Prompt Communications Technology PR

Around the technology world in 80 days: Day #1: London, UK

Hazel Butters — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:06:38 +0000

Yesterday we promised you a trip around the technology world in 80 days, and today we’ve set out on our travels and arrived in London!

No longer the bustling centre of the British Empire that it was in Verne and Fogg’s day, London still remains a thriving city of diversity, and one of the world’s pivotal hubs of finance, culture, politics, education, arts, science, entertainment and of course technology.

Over the last 2,000 years or so, London has been the birthplace of far too many notable fathers and mothers of technology to mention (including Prompt London!). But if we were to assemble a select crowd of notable historical figures to send us off on our travels, we would definitely have to make room for Michael Faraday, Charles Babbage, Alan Turing, Ada Lovelace, Edmond Halley, Jonathan Ive, Tim Berners-Lee and many, many ‘plus ones’. And let’s not forget all the notable technologists travelling from the rest of the UK, including Frank Whittle, Robert Watson-Watt, John Logie Baird, George Stephenson, Percy Shaw, Christopher Cockerell, Thomas Wedgewood, Joseph Swan, Alan Blumenlein, Alexander Graham Bell and more than enough fellow geniuses to pack out the platform at Liverpool Street station.

So, with the electric motor, trains, cat’s eyes, jet engines, photography, stereophonic sound, light bulbs, radar, iPods, television, telephones, computing and the world wide web pretty much covered before our first embarkation, it’s definitely time to brush over the UK’s other technology luminaries in order to leave a few discoveries for our other destinations.

Like Phileas Fogg, we’re proud of our London roots, but we expect to find other countries contending some of the UK’s claims during our expedition.

Next stop – the Netherlands!

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Prompt’s virtual technology PR trek: Around the tech world in 80 days

Hazel Butters — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:18:27 +0000

In 1873 author Jules Verne published ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, an adventure novel in which wealthy British bachelor Phileas Fogg sets off to win a wager and prove that it is possible to travel around the world in just 80 days. Accompanied by trusty French valet Passepartout, his pocket watch, carpet bag, and timetables for trains and steamboats, Fogg battles fate and fortunes in the attempt to win the bet (along with the hand of a women he rescues en route).

While Prompt’s technology PR consultants will not be getting on any cross-Atlantic steamers, transcontinental trains, friendly elephants or even the local bus, our team – which includes American, French, German, Austrian, Portuguese, Scottish, Welsh and English consultants – has become increasingly curious about which technologies characterise which countries. So we thought we would launch our own blog adventure, virtually travelling ‘Around the Technology World in 80 Days’ while mapping notable inventions, exciting innovations and indispensable ideas from each country that we pass through.

Just like Phileas Fogg, we’re going to start out in Great Britain before looking windward and travelling east in a happenchance route around the globe. We’re not going to follow Fogg’s route (which had the first port of Egypt), and at times we may strike out at tangents in pursuit of technology gems off of the beaten track. But we’ll be spending each day in a fresh country, just as soon as we manage to leave Prompt London’s headquarters…

Tomorrow we start our tech journey. Our starting point? London!

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Prompt Boston attends Mass Innovation Night, #MIN51

Jessica Branco, Prompt PR Boston — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:26:57 +0000

As a group of technology-savvy PR consultants, we’re fortunate to be located in a city full of innovation. With offices in Kendall Square, right across the river from the heart of Boston, we regularly brush shoulders with innovative individuals, start-ups and groups who are looking to launch a new idea into the marketplace that could completely change the way we think and act.

One event in the area that does a phenomenal job of gathering such innovators together is Mass Innovation Nights (MIN). Launched in April 2009, the monthly event showcases ten companies, and the community turns out to visit vendor booths, promote the products via social media and sit in on pitch presentations. In the last two years alone, MIN has helped launch more than 475 products and connect many job seekers with hiring managers.

Last night, Prompt Boston attended the 51^st MIN at the Microsoft New England Research and Development Center (better known as the NERD Center). As soon as we entered and put on our flashing #MIN51 pin, which read ‘I helped launch 500 new products!’, we got the chance to learn more about some up-and-coming local innovators, including:

- Agency Spotter: This integrated platform makes finding a creative agency a quick and easy process. Simply enter the type of agency you are looking for, and voila! In minutes, a refined search appears, taking the search process “from months to minutes”.

