Media Relations Archives - Ketner Group Communications

Why NRF Media Meetings Are So Hard to Get, And What You Can Do About It

Posted on February 3, 2026 | by Catherine Seeds

We are a few weeks past NRF, and like so many of you who may be reading this blog, the Ketner Group team is still digesting all the news, events and meetings from the 2026 Big Show.

This year’s conference saw more than 40,000 attendees and over 1,000 exhibitor booths. I’m sure you have read several different summary posts and articles from NRF, but here are a few of our favorites: Chain Store Age, Retail Touchpoints and Modern Retail.

As well, for those of us on the PR and communications side, approximately 300+ press and analysts (US and international) were in attendance. (I’ll come back to these numbers later.)

As part of our ongoing support for our clients, Ketner Group works to arrange in-person media and analyst briefings at events like NRF. These meetings are not only a great opportunity to communicate new announcements or campaigns to our key media and analyst contacts, but they are a fantastic way to establish and/or maintain relationships with industry influencers.

Over the many years that I’ve been attending events like NRF, Shoptalk, Groceryshop, NGA, etc., we (the Ketner Group team and our clients) have had the good fortune to get to know and even become good friends with the media and analyst who cover this industry.

The in-person interactions are priceless and are one of the many reasons why our agency has become specialized in retail tech.

But no matter how great our connections are, the hard truth is that it is becoming more difficult each year to get a significant number of meetings on the books for our clients during a large tradeshow like NRF.

Here are a few reasons why this is happening.

The Math is Not Math’ing

At my first NRF in 2003, there were only 300 exhibitors, and I was able to secure at least 10-12 (if not more) media appointments for my clients during those early years.

Fast forward 10 years later in 2013, NRF hosted around 500 exhibitors. Same story, the Ketner Group team was able to maintain a good clip of scheduled appointments at the Javitz, 8-10 on average.

In recent years, however, as more players have entered the retail tech field and innovation continues to increase, the math simply does not add up. There is just not enough time in during the three-day event for media and analysts to meet with all 1,000 exhibitors as well as the dozens of vendors who attend NRF but have opted out of having a booth.

The competition for the media’s time is simply too great, especially with must-see sessions and external events they are obligated to attend. (Not to mention that many reporters are not completely packing their schedules with vendor meetings at major events anymore, rather committing to booth drop-ins.) To keep a sane schedule, they must limit their time to vendors who can make it worth their while.

The Media Have Their Own Tradeshow Goals

The last few years have hit the media industry hard both in the US and internationally. As well, even within our own industry, we have seen many changes, smaller newsrooms and the shuttering of long-standing publications.

Because of the financial implications of the changing media landscape, publications have had to adjust their overall goals, especially as it relates to tradeshows.

Now more than ever, it is critical for them find ways to ensure they are reinforcing their industry credibility AND finding ways to help their bottom line.

Not only are some media sending smaller number of editors and reporters to cover events, but in a few instances, they are moving to a pay for interviews model.

Lastly, we have also seen many of the big publishers, media outlets and analyst firms invest more heavily in their own booths at NRF. The booths serve as vehicle to promote digital and print advertising programs, conduct podcasts and onsite interviews, hosting their own meetings and more.

Retailer Interviews Are the Main Differentiator, Announcements Are Table Stakes

I am going to be very honest, if you are a vendor making a huge financial commitment at a major tradeshow like NRF and do not have a significant announcement or campaign up your sleeve, you are literally shooting yourself in the foot. That is just table stakes at this point.

Having an announcement or an eye-catching campaign differentiates your approach to the conference, and with engaging marketing collateral and a buzz-worthy social media strategy, creates attention leading up to or during the show to drive prospects to a booth.

These announcements, however, are more about storytelling around the show and do not always translate to a media booth interview.

Of course, the media are happy to learn about new tech companies, hear about the latest survey, or have face-to-face time with key executives, but it is not really what they are looking for when thinking about a future story.

The media want retailer stories! What’s more, they want to TALK to the individuals who work for retailers and brands!

Unfortunately, even having a customer announcement at a major tradeshow like NRF is often not enough if the opportunity to speak with said retailer is not in the cards. As a technology vendor, if you are not offering retailers who are open to interview to the media, you need to be prepared for them to pass on a booth visit.

Changing Your Goals (and Mindset) for Tradeshows

So, where does that leave technology vendors who have spent thousands of dollars to put their best foot forward at a major tradeshow, with the goal of securing high-value media appointments?

