How to succeed in B2B public relations

With B2B public relations evolving rapidly, the need for a relevant and digitally optimised PR strategy has become the need of the hour. How can B2B marketers find new ideas and expand their opportunities to grow public relations capabilities?

Marketing caught up with Dinesh Subramaniam, director, global communications network at Wärtsilä Corporation to find out what it takes to succeed in B2B public relations ecosystem.

Marketing: How is Wärtsilä’s current PR strategy helping to generate leads and create sales opportunities in a B2B set up?

Subramaniam: At Wärtsilä, our communications strategy is closely aligned with the three core businesses of Power Plants, Ship Power and Services. We focus on and pay equal attention to external communications, internal communications, investor relations, and communications to all key stakeholder groups. By showcasing Wärtsilä as a global leader in its industries and markets – with announcements, content and information based on successes with our customers and industry partners, and advancements in our technologies and solutions – we create a strong profile and bring visibility to the company in channels that are most relevant to us and our industry.

Marketing: Share examples of PR campaigns that have worked well for the brand.

Subramaniam: The most recent example of a successful PR campaign aligned with sales is during the recent SMM 2014, a major marine event held in Hamburg, Germany, in September. Before, during and after the event, announcements from the ship power business unit kept Wärtsilä top of mind amongst trade media and industry watchers, and enabled Wärtsilä delegates and guests at SMM to engage in discussions about the company's technologies and solutions for the marine market. There was also a live press conference at the Wärtsilä stand during the event which attracted key journalists from trade & mainstream publications. Interviews with senior Wärtsilä executives and business experts also helped the company convey key messages around products and solutions for the marine industry. An active social media plan supported the main PR campaign during SMM.

Marketing: What are the kind of results you have experienced with this effort?

Subramaniam: Press conferences and interviews may sound like rudimentary activities to anyone in communications or PR. However, when working in a niche industry that is covered by only a handful of publications, maintaining relationships and keeping the media engaged with news and interviews becomes more important than ever. Proactive communications led to a substantial amount of media coverage for Wärtsilä leading up to and at the event with almost every business line within ship power receiving some sort of exposure. Lead targets set for the event were exceeded, and there was also increased engagement with Wärtsilä on social channels.

Marketing: How would you say your strategy is different from your competition?

Subramaniam: Our PR strategy is methodical. We start with a global strategy which is then communicated and implemented locally. However, local implementation isn't as straightforward as it may seem. We have to take the local situation, context and market dynamics into consideration and determine how much internal and external PR should be done. In some markets, internal communications takes precedence over external communications. On a separate note – while it isn't possible to compare our PR strategy with our competition, we do watch and learn from competitors and also non-competing B2B companies that seem to have well-oiled communications and social media strategies.

Marketing: Are there any challenges you face as a B2B PR professional?

Subramaniam: There are many challenges, including: i) Having a team of people who are, most of the time, wearing multiple hats and are not trained in Communications skills ii) Understanding of social media and its value-add to sales and the company as a whole being at its infancy iii) Internal understanding about the benefit of communications and the value that it can bring to sales strategies and KPIs However, the communications team’s role is to find ways to circumnavigate these challenges by collaborating with other teams, especially Marketing.

Marketing: What do you think is trending in B2B public relations and what is Wärtsilä doing on that front?

Subramaniam: Content marketing and strategy, marketing automation and social media are trends that I see gaining importance amongst some B2B companies. In the past, industry buyers knew exactly what was being offered, from only a handful of companies that they could reach out to. Despite the absence of the internet, it was relatively easier to compare offerings and prices. Trade shows were hotbeds for issues to be discussed and deals to be concluded. Today, more products and technologies are becoming available, while debates and discussions are becoming more diverse. Thought leadership is gaining in importance, with companies and their senior management being expected to contribute to the voice of the industry. Traditional advertising is not as effective as before, and all sorts of content are being created and shared via multiple channels, including in-house newsrooms. Traditional brick-and-mortar B2B companies are hiring more savvy marketers and communicators who understand that sales must be supported with the right amount of content and the right type of communications.

Marketing: What can consumer-facing brands learn from the PR strategies of a B2B brand?

Subramaniam: In many cases (but not all), the B2B sales funnel is deeper and more complex, so closing a sale is not as easy as putting a product online with an accompanying "Add to Cart" button next to it. Hence, creativity in content development and content communications is an area where B2B PR could trump its B2C counterpart. B2B products and technologies are not as easily understood as everyman-facing products like airline tickets, chocolates, mobile devices, ICT products, or even automobiles. As a result, patience is also a virtue that comes to mind, as more thoughtful communications is needed to target a much narrower audience than in B2C.

Hear Subramaniam’s thoughts on B2B public relations at PR Asia 2014. Know more about the conference, here.

To book your seats for the conference contact Joven Barcenas at jovenb@marketing-interactive.comor +65 6423 0329, +65 9727 0291.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Che Winstrom at chew@marketing-interactive.com or +65 6423 0329.

To discuss the agenda, enquire about presenting or to suggest topics, contact Preeti Varadarajan at preetiv@marketing-interactive.com or +65 6423 0329