- Delightfully: If you’re an online shopper and like sending e-gifts, this interactive webpage is just for you. Think of Delightfully as digital gift wrapping, where you can compile your favorite photos and content to present a customized e-gift.

- Equiso Smart TV: This thumb-sized device plugs into TV screens and projectors to create a smart, interactive viewing experience. From Angry Birds, to Pandora and Pinterest, the Equiso Smart TV gives viewers access to 700,000 apps in the Google Play Store – right on a large HD TV screen.

- Fuzzycover: Want a fun, creative way to protect your tablet, e-reader, iPhone and spiral bound notebook? Fuzzycover’s protective covers are the perfect solution, and are available in animal prints, cool colors, fuzzy or leather-bound material.

The event also featured delicious drink samples from Izze, and was topped off with Equiso Smart TV receiving the most votes as the best product at MIN51. It was a night full of innovation, networking and support for local start-ups, and we hope to relive it all again next month.

For more information on Mass Innovation Nights, be sure to visit the website here or read founder Bobbie Carlton’s round-up of the event on MIN’s blog. For those on Twitter, be sure to read all of the event’s tweets by searching #MIN51 or read the corresponding Storify piece here.

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Technology PR recap: The software testing industry

Helpful Hints, Prompt Technology PR — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:32:25 +0000

The final entry in Prompt’s blog series,

Prompt Technology PR Snapshot: Software Testing

Over the past six weeks, we hope you’ve learned a lot about the software testing industry, and ways to maximize your PR efforts. We’ve walked you through the various types of press, including IT publications, business journals, and newspaper journalists. Even if it seems near impossible, there is a way to make it into your favorite publication – all it takes is the right angle.

As your company’s spokesperson, it’s your duty to protect your business’s reputational frontline and reach target audiences. Through PR, media and analyst relations, these goals are achieved, along with boosting sales revenue and industry thought leadership.

So, whether you’re a well-known global company, or a small software testing start-up, reaching the press follows the same tips as discussed in our blog over the past month. In case you missed it, Prompt has compiled them all into one free, handy download – all you need to do is fill out the form below.

Ultimately software testing makes a significant and concrete difference to customer confidence, corporate reputation and that all important bottom line. And PR should be doing just that for you too.

To speak to one of our PR consultants, please contact us today. In a short time, our expert team can discuss your specific situation and some activities that will get you traction in relevant press as a software testing thought leader.

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Prompt Boston hosts successful ‘Office Hours’ at Venture Café

PromptBoston — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:00:34 +0000

At Prompt Boston, we’re fortunate to work near the hub of technology and innovation, with our offices being walking distance from MIT, Harvard and more. In fact, right in our office building, the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), these techies come together every Thursday night for a networking social better known as Venture Café.

Last month, Prompt CEO Hazel Butters hosted ‘Office Hours’ at Venture Café, where an array of technology start-ups stopped by to discuss future goals, technology PR strategy, thought leadership and the nature of the press with us. Meanwhile, other Prompt team members hit the event floor – with surveys in hand to ask some of the latest hard-hitting questions in tech and PR.

With Prompt specializing in media relations and press training, we thought we’d start our round of questioning by asking attendees, ‘Who is the greatest tech spokesperson of all time?’ Not surprisingly, the most popular response was the legendary Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple. Other notable mentions included Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle Corporation, and Nikola Tesla, Croatian inventor, engineer and physicist best known for his contributions to air conditioning.

Our next question was even tougher. As part of our media outreach and news pipeline creation, we’re constantly reading the latest trends and news in technology. With so many outlets in publication, it’s hard to pinpoint our all-time favorite newspaper or magazine. But we just had to ask, ‘If you were stranded on a desert island with access to only one source of technology news, what would you choose?’ The New York Times topped the list, but a slew of other well-known publications also caught our attention, including Mashable, Engadget, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, the Wall Street Journal, and perhaps the most resourceful in real-time, Twitter.

What we really wanted to know, though, was how these technology-invested, business-minded individuals would rate themselves on their own spokesperson skills. At Prompt, we ensure our newly-acquired clients go through media training, to get company representatives press-ready and confident. Intimately, it comes down to the age-old PR question: If the Wall Street Journal called you tomorrow, would you know what to say? So we asked Venture Café guests, ‘How good of a media spokesperson do you think you are?’

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (61%) expressed an air of confidence when speaking to the press, despite the nerves that accompany such certainty. Others believed they could handle a press interview, just as long as any “trick questions” aren’t thrown into the mix.