It is important to set your team up for success and make the appropriate expectations. If your sole goal for tradeshows is to get media appointments (as well as meetings with key prospects) then you MUST plan accordingly.

A gigantic tradeshow like NRF is not something you can begin planning for just a few months in advance. (For NRF specifically, timing is critical due to the event being so close to the holiday season when retailers are their busiest.)

Based on our 20+ years of attending NRF and other events, as well as observing the trends over the last few years, below are some tactics to keep in mind when preparing for these shows:

Include PR in your tradeshow planning when you get started. This includes identifying a press release or campaign strategy 4-5 months in advance.
Ensure your tradeshow press strategy is confirmed and ready to go at least 1-2 months prior to the event. We highly recommend distributing a pre-show press release before an event to drive booth attendance from customers, prospects and partners. As well, make sure you have an announcement or two for after an event – this ensures marketing and communications momentum.
Try to brief with key media analysts in advance, especially if you have a major announcement planned. If you have a retail customer willing interested in speaking to media but they can’t attend the conference, no worries, they can be part of pre-event briefings. (Reminder, if you have a dedicated PR partner, they can assist in making sure that you are talking with the right editors in advance of a tradeshow.)
If you do have a willing customer, invite them to the event and offer to set up media interviews for them at the show. Better yet, take advantage of your retail customer’s presence at the event and set up video testimonials that you can use for future press and/or marketing opportunities.

Interested in chatting about your tradeshow goals in 2026 and how we can help bring them to life?

Drop us a line at [email protected], and we’ll be glad to talk!

Getting the Media 411 From CMSWire’s Dom Nicastro

Posted on June 23, 2025 | by Abby Nelson

Media professionals are often behind the scenes and telling the stories of others, so it’s a joy to flip the script and highlight the work that they’re doing from time to time. This also helps us learn directly from the source how we as PR professionals can be better resources.

One media professional I have had the privilege of working closely with recently is Dom Nicastro, editor-in-chief for CMS Wire. Dom is an award-winning journalist, editor and media personality with over 25 years of experience, currently covering customer experience (CX), marketing and digital transformation. Oh, and he’s a proud dog parent to Mack, pictured above.

Given his coverage focus, I often work with Dom on behalf of Ketner Group’s more technical clients.

Take the MACH Alliance, for example; Dom has been an excellent collaborator in telling the Alliance’s story. He has attended events, conducted numerous conversations with spokespeople and generally been a wonderful contact for them, for our team at Ketner Group, and for me personally as a PR professional relatively early on in my career. Dom keeps me on my toes but also keeps me in the know regarding the coverage he has planned, which is something I certainly appreciate when juggling multiple clients!

Given a media landscape that is more crowded than ever – and artificial intelligence (AI) now being a huge part of the equation – I asked Dom a few questions regarding what trends he is excited about and what he looks for in the PR professionals that he works with. I have already learned so much – see for yourself below!

Since 2020, it feels like the media landscape dramatically changes just about every six months. What has your experience been through these transitions?

COVID didn’t change my world of journalism too much, except for sources were more available because they couldn’t go anywhere. It changed more for my audience of marketing and customer experience leaders. The big other change was us having to keep up with changes in their world — and ensuring we’re delivering great service journalism that informs.

AI has had a much more transformative effect on media since ChatGPT debuted on Nov. 30, 2022. We’re constantly iterating and finding new ways for LLMs to support our journalism efforts. We see it as an additive tool, more so than a content-generation one. We are using AI to make us faster and better.

AI in journalism on its own is like a pizza without cheese. We need to constantly humanize the outputs.

Has the type of coverage you’re focused on writing changing?

Not entirely. We’ve doubled down on customer service and support coverage. It’s an incredibly exciting space with lots of evolution in the age of AI. We’re speaking to leaders who manage contact centers. We see them and their teams as the frontlines of customer experience. They play such a critical role for customer experience, which we all know can make or break a brand.

A big topic is how agent experience can be improved, and turnover rates in that world decreased. It’s scary for agents where you see brands like Klarna moving to replace them with AI. But AI can empower agents, too.

It’s a space we need to keep strong tabs on to inform these CX leaders.

What are the biggest resources you need from PR professionals, whether they are working in house or for an agency?

Introductions to quality sources.

