Challenge
Trend Micro challenged The Flywheelers to strengthen its relationships with key journalists and uplevel its media coverage in national, broadcast and tier-one security and technology media.
Approach
To establish key metrics for success, as part of our onboarding we identified a list of priority tier-one target publications and defined our key messages, allocating KPIs against each. Our strategy for delivering a high-impact media relations programme focused on:
• Building rapport: Approached journalists on our priority target list to secure in-person or phone media meets to brief them on Trend’s priorities.
• Creating proactive thought leadership: Identified industry trends aligned to key messages for proactive feature and thought leadership on enterprise cybersecurity, sourcing fresh and compelling angles through Point of View download sessions with Trend spokespeople. This included creating proactive angles on the rise of deepfakes scams and the incoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill.
• Tracking the news agenda: Flagged news stories and worked with spokespeople to pitch for broadcast commentary or issue snappy reactive comments such as the breach of the BBC Pension Scheme.
• Maximising Trend’s Threat Research: Leveraged Trend threat intelligence and third-party research to create compelling media angles. This included reanalysing data from Trend’s The CISO Credibility Gap to create a second press release angle that generated seven additional pieces of coverage in the likes of Infosecurity
• Aligning with corporate priorities: Amplified initiatives including product updates, events and hackathons, and the work of the Forward Threat Research team, which resulted in our spokesperson speaking to LBC News about Trend’s contribution to taking down LabHost.
Impact
Within the first 10 months of working together, The Flywheelers secured 85 pieces of coverage in the likes of WIRED, The Times, Forbes, IT Pro, SC Magazine, and Tech Monitor. We also introduced Trend spokespeople to journalists at The FT, The Times, Intelligent CIO, CRN, IT Pro, The Sun, The Next Web, and Raconteur.
In 2024, we exceeded our coverage target for priority media by 20%, while our average messaging pull-through was 11% higher than our target – highlighting how our strategy of leveraging topical and trending topics to elevate messaging works.
