Chicken or egg? Establishing credibility for an entirely new product, not yet available, with a long sales cycle and large financing needs
Critical PR Challenges
This client engaged Antenna Group after completing a Series A funding round. They were looking to build buzz and excitement around a truly groundbreaking but highly technical new manufacturing technique for thin-film solar energy production. Our client was still building out its demonstration production line while well-funded competitors were already making very aggressive, yet unsubstantiated, claims in the media. They wanted to be part of the conversation by adding a voice of legitimacy to the discussion, while also raising their profile to support future financing rounds. At the same time, they also wanted to attract top talent and skilled employees to support their growth and expansion.
Analysis
Antenna Group recommended pursuing a PR campaign focused on building credibility and crafting a story that illustrated the far-reaching and global effects of a flexible, advanced solar manufacturing technology. Through targeted award submissions and speaking engagements, Antenna saw an untapped opportunity to attract broader attention based on proven technical achievements and well-documented industry experience. Antenna also believed that by working closely with the company’s founding members on their executive vision, there was great potential to build out pitches, press materials and submissions around the company’s long-term goal of solar energy leap-frogging the current transmission and distribution system.
Action
Antenna secured top speaking engagements, with an eye to positioning the company’s visionary CEO with other thought leaders and industry pioneers. Antenna also successfully submitted the client for many awards, ranging from local awards from the area Business Journal and Chamber of Commerce, to a Wall Street Journal Innovation award and TIME Magazine Invention of the Year distinction. Over the years Antenna pitched and landed strategic stories that closely detailed the benefits of the client’s new manufacturing technology, the longterm company vision, and the broader industry landscape in top tier publications, ranging from The Economist and BusinessWeek to CNET and Photon International.
Impact
The Client quickly established a name for itself and won widespread accolades in the cleantech, solar, and investor communities. Antenna Group’s efforts supported what was at the time the largest venture funding round for a solar manufacturing company for the client’s Series B, while driving growth from an initial employee base of 3 to well over 100. The client received many incentive deals with local and state governments when siting its manufacturing facility, as well as attracted a far reaching interest from the broader investment community. The client attracted industry leading partners to work on joint development agreements, and gained mindshare from its initial competitors through a slow and steady media campaign based around substantive news and company vision.
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