Blog

CES 2020: 5 Ways for Auto and Mobility Suppliers to Build on CES Momentum

CES 2020 is over. You did it. You and your automotive / mobility technology company stared down the gargantuan trade show that is CES and you had a presence there. You planned and organized … scheduled … and rescheduled. You strategized. You worked hard to get the attention of media and customers at an event where their attention was being pulled in 500 directions at once amidst a sea of technologies for autonomous, connected, electrified and shared mobility. Your CES was a PR success!

Now that it’s over, you deserve to sit back, relax and take a breather ….

… but not for too long! Because now is the time to ensure that your momentum will keep going. The outreach doesn’t have to stop just because the show is over. In fact, you might find that building upon relationships and successes created around the show can grow even more rewarding afterward.

So, after taking a moment to catch your breath, here are five ways that you should continue riding the wave of CES after you’ve left Las Vegas:

Start Spreading the News – If you received media coverage from CES, don’t just log it into your coverage reports. Be sure to promote it across your company’s social media accounts. Feature top coverage highlights on your website and encourage your employees to share the coverage on their LinkedIn and other accounts as well. You worked hard to get a share of the media’s attention at the show, so make sure you get as much mileage as you can out of it.

Follow Up … Often at shows like CES, you will meet and engage with journalists that you haven’t worked with before. After the show is over, reach out to the media who visited your booth or did an interview with your experts there. Let them know you appreciate the time they took. You can also remind them that if they’re ever working on a story about topics your company can weigh-in on (and remind them what those topics are), they should feel free to reach out to you. If they are still working on a CES-related story that hasn’t been published yet that will feature your company, make sure they have all they need in terms of supporting images and materials.

… And Then Follow Them – Keep track of automotive and mobility journalists and industry influencers you meet at the show and who showed interest in your company. If you’re not already, follow their professional social media accounts. Most times, this will result in a follow-back from them. Going forward, be sure to support their posts with shares, retweets and comments if they include interesting content about the industry, even if your company is not mentioned in them. Staying on the radar can come in many forms.

Study the Specifics – Take a detailed look at what worked and what didn’t for you at the show. Where improvements could be made to your pitch strategy? What angles seemed to resonate the most in your media outreach? How can you continue to capitalize on that throughout the year? What kinds of stories are the journalists who covered you at the show writing about the rest of the year? What media were you hoping to land at CES but didn’t? What does their coverage look like? Do you have other angles you can pitch to them going forward?

Keep the Presses Churning – You most likely announced some big news or unveiled some new technologies at CES. With the show being such a hectic time for the press, plan some related news not too long after the show that recaps your announcements and backs into more company messaging, along with updates – if possible – about what you had announced. Any new production milestones or new business contracts? What’s coming next? Don’t rest on your CES laurels, look ahead!

You might also be interested in:

5 PR Mistakes Auto Suppliers Make Preparing for CES

5 PR Surprises from CES 2019 Data for Automotive & Mobility Suppliers

PR Challenge vs. Opportunity: Six Media Relations Facts You Should Know About CES