OVERVIEW
Veritone (NASDAQ: VERI), developer of the world’s first artificial intelligence operating system, called on PANBlast to help launch the company’s latest proprietary machine-learning technology, known as Conductor. With the launch of Conductor, Veritone sought to increase awareness among prospects, media influencers and current and potential investors.
CHALLENGE
Artificial intelligence is a crowded and confusing space on its own, and Veritone’s technology and platform — the first of its kind — is even more difficult to explain in a concise and digestible way that even AI-savvy individuals can understand quickly.
Veritone has developed proprietary technology of its own in Conductor, but the ecosystem is built upon layering the power of hundreds of third-party AI engines. In earlier press outreach efforts by PANBlast, there was a common misconception among media and influencers that Veritone was either a cognitive engine itself, or simply an aggregator of engines with no real AI technology of its own.
PANBlast was challenged with developing a launch strategy that would clear confusion, provide for direct conversations between Veritone spokespeople and the media, and yield compelling stories establishing Vertione’s place as a disruptor and innovator in the AI market.
STRATEGY
Weeks before the launch, PANBlast leveraged relationships with top-tier media — including both media who were familiar with Vertione and those new to the brand — to offer up pre-briefings with Veritone spokespeople, providing enough time for press to fully understand the offering and information being shared to write a story. The strategy was to first connect with members of the media over the phone to better convey key messaging points, then facilitate direct conversations with Veritone leadership instead of relying on email or a press release to provide the necessary context.
Understanding the potential challenges posed by the complexity of the topic, PANBlast implemented a three-point briefing strategy that built on traditional media relations tactics and allowed messaging to be provided at three key points in the briefing process:
1. Pre-briefing
In addition to conversations with media, PANBlast shared the Conductor press release with media under embargo prior to interviews and background information on the Veritone spokesperson. This pre-briefing strategy allowed members of the media time to develop and ask clarifying questions ahead of scheduled briefings, providing additional insights that could be shared with the team at Veritone to better prepare for the conversations.
For each scheduled interview, PANBlast provided the Veritone spokesperson with editor background information, recent stories and perspectives on AI, any coverage of competitors, and insight into potential areas of focus for the conversation. These briefing documents helped set the stage for a productive conversation tailored to the specific editor.
2. Press briefing
Most members of the press spoke with Veritone’s CEO, who was able to provide the overall vision of the company as well as specifics of Conductor. Many of these briefings were done by phone, however, PANBlast also helped to arrange press tours in both New York and San Francisco for Veritone’s CEO as well. Briefings were recorded or virtually attended by PANBlast to ensure proper follow up and next steps with each member of the media.
3. Post-briefing
Due to the complex nature of Conductor, PANBlast knew that, even after an hour conversation, there was still lot of information to digest in order to write a story. To help wrap the messaging in a bow and provide additional research/resources, PANBlast created a narrative guide. This guide defined the technology, provided customer use cases, platform screenshots and links to research, delivered after each briefing or interview. Adding this additional step not only allowed for another meaningful touchpoint with press, but also provided another opportunity to inject key messaging and clarity into an ongoing conversation.
CAMPAIGN RESULTS
As a result of our outreach, Veritone spokespeople briefed more than 20 members of the media, resulting in 15 articles in both business and technology outlets — including two pieces in Barron’s. The initial article in Barron’s was credited with a boost in Veritone’s stock price — trading $3.29 higher the Monday after the piece ran.
- Press briefings: 24 briefings, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Barron’s, Harvard Business Review and The Associated Press
- Coverage: 15 articles in both business and technology outlets
- Business value: Increase in positive awareness that translated to a boost in the company’s stock price