The foundation of good journalism is producing genuine content that resonates with your audience in some way, and that only happens with connecting with genuine, passionate people. It motivates, educates and informs. And maybe it inspires them to challenge what they consumed, and that can lead to healthy conversations in an environment like LinkedIn.

I want to connect with as many people as possible advancing the dialogue.

Amazingly, we’re nearly halfway through 2025! What are you looking forward to in the second half of this year? Any stories you’re excited about?

Our editorial calendar is a good way to see what we’re excited about.

Personally, I’m closely watching the evolution of the CMO/marketing leader. This is becoming one of the most critical leaders for brands. And many CEOs or CFOs are not convinced they are ready to adapt. I am a believer, though.

The skillsets good CMOs bring — customer-focus, analytical thinking, thought leadership, creativity, UX design, communications, brand ambassadorship, etc. — fit so nicely into the age of experience. They need to have a pulse on what every brand brings to the table for experiences, and not just in their verticals.

And, of course, AI’s evolution into the marketing and CX games. No one, including us, knows where AI will ultimately make the most impact for brands and customer experience year after year (day after day?), but this might be more transformational than the internet. And that’s a big statement.

And to wrap us up with something fun, what are you reading right now?

I’m a news hound, as they say, so I like to keep tabs on the most impactful news around marketing and CX. I have 72,000 tabs open on my desktop with articles I am currently getting around to reading.

You Just Received Great Media Coverage. Here’s How to Make the Most of It.

Posted on March 11, 2025 | by Jeff Ketner

When we receive good news, our first inclination is naturally to share it with others. And the same thing applies when your company receives great media coverage, whether it’s pickup in The Wall Street Journal or an influential trade journal, a broadcast mention or a podcast appearance.

You’ve worked hard with your PR agency to secure this coverage; for B2B marketers and agencies, it’s a great feeling to see a great story go live. After all, survey after survey reinforces that earned media is more credible than advertising, and PR is essential for marketing success.

Now is not the time to sit back and rest on your laurels, though. Instead, it’s time to swing into action to make the most of your press coverage. And here’s a checklist that will help you do it.

Promote Coverage Internally

Start by posting about the media mention (with a URL) on company social media profiles. Be sure to tag the publication, as well as the thought leader and/or journalist. This will further extend the visibility of your post to reach those who may follow the publication, journalist or company spokesperson.

Your next steps should include the following:

Communicate to employees via email or internal messenger (Slack, Teams), encouraging them to reshare the post or news to their networks. Provide a suggested caption they can use to help save time, or ask them to put their own spin on it. Provide any relevant company hashtags for easy copying and pasting. For example: “Please find a new post regarding XXX on our company page. Feel free to like and share via your private LinkedIn profiles (please use your own words if you would like to add text, otherwise it looks orchestrated).”
If the coverage is a byline article or executive quotation, draft a unique post for the author of the piece so they can share on their social channels too.
Share the article on your website, such as to a News or Coverage webpage.
Send the news to the sales and customer success teams. Encourage them to share with prospects and customers, too. Good press coverage will help enhance your company’s reputation with prospective clients, and existing customers will receive affirmation that they’ve made the right choice by working with your company.
Consider highlighting particularly exciting coverage in a newsletter or blog post.

One more thing for your post-coverage “to-do” list: take time to send an email or personal note thanking the editor or writer for covering your company. A simple “thank you” goes a long way in B2B communications, and you can offer to be a resource in the future as needed.

Gather Anecdotal Evidence Regarding Coverage Success

A couple of weeks after receiving this great coverage, ask the sales and customer success teams for any anecdotal feedback about the impact of media coverage on sales. This can sometimes be hard to measure, but the findings can help reinforce the value of PR coverage.

For example, our client Birdzi received more than a half dozen leads from a press release about a new customer implementation! You can also check out this blog post to learn more about using coverage to drive leads.

One of the things we enjoy most at Ketner Group is keeping tabs on client media coverage. In the last two weeks alone, our clients have garnered coverage in publications like Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal, Chain Store Age, eMarketer, Total Retail and others.

It’s validating (and a lot of fun) to see the results of our work. And we work with our clients every day to ensure they make the most of it!

To talk more about how we can help capture great coverage, contact us.

Building Thought Leadership in AI for Digital Wave Technology

Posted on January 7, 2025 | by Jeff Ketner

How can a PR agency and client work together to build thought leadership and drive market awareness in the world’s most crowded technology sector? And furthermore, how can a company differentiate itself and stand out in a sea of noisy competitors?

