Cybersecurity wasn’t always ‘sexy’ or ‘mainstream’ but in the past decade, that has changed. We live in a digital age where technology is at our fingertips and data is helping power the world, so if you’re a cybersecurity vendor, the time is now to get your message across.
But to do that successfully, you need the right experts to communicate with the masses. With over two decades of experience, we have seen the monumental benefits of having powerful spokespeople championing a company’s product or services.
Typically, organisations will have a single spokesperson face the media. They provide commentary on everything from business matters to product offerings, all the way through to world password day. Naturally, this has its advantages as the media becomes accustomed to seeing a single face and name across the various mediums.
However, the downside to having a sole individual responsible for media storytelling is availability, especially if they are away travelling or ill and only feel comfortable commenting on a few subject matters.
There is also the fear that when the spokesperson leaves the company, they are also taking with them their experience, knowledge, and name – which has, in many respects, become its own brand in the media.
To avoid this situation, some of our more established clients have adopted a slightly different tactic whereby they employ a dedicated team of spokespeople. Usually, they have a minimum of 3 experts covering business, technical and non-technical matters. They will be committed to advocating and telling the story of the organisation, in their own respective styles and regional flair. One of our clients has over 30 spokespeople – we are, however, talking about one of the biggest cybersecurity providers in the world.
Naturally, these clients see greater success with PR activities. By having more experts, they can cover more topics and there is a higher chance that one is always available regardless of the time; this works especially well for clients with a global presence as they can cover more time zones.
It also means you can strategically put forward a spokesperson depending on their strengths. For example, one expert might prefer writing long-form articles, while another may prefer providing content through videos. You can utilise someone that is more technical but less charismatic for written interviews while someone with more panache can be used for TV.
Indeed, with more individuals speaking with the media, the burden isn’t forced upon one person and means the opportunities can be shared across the team, allowing more time to also focus on other business activities. Lastly, having a range of spokespeople also lessens the impact should one leave the organisation.
By conveying the company message while displaying their unique personalities and expertise will only build stronger relationships with the media which should result in a desired outcome.
Now, if this sounds like something you’d want to consider for your organisation, then ensure all spokespeople are appropriately media trained! If not, then you are putting them and your company at risk.
The saying “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” certainly rings true here. There is an art to facing the media, particularly knowing how to avoid tricky questioning while providing the reporter with the key information in an impactful way, without being self-serving. Media training is a service we’ve provided to the majority of our clients, helping many of them become household names within the cybersecurity sphere.
We thrive off building a company’s brand and your spokespeople are a key component to achieving that. Whether it’s broadcast interviews or being published in print – we can help you find, build and prepare your experts to achieve the coverage you want. Click here to learn more about our PR services.
