Part 2: How do you grab the media’s attention at MWC? Find out from the influencers that matter

Come and join us at Babel’s panel discussion on November 28th, at the h Club in Covent Garden

On Thursday, Babel is hosting a breakfast panel discussion aimed at driving best-practice communications when engaging with press and influencers prior to and at MWC Barcelona 2020.

You may have seen our blog at the end of last week which included the thoughts of Forbes contributor Ewan Spence and our own Katie Finn. Take a look at the further insight below from two of our other panellists:

James Blackman, Editor, RCR Wireless and Enterprise IoT Insights

PR tactics should hinge on who you are and what you have to say. Unfortunately, at MWC, who you are matters more, and almost exclusively. MWC is a fixture in the calendar – for everyone. This makes for a good atmosphere, and means planning starts early, but it also means journalists know who they want to meet with already – people they know, companies they know.

For journalists, MWC presents an opportunity to sit down with the biggest tech firms in the world under one roof, over a couple of days – and gauge the market’s temperature. It means there is little time to spare, and little opportunity for lesser known brands. That is the reality, and if your brand or product not on the radar already, MWC can be an impossible venue.

The only way, in most cases, is to put together a highly targeted campaign which identifies and engages journalists early – or else employ a PR agency that knows its onions and a spokesperson who can tell a story.

Elliot Mulley-Goodbarne, Assistant Editor, Comms Business / Technology Business Today

Make contact early, as most journalists will be thinking about MWC now, and wouldn’t expect to have availability within a fortnight before the event.

Ask for journalists’ plans beforehand. Most will be at the Fira venue for the first two days and no more, so be targeted in your timings.

If you have a key message or announcement, all the better, as MWC has become a necessity for tech journalists despite a decline in big mobile announcements.

Personally, I look for stories to write up and schedule beforehand because I can’t guarantee I’ll have any time to write pieces while I’m there so it’s a good idea to send press releases ‘under embargo.’

Babel’s PR expertise will address all of these questions and more

So, what is it that the media are looking to cover at a show like Mobile World Congress? What type of information is of value to the press? Is it news? If so, what type of news is likely to get their attention? Is it informed industry comment and insight? If so, what level of insight are the press looking for? What makes a good story and how should that story be packaged?

We will attempt to answer these questions and more. We will discuss what are likely to be the hottest trends at the show and how you can tap

If you’d like to attend the event and find out how you can maximise the impact of your communications for MWC Barcelona 2020, then please register via Eventbrite or speak to one of the Babel team, we’re happy to help.