Those are the challenges that we at Ketner Group and our client Digital Wave Technology are tackling as we work together to differentiate the company’s AI-native solutions for consumer brands.

As I wrote in a recent blog, there’s an overwhelming amount of noise in the media about AI today. Is there a technology company out there that doesn’t claim to be an AI company?

As a PR agency, we’re acutely aware that editors and writers are looking for something new and different—and Digital Wave Technology offers a fresh take on AI.

Creating Differentiated Messaging

Digital Wave has the kind of story that is resonating with the media, thanks to an AI-native platform and an approach to AI that is radically different from others.

As we’ve worked together to craft and refine the message, the story has taken shape through thought leadership bylined articles, press releases and other earned media. Our team has worked to generate strong media coverage, from WWD and Yahoo!Finance to Chain Store Age, Retail Brew, Consumer Goods Technology, Retail TouchPoints, Drug Store News, Total Retail and many others.

Digital Wave has made the most of every piece of earned media, too, amplifying it on LinkedIn and other channels and creating a high level of social media engagement.

Having a good story is essential for building thought leadership, and so is the presence of a strong CEO. Lori Schafer, the company’s CEO, is a prime example of how a leader can help build a company’s market presence. She has a strong vision for the company, a deep understanding of technology and consumer industries, and compelling viewpoints on AI—key ingredients for PR success.

Recognition Through Industry Awards

Our team has worked with Digital Wave to secure a number of industry awards, at both the individual and company level.

As I write this, Lori has just returned from the P2PLive event, where she received the Path to Purchase Institute’s Women of Excellence Award for Technology, in recognition of leadership and innovation in advancing commerce marketing. This is on top of other awards this year, including being named as one of RETHINK Retail’s Top AI Leaders in Retail and a Top Retail Expert (along with another Digital Wave executive, Sandy DeFelice).

Digital Wave is currently a finalist for two Vendor in Partnership awards, including Best Breakthrough Technology Solution, with winners to be named at the 2025 National Retail Federation Big Show in January. “Partnership” is the key word here, as Digital Wave Technology has been winning deals and building partnerships with some of the best-known brands in the world.

Celebrating Our Communications Partnership

“Working with Ketner Group has allowed us to amplify our message and highlight the unique capabilities of our AI-native ONE™ platform and enterprise solutions. Together, we’re shaping industry conversations and expanding our market presence,” says Sara Meza, chief digital officer at Digital Wave Technology.

PR agency relationships are partnerships, too. Building a great partnership takes collaboration, creative thinking and a lot of hard work, both from the client and the agency.

That’s the kind of relationship we strive to create with all our clients, and we’re grateful to work with innovative companies like Digital Wave Technology.

To connect with us to learn more, contact us.

Trends Are Not Stories: How to Use PR Tactics to Capture Attention With Media

Posted on October 8, 2024 | by Catherine Seeds

At a time when everyone is looking for the next big trend to latch on to, it can be hard to differentiate what makes a good news story vs. what is the next “flash in a pan” trend.

The reality is, trends are not on their own, stories. Good PR professionals know that the media are far more interested in how the trends are impacting business overall. For those of us working in the tech industry, it seems as if there are trends coming out of the woodwork every week.

So, how do we as communications professionals use PR tactics to capture attention and tie those tactics back into the trends a journalist is most passionate about?

Creating lasting stories with tried and true PR tactics

By utilizing the following PR tactics, we can quickly begin generating the buzz needed to turn what could just be a one-off trend to a more impactful business story, which ultimately drives brand awareness for a company.

These PR tactics include:

Proactive pitching: As one of the more direct ways to get the attention of the media, proactive and newsjacking allows PR professionals to send quick and to-the-point messages about a unique story angle using a known industry trend or breaking news as the hook.
Press announcements: Press releases are another great way to tie company news to bigger industry stories. This can be done by including key industry stats or a customer quote to anchor the bigger story you are trying to tell.
Byline articles: These thought leadership pieces provide a unique way to share relevant insights around an industry trend. Typically published in a trade or business publication, bylined articles delve deeper into a trend to seamlessly create a bigger business story specifically tailored for target stakeholders.

Identifying the “bigger” story out of a trend

Now that we’ve explored some of the PR tactics that can help turn industry trends into business stories, let’s look at some real world examples of how these tactics have been used to pitch recent trends.

