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Electronics brands…it’s time to be less B2B

Posted by Ben Smith on 6th September 2021

Perhaps the biggest fallacy among electronics brands is that it’s undesirable to throw off the B2B shackles. Far better to target electronics engineers with products and tech specs, right?

But look at the biggest electronics brands in the world. Brands like Intel and Qualcomm are technical experts, but they’re also totally unabashed about claiming credit for the consumer electronics boom.

They understand that their audiences aren’t limited to product managers. Their websites, marketing content and campaigns are rooted in creativity, and a seemingly B2C PR approach. As a result of this bold approach, they have a reach far beyond the market where they do most of their business.

It’s not just the electronics brands with the biggest budgets who can benefit from creative campaigns.

Consider the Raspberry Pi Foundation. For a fairly humble bit of PCB, Raspberry Pi has elevated its brand to be the figurehead for an entire movement. Rather than be constricted by the perception of electronics, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has become a role model for creators, hackers and educators, becoming a fantastically well-known brand in the process.

When we worked with the foundation to launch new Raspberry Pi models, we never shied away from using consumer techniques to land B2B buyers. Whether it was giving away free ice creams, creating dev kit top trump cards, or running developer hackathons, creativity sat at the heart of every successful campaign we ran.

Electronics brands should learn from this approach.

Talking about products isn’t enough to build a brand, and that means thinking outside of the usual B2B bubble. Brands like Intel, Qualcomm and Raspberry Pi built their reputations through personality, not just products.

Electronics PR doesn’t have to be all technical articles, case studies and spec sheets. It can be bold, creative and ambitious. That’s how you build a brand that people know and love.

Want to find out more? Download our ebook on Why electronics PR doesn’t need to be boring

Ben Smith

Ben’s deep knowledge of sectors as diverse as electronics and IT, cleantech and medtech means he has a wide range of experience to draw on for his clients – ensuring that no two campaigns are the same. Ben’s expertise lies in helping his clients to raise their profiles beyond trade media and he has a proven track record in running campaigns that deliver coverage in national, business and consumer publications.