The challenge

When Blu Wireless set their sights on entering the defence market, they faced a significant challenge.

As Director of Marketing, Ciara Barron, explains, “Traditional routes to market wouldn’t cut the mustard. The defence sector was a tightly knit community with often a long sales and procurement cycle, so it was about gaining trust and providing value – but we needed to figure out how to connect with these people globally.”

Adding to the complexity, Blu Wireless had limited concrete use cases they could publicly discuss and faced the challenge of working within a restricted budget. They needed a strategic approach that would make the most of their internal expertise whilst building credibility in an entirely new sector.

Strategic approach

EC-PR began with a discovery phase to understand Blu Wireless’s business strategy and goals. This led to a comprehensive workshop that brought together the wider team to:

• Segment their target markets
• Identify key stakeholders within each sector
• Develop detailed understanding of these individuals’ mindsets, from their media consumption habits to their professional challenges

“We spent most of our time probing until we practically knew what they ate for breakfast,” recalls Barron. “This meant what we left with was something that would speak directly to and connect with that persona’s day-to-day challenges.”

The team then developed a disciplined messaging framework, which became the foundation for all communication across owned media channels and outreach to key publications.

Building momentum

Rather than forcing immediate results, the approach focused on building authentic relationships and credibility. The strategy leveraged the deep expertise within the business, using key voices to share knowledge and demonstrate understanding of customer challenges.

One notable initiative involved creating a thought leadership campaign around their president’s LinkedIn profile. With his influential network and high profile in the industry, this required careful handling. EC-PR invested time in understanding his personal approach and tone of voice, resulting in content that rarely needed amendments.

Measuring success

The campaign delivered significant measurable results:

Digital engagement

• US website traffic overtook UK traffic for the first time
• 24% increase in visitors from social referrals
• Organic LinkedIn impressions grew from 7,000 to 13,000 (68% increase) in three months
• LinkedIn interactions rose by 63%
• Posts increased from 9 to 20 per month
• 14% growth in LinkedIn followers

High-value coverage

Early in 2023, Blu Wireless was given a target to secure coverage in Janes, a prestigious military publication, by year-end. They not only achieved this but were subsequently invited to participate in a special report about their technology.

A tech influencer approached them to feature on his podcast, which generated:

• Over 1,000 YouTube views from B2B professionals
• Approximately 100 interactions
• More than 45 reposts on LinkedIn

Business impact

The most significant changes were:

• Increased inbound enquiries through their website
• Higher download rates for content
• Growing direct approaches from target customers

Keys to success

Several factors contributed to the campaign’s effectiveness:

Authentic expertise

Rather than paying for advertorials, Blu Wireless focused on editorial coverage by leveraging internal expertise.

“By using experts and high-profile figures within our business who know our solutions inside out, you naturally add value as you are educating target customers about the benefits of the technology whilst sharing an understanding of their challenges,” explains Barron.

Patient focus

“You can’t be all things to all people,” reflects Barron. “There might be a fear that you’re not doing enough; however, it’s a patience game. Focus on what you know and who you are going after and be consistent with that approach and it pays off.”

Regular review and adaptation

Quarterly face-to-face workshops provided opportunities to analyse progress and adjust strategy. “It’s a very honest open workshop to discuss what’s working and what’s not,” says Barron. “I think that open line of communication ensures that we remain productive and keeps the relationship going strong.”

Conclusion

Through strategic thought leadership, Blu Wireless successfully established themselves in a new market, building trust and credibility through authentic expertise sharing. As Barron concludes, “When target customers are reaching out to us via our website, LinkedIn and asking to talk to us directly, you know you’re doing something right. It’s a bit of a trust process but when it lands, you really do reap the benefits.”