Sustainability:

Sustainability has been a trend for several years, with recent buzz around the circular economy.

U.S. News & World Report did a story in September of last year focused on what clothes have the highest resell value. The article included commentary from a vintage boutique from Kansas City and call outs to major apparel brands that have launched resell programs. As well, the story also included a comment from a retail tech company, the result of a PR pitch, on why tag-on clothes have the best resale value in the resale marketplace.

This is a perfect example of taking a big trend, like sustainability, and creating a very specific story around circular economy using the proactive pitching tactic.

AI:

AI is another trending topic across industries. For one of our clients focused on retail fraud prevention, we created a strategic PR plan with a pitch angle using unique data, which focused on AI-driven fraud detection that can intelligently review every transaction for potential organized retail crime activity.

This new angle – using press announcements, bylined articles, and targeted media pitching – generated a ton of coverage with trade and business media. These tactics also helped to secure an on-air interview with CNBC for the client.

Inspire the next “big” story

By digging deeper into industry trends to find the heart of a story, and using the right PR tactics to create interest, PR pros will not only find media success for clients but inspire editors to generate the next “big” story.

How to Get the Most Out of Trade Show PR

Posted on September 9, 2024 | by Jeff Ketner

Labor Day unofficially marks the end of vacation season and a return to normal schedules, after slowing down just a bit for the summer. For those of us in retail and technology, though, September is also a time to shift into a higher gear for some of the industry’s most important events.

Groceryshop, NACS, P2PI Live and others are almost here. The granddaddy of them all, NRF 2025, is just four months away (yikes!), followed by FMI Midwinter, CES and other key events.

In an earlier blog this year, I wrote about “Why PR Meetings Should Be Part of Your Trade Show Strategy.” That blog focused on the “why” of trade show PR; now it’s time to talk about the “how.”

The Ketner Group team has attended dozens of industry events over the years and held hundreds of meetings with editors and analysts. Here are a few tips we’ve learned along the way.

1. Plan in advance – and do a reality check

Savvy companies understand that you can’t just show up at an event and expect the right people to visit your booth. That’s why experienced sales teams begin booking meetings several months in advance.

The same applies to PR. Editors, reporters, industry analysts and influencers should be part of your target audience, as they attend events to understand the latest trends, hear keynotes from industry leaders and meet with innovative companies that are shaping the future of retail and technology. They won’t meet with you unless you give them a good reason to do so.

Planning should start several months in advance. Ask yourself questions such as:

Why would an editor or reporter want to meet with my company at this event?
Are we going to announce anything new or interesting before or during the event (research study, new customers, significant company updates, new products)?
Why is this newsworthy? (A reality check is always good. If you can’t answer this question, you can’t expect media to care about your news.)
Will you have an appropriate executive that can be available to speak to media?

2. Be mindful with your media outreach

If your company sponsors or exhibits at an event, chances are they will provide you with a list of registered media attendees. Carefully review the list and select the key media and analysts you’d really like to meet with. Ideally, you’ll have a two-tiered list — the ones you’d absolutely love to meet with, and a second group that’s also important.

When emailing media to request a meeting, take a personal approach — after all, PR is all about relationships. Look at their recent writing or research, and if appropriate, reference it. And think about what will matter to that editor or analyst:

Have they met with your company before — if so, what’s new this time?
Can one of your execs provide a new perspective on a hot industry topic?
Can you arrange for them to meet one of your customers?

3. “Be kind, be kind, be kind”

Trade shows can be stressful for companies that exhibit or sponsor. That applies to media, too, who may rush from one meeting to another, often without a lunch break. Someone who influenced me greatly once said there are only three things to remember in life: “Be kind, be kind, be kind.” Keep that in mind as you schedule media meetings. Here are a few pointers:

Media may show up 5-10 minutes late because their last appointment went long, so be understanding.
The people you meet with will need a place to sit and take notes (and a bottled water or coffee is always welcome, too). Make them comfortable.
Realize their schedules are likely packed. After a quick meet-and-greet, get to the point quickly, so they can be on their way to the next round of meetings.
Take time to understand what the editor or analyst may need in terms of post-event follow-up.

Amplifying that last point, following up after a trade show or event is just as important as the event itself. An editor or analyst may request a follow-up interview, require digital assets for a story, or need additional information. Now is the time to be on top of the details and manage all the post-show requests that are the sign of a successful event.

