2012 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

B2B trade show media relations is not only intensive but requires a thorough immersion into a specific industry to understand the complexities of the B2B marketplace. While some B2B shows have succeeded in crossing over into the mainstream arena and are perceived as interesting and catering to glamorous sectors, others represent incredibly niche sectors which require intensive media outreach and an ability to turn the most unlikely of industries into a compelling story. This is the art of media relations at its best. This is how the industry separates the ‘show ponies’ from the true media relations specialists: the art of transforming what initially seems to be dull and irrelevant to cynical media into a meaningful narrative for its readers. Canon’s participation at Gulf Print 2011 is testament to this art and showcases the power of knowing what media want, knowing how to extract information from a client and packaging it into headline-grabbing news. Results achieved: • Achieved 78% of Share of Voice Gulf Print media coverage • A growth of 235% in Canon coverage from the previous Gulf Print show in 2009 • 83% of all Canon Gulf Print media coverage focused on business solutions not products • 85% of all Canon coverage contained key messaging • 75% of all Canon Gulf Print interviews appeared in non-trade media

The Brief

Crucial to Canon’s commercial success at Gulf Print 2011 was a PR campaign that achieved the following objectives: • Established Canon’s digital print credentials • Instilled confidence in its offering • Attracted footfall to Canon’s stand • Positioned Canon as a business partner of choice • Appealed to media beyond the four print trade publications that exist in the region • Created a compelling cost efficiency case to appeal to a variety of sectors including healthcare, banking, education and government departments. Simply put, Canon needed a PR campaign that would make the region’s cynical media sit-up and take notice of printers.

Results

• Canon achieved 78% of all Gulf Print media coverage (based on MediaWatch monitoring data) • A growth of 235% in Canon coverage from the previous Gulf Print show in 2009 • 83% of all Canon Gulf Print media coverage focused on business solutions and news far higher than any other print brand participating in Gulf Print and helped to establish its digital print credentials • 85% of all Canon Gulf Print coverage contained key messaging on Canon as a business partner and solutions provider • 16 one-on-one interviews conducted over a three-day period • 75% of all Canon Gulf Print interviews appeared in horizontal media – thereby extending the interest of the campaign beyond trade media and reaching more key decision makers • 18 media attended the press conference – 78% of media in attendance represented business magazines or business sections from the dailies • Increased number of visitors to the Canon stand – based on client feedback

Execution

The agency focused on educating both business and trade media about Canon’s role in the digital print industry and its wider contribution to the regional economy. The campaign moved away from products and focused on the business angle. This was achieved through a series of firsts for Canon at the trade show and included: • Conducted media audit ahead of Gulf Print to find out what information they wanted to cover at Gulf Print – this then formed the basis of all communications • Development of messaging matrix • Tailored content that focused on specific sectors • A series of one-on-one tours of the Canon stand, whereupon industry advancements and sector issues were discussed with media • Press conference announcing Canon’s partnership with Oce and what this meant for the print industry and businesses in the region • Business-focused interviews and thought leadership pieces • Sales-focused stories which provided statistics to strengthen the Canon Gulf Print story

The Situation

Gulf Print is the region’s most important professional print show and gateway to lucrative print contracts. As a relative newcomer to the world of professional digital print, Canon had to establish its credibility at the 2011 show and appeal to those in charge of IT budgets in the region. The challenge came in reaching and influencing those audiences in the lead-up and during Gulf Print. With just four printing trade publications in the region, a wider media net had to be cast and a campaign developed which turned printers into a compelling business story rather than a stale IT product.

The Strategy

• Change the conversation from products to solutions, thereby positioning Canon as a business partner and expanding interest in its participation at Gulf Print and Canon’s contribution to the bottom line of regional businesses. • This was achieved through careful messaging and positioning: o Positioning Canon as a leading provider of business printing technology, providing market-leading expertise, products and solutions which help streamline business efficiencies and save money o Positioning Canon as a leading player in the digital print environment o Demonstrating print solutions for different B2B clients such as banking and finance, education and health o Expanding the appeal of the print industry in the business domain and highlighting awareness of Canon’s digital print offerings o Focusing on differentiating Canon Gulf Print news by sharing with media tangible business results and statistics, helping to bring printers to life