No matter where you fall on the spectrum, media training fortifies your public speaking abilities, which is crucial when jumping on the phone line with a journalist. Even seasoned speakers go through such training, to avoid any ‘oh no’ moments or damaging blunders. If you’re interested in media training, and transforming your company representatives into properly trained press spokespeople, please contact a Prompt consultant today.

Interested in attending the next Venture Café? Take a look at the upcoming event and speaker schedule – we hope to see you there!

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Read all about it! Are print newspapers fated to fold? (continued…)

Hazel Butters — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:00:13 +0000

Perhaps the most obvious sign of changing times for stalwart newspaper readers has been the increasing pervasiveness of online ‘paywalls’.

It’s likely that most of us first started bumping into paywalls after reading a few articles in The Times, the FT, The New York Times or the WSJ. It’s that familiar sinking feeling when a pop-up window demands your cash payment or subscription before you’re allowed to flip to another visible page. But paywalls are nothing new – the WSJ was actually introduced the first newspaper paywall back in 1997 (and pretty effortlessly gained over 200,000 subscribers within a year – most likely with a lot of help from business expense accounts).

Today more than 400 US papers have erected paywalls, and there are more announced every day, with even the holdout Washington Post succumbing. In the UK the Telegraph announced its paywall plans in March , and News International confirmed that the Sun would go down a similar route to stable-mate the Times this summer. But despite this rapid adoption, a digital-only, paywall-dependent vision isn’t an inevitable future for all newspapers. Some highly-regarded figures in the global newspaper industry now regard the paywall as an intermediary solution – a short-term patch for declining traditional revenues that will not be here for the long-haul.

In the UK the most notable hold-outs to date are the Guardian, the Observer, the Mail, the Mirror and the Express – newspapers that believe they can still produce sufficiently attractive open content in print and online to lure readers that advertisers will pay to target. But John Paton, CEO for newspaper management specialist Digital First Media is perhaps the most outspoken in his opposition to a paywall future. He says: “I don’t think paywalls are the answer to anything. If we’re swapping out print dollars for digital dimes, I think paywalls are a stack of pennies. We might use the pennies in transition to get where we’re going.” However, that doesn’t mean that he sees any future at all for print: “Newspapers in print are clearly going away. I think you’re an idiot if you think that’s not happening. I don’t think that news organizations are dying but are newspapers going to stop running in print? Yeah. Absolutely.”

So are there any ‘idiots’ left to support print, or does everyone believe that the printed newspaper is doomed already? Rather interestingly, US business magnate Warren Buffet has been buying newspapers up as if he is on a personal crusade to save print, recently acquiring more than 80 titles, including 28 major newspapers, for more than $340 million (£210 million). He now owns the whole Media General empire, as well as much-loved individual titles such as the Omaha World-Herald, and the Allentown Morning Call, and is candid about his love for print. Of course there are still plenty of other publications out there crying out for new owners, that haven’t attracted their own Buffet. As well as the Boston Globe, notable US papers up for sale include the LA Times, Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun, while in Europe publishing giants such as Mecom must be bought, split or closed for good.

Producing newspapers is a costly business– if you’ve never worked in publishing it’s enough to just imagine the physical process of printing and distributing millions of printed papers each day, when compared to the cost of publishing online news. And that’s before you even begin to take into account the huge logistical costs of such large and distributed professional workforces. So next time you pick up a paper at the station or your local newsagent, bear in mind that the distribution model alone that ensured your news arrived on time, probably accounted for around 40% of the total cost of that newspaper.

How do you see the future of the printed newspaper? Will it continue to thrive in niches, serving traditionalists, as well as regional and specialist markets? Will printed papers complement digital editions, albeit far less publically and affordably than we have become accustomed to? Or is all print doomed now, in our lifetimes?

Take our Prompt Poll now:

Extra, extra read all about it: Software testing and regional newspapers

Helpful Hints, Prompt Technology PR — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:00:38 +0000

Part five of six in the blog series,
Prompt Technology PR Snapshot: Software Testing

Whether you’re in the check-out line of a grocery store, hopping aboard the metro, or spending the morning at a local coffee shop, newspapers and national media outlets are readily available and easily found.

Coverage in the regional and national press are considered a great hit – just think of the large audience, broad reach and public familiarity of such publications. And although a piece in the New York Times or Daily Record would certainly be something to frame, what if more of your sales prospects read a niche outlet like Computer Weekly instead? This is something to consider as you begin evaluating your PR goals and objectives – always aim for the target, despite how tempting a more wide-scale placement can be.