Of course, a good PR agency can guide you in planning and managing trade show PR. We do this routinely for our clients, and it helps ensure that they get the most out of every conference. We’ve made connections for our clients, helped them win awards, garnered exclusive profiles, and helped drive significant earned media from the events they attend.

Interested in getting support around NRF 2025? This year we’ve developed an Awareness Accelerator program with our friends at RETHINK Retail to help you make the most of your conference communications strategy. Drop us a line at [email protected], and we’ll be glad to talk to you about trade show PR or any other PR topics you’d like to discuss.

AI and Retail Tech PR: Three Things to Remember

Posted on June 11, 2024 | by Jeff Ketner

It’s hard to believe that today’s AI revolution started only 18+ months ago. That’s when OpenAI publicly released ChatGPT, forever changing the technology landscape by fueling an exponential wave of technology innovation.

We’ve seen firsthand the impact of AI in retail technology. NRF 2024 could easily have been rebranded “NRFAI,” as AI was everywhere and anywhere. But now there’s been a shift in emphasis about AI, which is moving from the “what” of AI (what it is and how it works) to the “so what” (what does it mean for your business?).

In terms of AI’s impact on the retail industry, our friends at IHL Group, a retail research and advisory firm, have done an excellent job of quantifying the financial benefits.

IHL has estimated that the top 200 publicly traded North American retailers and restaurants could see $1.5 trillion in additional financial impact from AI through 2029, with Amazon and Walmart alone accounting for more than a third of that. The firm’s “Retail AI Readiness Index” noted that nearly half of that will be created by generative AI.

Those are mind-boggling numbers. However, the “big picture” view of AI in retail is only part of the story. What’s needed now are stories about the real-world results and ROI of AI implementations. As IHL president/chief AI officer Greg Buzek says, “How are retailers really using it, with case study examples?”

That’s where we come in, as PR storytellers. However, given the unprecedented hype around AI, it’s important to keep these three things in mind when developing your PR strategy.

1. Skip the PR-speak about AI

Eliminate the buzzwords when you’re pitching editors. Most of them are burned out from AI fatigue, as this recent article from Fast Company makes clear. It’s worth quoting at length here:

“We are officially reaching the phase in the tech cycle where a new technology (in this case, artificial intelligence) goes from truly wondrous to truly annoying. Every organization now seems to be using it—or the idea of it—to ride the hype wave to achieve attention, clicks, or, you know, just a few more customers. And it’s starting to annoy the hell out of me.

“I can’t tell you how many pitches I receive from some poor comms person who is forced to proudly exclaim in the first sentence ‘We’re an AI-first company.’ Yeah, you and everyone else since, oh, early 2023.”

As the writer goes on to say, all the noise around AI can obscure the innovative work being done by the technology companies that are truly at the forefront of AI. These are the stories that the industry needs to hear.

2. Remember the media needs real-world AI stories

Exciting AI stories are quickly emerging. The industry’s largest retailers, grocers, restaurants and brands are actively sharing their own AI successes.

A recent Chain Store Age article detailed AI innovations in personalization from Best Buy (personalized mobile promotions), Reebok (personalized products) and leading regional grocers that have implemented personalized discounts, including Northeast Grocery, which uses an AI analytics, personalization and customer engagement platform from our client Birdzi.

While the largest tech vendors may dominate the headlines, some of the most innovative AI solutions for retailers are from earlier-stage technology companies.

These technology vendors have built AI platforms and solutions from the ground up (our client Digital Wave Technology is a prime example), rather than simply adding generative AI solutions to a legacy product portfolio.

The work these companies are doing is truly newsworthy.

3. Keep PR front and center in your marketing strategy

A recent Digiday article detailed how marketers are shifting the budgets away from pure performance marketing to focus more on brand building, including earned media. That’s where PR comes in.

There are unique challenges for PR agencies in telling AI stories. Some retailers and brands may be reluctant to disclose how they’re using AI solutions, as they consider it a competitive advantage. There’s an incredible amount of noise to cut through. Editors are bombarded with AI pitches, as we’ve noted earlier.

Yet there are plenty of opportunities to get your message across: thought leadership content, bylined articles, media pitching, recognition through industry awards, industry events and more, always amplifying your earned media wins through social media and marketing.

These are among the many PR tactics the Ketner Group team uses to get the word out for our clients, and it works.

AI innovation is moving at an extraordinary pace, creating plenty of opportunities for creative storytelling that explains the real benefits of AI. Make sure your company is part of those stories!

