES 2016 Day 1 in pictures: Virtual reality, robots, 8K TV, drones
Take a photo tour of CES 2016's most eye-catching tech with The...
CES 2016 day 2 & 3 photos: Connected cars, sports tech, curved displays
The best of days 2 and 3 of CES 2016, as experienced by The...
5 ways to get noticed at CES 2018
After 10 years of attending CES, I’ve seen a lot of different strategies for earning media coverage at the show. Here are...
2016 trends in PR and tech media with Sam Whitmore [The NewsHackers Podcast]
Mobile storytelling. Virtual reality as a developing platform. Media opportunities for companies that aren't Apple, Google,...
The simple, extremely challenging way to catch the attention of Digital Trends Editor
As Editor-in-Chief of Digital Trends, Jeremy Kaplan’s job is “keeping the site awesome.” And he has – 20 million...
Headlines abundant as wine: How French tech startups are winning the PR game
Take a look at how French startups make a name for themselves and you’ll find lessons that apply to any entrepreneur....
Paul Cheung explains why the AP is leaping into virtual reality journalism
Will you soon be watching the news on your VR goggles instead of your phone? We went to the source and Paul told us why...
The keys to media coverage at the Collision conference – and every other tech show
Collision offers both startups and growing tech companies an opportunity to get their product in front of the media, but...
Collision Conference: What we saw at day 1 of the show
If you can't join us in New Orleans for the Collision conference, here's what we've been seeing and learning so far....
Collision conference: Highlights of days 2 and 3
The Collision conference did not disappoint. Robert Scoble on VR and AR. Chris Sacca judging the pitch competition. Slack...
3 national media explain what you should and shouldn’t say during an interview
Landing an interview with a top-tier technology reporter is rare. If your story is good enough to catch their attention, get...
Indiegogo’s John Vaskis on how PR fuels crowdfunding success
A compelling video, an existing base of supporters, and a great product are all key to a successful crowdfunding campaign....
The best of CE Week 2016 in photos and video
From 360-degree cameras for your GoPro to drones that fit in the palm of your hand, CE Week 2016 had plenty of cool new...
Why you should watch Cheddar, the future of live business news
Few media are diving into live streaming like Cheddar, the millennial-focused CNBC of Facebook Live. Broadcast from the...
How to prepare for CES: 11 ways to earn media attention and make the show a success
CES 2019 is just weeks away, and there's a lot to get done. Here are the top 11 ways to prepare for...
5 year-end consumer tech PR to-dos
Thanksgiving is next week. Holiday gift guides are arriving by the dozen. CES is 50 short days away. Don’t panic....
CES lessons every tech company can learn from the Ehang 184
One of the biggest consumer electronics PR victories out of CES 2016 was the Ehang 184 drone. Large enough to carry a human...
Highlights of CES Unveiled Las Vegas 2017 [PHOTOS]
At CES Unveiled 2017 we saw everything from robots to VR cameras and accessories to smart home appliances to pet tech, and...
The best of Pepcom Digital Experience! at CES 2017
CES 2017 officially kicks off today, but there was plenty to see last night at Pepcom Digital Experience! Here are all the...
Highlights of CES 2017 day 1 [PHOTOS]
CES 2017 has begun. We captured the best of VR, drones, car tech, robots, and more. Take a look at the hottest new tech the...
CES 2017 roundup: The best tech stories from the show
From booths to demos to technology, these were some of the biggest stories out of CES and trends you can expect to see more...
The best tech events to attend in 2018
These 10 big-impact technology conferences are widely attended by media and should be on your...
Finding the tech, and the stories, at Toy Fair NY
Where do all the tech toy companies go to meet with retailers, buyers, distributors, partners, and the media one month after...
SXSW 2017: 6 takeaways on content and tech
For the past several days, we’ve been soaking up SXSW — and plenty of barbecue — in Austin, Texas. We’ve met...
5 of the most insightful people at SXSW 2017
It makes sense that I heard the idea on a Fasten ride home from SXSW. I had been talking to the driver, and she started...
Collision Conference 2017: Highlights of day 1
The colliding has begun. We’re back in New Orleans at what is arguably the “best tech show, period,” and it's packed...
Collision Conference 2017: The best of days 2 and 3
Public relations is all about relationships, and Collision offers conversations you can’t find at many other tech shows....
Voice assistant marketing: 5 strategies for brands
Consumers are adopting smart speakers faster than they took to smartphones. Some 18 percent of Americans -- 43 million...
2017 year in review: 7 top PR and marketing trends
We asked our in-house experts what trends were most impactful in PR, content, and social media in the past 12 months....
Best of CES 2018: Highlights from the biggest show in tech
More than 4,000 companies descended on Las Vegas to show off their consumer tech. Follow this running collection of photos...
Wool gathering, nest building, and massage chairs: Dan Tynan on CES 2018
Few people have a better perspective on CES than journalists, and one of the most insightful has always been Dan...
Earned media strategy: How to grow your influence and authority
Earned media should be an integral part of any thought leadership program. Here’s why you should add this strategy to your...
Becoming a thought leader: 4 ways to get started
You want to get your company’s name out there and start building your brand. You want to be quoted in tier-one news...
Collision 2018: 5 takeaways on tech, startups, and storytelling
Collision proved once again why it’s one of the best tech shows around. It brought together some of the biggest names in...
Press release guidelines: A journalist’s advice for writing a useful news release
Is the press release dead or isn’t it? That depends on how you use them. A recent Twitter conversation confirmed as...
E3 2018: 8 takeaways on influencers, gaming, and the media
If there’s one thing to know about attending E3, it’s that you have to wear cool sneakers. If there are two things to...
Cybersecurity PR: 3 ways to earn more media coverage
Why does the media cover your competitors and not you? What can you do to create interest and generate media results so...
Cybersecurity media relations: How to catch reporters’ attention
Year-end cybersecurity research reports are an annual tradition. The best among them create awareness and help build...
How to newsjack breaking cybersecurity stories
The single most powerful technique for getting media coverage is speed. When an attack, a data breach, a new...
Media training for cybersecurity: 4 ways to get better and more frequent coverage
Most cyber security experts are terrible at speaking to media. Before your spokespeople ever go on TV, focused practice...
5 cybersecurity PR strategies to level up media coverage in 2019
Have you spent 2018 struggling to get the top-tier media coverage you deserve? Have you tried to create videos, blog posts,...
CES 2019 preview: 5 storylines that could earn you media coverage
CES 2019 is one of the best media opportunities you’ll have all year. You can gain broad national and international...
CES 2019 highlights: Tech and takeaways from Las Vegas
What are the big themes and storylines of CES 2019? See for yourself....
CES 2019 recap: 4 media storylines for 2019
CES 2019 showed us laundry-folding robots, holograms, voice-enabled everything, and an Apple billboard that had everyone...
RSA Conference 2019: David Strom explains how to get media coverage
We asked David Strom, curator of the Inside Security Newsletter, how to catch the media’s attention at the RSA Confrence...