Now, back to the newspaper press – exactly how can a software testing firm land such a hit? That’s where the Prompt team comes in with the following insider tips:

- Follow the national newsbeat: Stay on top of the latest news trends and topics. Are journalists discussing the flat economy and pending budget-cuts across enterprises? Offer your commentary on how software testing services, such as automation or outsourcing, can deliver efficiencies to companies, large and small, freeing up budgets.

- Partner with customers: Customers that are well known will catch the eye of technology- and business-beat editors. If you’ve won such a contract recently, create a unique angle to market your company and be ready to pitch it to the press.

- Think regional: Any software firm can be regional – just think of where your customers are based and emphasize the location along with any involvement in local initiatives.

If your goal is to make it into the Wall Street Journal, don’t lose hope. With key PR strategies, a great hook, and persistence (if at first you don’t succeed, try again), your software testing firm can land a spot in a well-known regional newspaper.

Tune in next week on our blog for a full round-up of all our software testing PR tactics, including a free download to share with your marketing team. Until then, let us know your comments, thoughts or questions by tweeting at us today: @PromptBoston or @PromptLondon.

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Remembering London’s colourful past

PromptLondon — Fri, 31 May 2013 08:30:09 +0000

Londoner Claude Friese-Greene was the inventor of an additive colour film process called Biocolour, or the Fries-Green Colour Process. In 1927 he filmed one of the first coloured motion pictures ever made, documenting London life when the city wasn’t just capital of England, but remained the centre an enduring British Empire accounting for more than a fifth of the world’s population.

This remarkable film captures a snapshot of hatted Londoners enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the city between the wars. Interstitial captions point out that more than ‘4000 motor busses’ now patrol London’s streets, and that “more than one American has offered to buy our Tower and erect it on Palm Beach as a bungalow!”

By exposing alternate frames of black and white film through a different-coloured filter, then staining the resulting prints either red or green, Friese-Greene was able to project an illusion of genuine colour. The British Film Institute (BFI) has now used the very latest computer techniques to clean up the nostalgic film and reduce flickering so it can be enjoyed by a modern audience.

The results, which we first viewed courtesy of PetaPixel, are fascinating for anyone like us here at Prompt London who work in the city daily, and still walk the same streets, only with very different views. Still, some things haven’t changed – Petticoat Lane market is still impossibly busy, Hyde Park and St. James look just as inviting on a sunny afternoon, and we’re still winning Cricket test matches!

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Prompt Communications wins Equiso public relations account

Media Team — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:56:20 +0000

Prompt Boston to lead US media relations campaign for maker of streaming, gaming and browsing SmartTV Stick

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Prompt Boston, the Massachusetts office of Prompt Communications, a public relations and digital communications agency specializing in innovative markets including high-technology and green-tech, has won a new contract with Equiso, the developer of the SmartTV Stick.

Equiso’s SmartTV Stick transforms televisions, screens and projectors into web-connected Android 4.0 devices with access to a range of popular media channels and apps, including HBO Go, Hulu, Netflix, Crackle and Vudu. Along with streaming movies, TV shows and sports, the low-cost ($78), high-quality stick gives users unrestricted access to the Google Play store, with 500,000 games and apps.

The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its SmartTV Stick was launched via a Kickstarter project which received the support of nearly 3,000 backers, who collectively more than doubled the company’s initial $100,000 goal.

Prompt is a digital PR consultancy with offices in Boston, London and San Francisco. With extensive experience in high-tech, including applications, services, software and hardware, Prompt has worked with start-ups to global software and technology companies including Oracle Corporation, Capgemini and IBM.

Prompt will work to increase recognition of Equiso as the company distributes its SmartTV Stick online and increases its presence with retailers. Working with Equiso’s management team, Prompt will drive a targeted PR campaign based on media outreach and analyst relations to support and demonstrate Equiso’s sales, market position and thought leadership.

Adam McBride, CEO of Equiso, said: “Prompt’s proven record of successfully working with high-tech start-ups, coupled with its Cambridge-based office that allows for desk-next-door communications, made selecting a PR firm an easy choice. Consumers across the US are looking to cut the cable cord, and the momentum we are seeing is testimony to that. With Prompt’s PR strategy, we hope to continue reaching new audiences while transforming the future of streaming, gaming and browsing.”

