In the absence of the traditional big-scale in-person event at a Global exhibition, the Wake Media communications team worked with WinGD to create a product launch communications strategy.
The Challenge:
WinGD (Winterthur Gas & Diesel ) is a leading developer of low-speed gas and diesel engines for marine propulsion headquartered in Switzerland.
Since the company was formed in 2015, following divestment from Wartsila, WinGD has established itself as a leader in the marine propulsion market launching many marine propulsion technology products and services into their target market (the maritime industry).
In 2020 the spread of the COVID-19 virus impacted global industries on a scale never encountered before. The maritime industry wasn’t immune. However, the pressure to reduce emissions from global shipping activities remained. Products that were under development pre-pandemic had to be launched in a new market landscape in a time when no one could predict how global industry would change. Ensuring continuous improvement of X-DF technology through reductions to both fuel consumption and methane slip in gas mode, WinGD launched X-DF2.0 technology with iCER – Intelligent Control by Exhaust Recycling.
The primary objective for Wake Media in this campaign was to create and deliver the product launch to the media for WinGD’s iCER technology and raise the profile of the technology in the target market. The secondary objective was to ensure that WinGD’s leadership and innovative approach that supports future fuels was demonstrated within all communications and reflected in subsequent media coverage.
Our Approach:
In the absence of the traditional big-scale in-person event at a Global exhibition, the Wake Media communications team worked with WinGD to create a product launch communications strategy. The strategy used a blend of traditional measures as well as covid-adaptive measures which started with a press release to fully articulate the product benefits for the customer and impact on the industry for distribution to the global maritime media. The drafting of the press release and coordination of the review process was handled by our team, as was the issuing of the final press release to the media. This included the arrangement of supporting interviews and the securing of media coverage with the press release sent embargoed ahead of the official launch date to key media contacts.
In addition to the creation and issuing of the press release, the Wake Media communications team organised an online press conference/launch event for members of the maritime press to “meet” and hear from key representatives from WinGD. The preparations for this online event comprised of content development and setting the agenda, creating speaker briefings and preparations for the Q&A session, hosting the event on the day, and coordinating press invitations. Wake Media also secured and supplied the expert moderator.
Post event, the Wake Media team followed up with attendees from the press, creating interview opportunities in order to increase media coverage. They also undertook feedback gathering exercise, with the analysis of the feedback provided to WinGD. Subsequent media coverage tracking was also undertaken.
Impact:
Key achievements that yielded great impact in this campaign were the securing of interviews with two of WinGD’s top media targets for this campaign, which resulted in two articles published in Tradewinds and one published article in Lloyd’s List.
In total, nineteen journalists from the maritime media attended the online press conference and there were 109 downloads of the supporting press pack materials, which indicates good pick up/ interest from the maritime media. Within the ten days following the product launch 123 articles were published.
“Undertaking a really significant product launch during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that we couldn’t rely on our traditional methods and had to quickly adopt different approaches to engaging the media and getting our key messages across. The team at Wake Media knew exactly what to do and worked with us to create a very impactful launch strategy and virtual press conference agenda that ensured the media, who would usually attend our press conferences in-person, would join for a digital edition. We were very impressed with how far and wide news of our product launch travelled. The impact was perhaps even stronger than what we might have achieved in the busy exhibition landscape. It was a very well-executed campaign.” said Anna Garcia, Director, Corporate Responsibility & Communications.