Hazel Butters, CEO of Prompt, said: “Equiso has a fascinating Kickstarter background, a talented management team, and a strong, relevant product. Consumers want to access apps, the internet and new programs over their TVs – the dumb TV’s days are numbered. Equiso’s SmartTV Stick gives consumers an affordable alternative without any extra cable boxes or cords. Prompt is looking forward to driving media recognition and consumer awareness around such an innovative product.”

About Equiso
Equiso.com, Inc. is an innovator of digital media platforms that leverage the convergence of internet and entertainment. Its flagship product, the Equiso SmartTV Stick transforms televisions, screens and projectors into fully-featured web-connected Android devices with access to media channels and apps including Crackle, HBO Go, Hulu, Netflix and Vudu. The device gives users full access to the Google Play store and its 500,000 games and apps, while the affordable and intuitive open platform accelerates consumer adoption of new media by lowering barriers to access. www.equiso.com

About Prompt Communications
Prompt is a communications agency that enables marketers and entrepreneurs to increase their sales and marketing effectiveness. Specializing in innovative markets including technology and healthcare, Prompt helps clients communicate effectively and authentically with core audiences online and offline through PR, media relations, copywriting, webinars, market and industry analysis, social media, video content and customer programs. Founded in 2002, Prompt Communications has US offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and San Francisco, California and European offices in London. Prompt’s experience includes Adeptra, Adobe Systems Incorporated, Aperture, Corizon, Dell|Compellent, Foviance, Genesys Telecommunications, IBM, Integralis, jovoto, KANA, Oracle Corporation, smartFOCUS and Webtide. www.prompt-communications.com

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Prompt Communications appointed by Integralis to drive US media relations

Media Team — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:48:57 +0000

Prompt leads North American public relations program for a leading provider of IT security and information risk management solutions

Boston, MA – Prompt Communications, a transatlantic public relations and digital communications agency with experience in the high-tech, sustainability and healthcare markets, has been selected by Integralis Inc. to lead its North American media outreach program.

Headquartered in Ismaning, Germany, Integralis offers IT security and information risk management solutions to clients around the world. Integralis provides a complete end-to-end security solution that incorporates initial assessments, policy planning and hands-on deployment with 24×7 management and support.

The company has a rich portfolio of managed security, business infrastructure, consulting and technology integration services, combining to reduce overall business costs and risk. Integralis solutions address the needs of customers spanning every vertical sector, focusing on multinational enterprise clients.

Heather Antoinetti, director of marketing for Integralis said: “As a global provider of IT security services with a growing presence in North America, we wanted a communications agency that both specialized in high-tech and had a dynamic presence in the US and overseas. Prompt has a proven track record in these areas, and we look forward to expanding our brand presence and thought leadership through a US-based public relations campaign built around quality press outreach and rich customer relationships.”

Prompt’s CEO Hazel Butters said: “Prompt is thrilled to partner with Integralis to further its brand reputation in North America and beyond. Integralis delivers end-to-end offerings that provide enterprises in every sector with intelligent ways to manage risk. Inevitable trends in cloud, social, mobile and BYOD technology models are challenging all modern businesses to meet new and intricate security challenges with smarter solutions. It is our pleasure to be appointed by a company that addresses the complex risks associated with fresh trends in every market.”

About Integralis

Integralis provides IT Security and Information Risk Management solutions on a global basis. The company delivers a portfolio of managed security, business infrastructure, consulting and technology integration services. Integralis’ solutions help organizations lower IT costs and increase the depth of security protection, compliance and service availability. Integralis is headquartered in Ismaning, Germany and part of the NTT Communications Group, owned by NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation), one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. www.integralis.com

About Prompt Communications

Prompt is a communications agency that enables marketers to increase their sales and marketing effectiveness. Specializing in innovative markets including sustainability, technology and healthcare, Prompt helps its clients communicate authentically with core audiences online and offline through PR, media relations, copywriting, market and industry analysis, social media, video content and customer reference programs. Founded in 2002, Prompt has US offices in Boston and San Francisco, and European offices in London. Prompt’s current and former clients include Adeptra, Adobe Systems Incorporated, Corizon, Dell|Compellent, Foviance, GenSight, Grouptree, IBM, Ipswitch File Transfer, jovoto, KANA, Oracle Corporation, smartFOCUS and Webtide. www.prompt-communications.com

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