Introducing “The PR Agency Readiness Checklist” With Three Important Takeaways

Posted on May 14, 2024 | by Catherine Seeds

As a PR agency that specializes in helping retail technology companies gain exposure in their areas of expertise and expand their share of market, we know what it takes to set our clients up for long-term success.

The reality is that, when done right, a solid PR program can provide major value to tech companies. Strategic communications can:

Increase recognition of a company’s brand and thought leadership.
Provide validation among peers, media and analysts.
Generate sales leads and support long sales cycles.

But how does a tech company know if they are truly ready to invest in a PR program?

The answer is in our latest eBook: “The PR Agency Readiness Checklist.”

Whether you are an early-stage innovator or an established solutions provider, this new eBook provides the five key steps we recommend you take in preparation for embarking on a true PR partnership.

In celebration of its launch, we’re sharing three takeaways from the eBook.

1. Identifying marketing goals is of the upmost priority

If you take away anything from this blog (or eBook!), remember this:

“Without a marketing plan, you don’t know where PR fits in. Without a marketing team, you can’t properly direct a PR agency.”

Before even considering a PR strategy, retail tech companies must first establish their overall goals, such as lead generation, acquisition or brand awareness. Then, they must develop a marketing plan incorporating the various strategies and tactics to achieve those goals.

2. Getting the green light from the executive team is essential

We get asked all the time what makes a great agency/client partnership. Of course, things like two-way collaboration and transparency are important, but executive support is always at the top of our list.

In our experience, c-level executives have a variety of reasons why they may not be excited to bring in outside PR support. Some have been previously burned by a PR relationship, others are just not comfortable with dedicating budget to PR.

Our 20+ years working with retail technology companies have taught us that without executive buy-in, a PR program will flounder before it has even begun.

As key spokespeople and subject matter experts, a company CEO and other executives have a wealth of knowledge and insights they can bring to the PR table. By giving a PR partner access to the executive team, an agency team can provide a more proactive and strategic approach to PR success, rather than reactionary responses.

3. Finding the right PR agency inspires a true partnership

The PR agency/solution provider partnership is just like any relationship – you must find the right match. It’s essential to align your values and preferences.

When evaluating PR agencies, retail tech companies should consider qualities like skillset, agency location and size, and of course expertise.

At Ketner Group, we are 100% specialized in the retail technology ecosystem, working with companies in sectors such as supply chain, ecommerce, payment solutions, merchandising and in-store experiences.

Partnering with a specialist agency that focuses on one category is often beneficial to organizations, as specialty agencies have developed long-term relationships with influencers, the media and industry analysts in their space.

Keeping “The PR Agency Readiness Checklist” handy

Whether you are just starting a search for a PR agency or thinking about bringing on agency support next year, we encourage you to keep this checklist handy (and download here!).

Still have questions on PR agency support?

We’d love to keep the conversation going! Contact us today to find out how we can help support your marketing and communications goals.

Why PR Meetings Should Be Part of Your Trade Show Strategy

Posted on April 9, 2024 | by Jeff Ketner

Trade shows are one of the best opportunities for retail tech vendors to meet with clients and prospects face to face.

Whether it’s an initial meeting or a chance to move a prospective client further along the sales pipeline, in-person meetings are invaluable. And since key events such as NRF, Shoptalk, FMI Midwinter and others happen early in the year, the success of these meetings can help set the tone for the rest of the year.

However, there is another key audience to consider for trade shows: the media who attend these events. As a PR agency, we work closely with editors and reporters to cover client news and industry perspectives, and what they write helps influence our clients’ prospective customers. As a result, we always look for good opportunities for our clients to meet with media during conferences and trade shows.

Tech companies are often reluctant to participate in press meetings during busy trade shows; after all, their #1 objective is sales (and rightfully so!). However, here are four reasons why media briefings should be part of your trade show strategy.

1. Amplify your news

PR-savvy companies recognize that industry events are prime opportunities to make news announcements. As we’ve shared before, press releases announcing customer wins, new products or original research can create buzz, help drive booth traffic, and lead to media coverage during and after the show.

Meeting with editors and reporters to brief them on your news will greatly increase the opportunities to be included in influential articles. And if you don’t have news to share, use press meetings as an opportunity to share your viewpoints on industry trends, conduct background briefings for future stories and build relationships.

2. Influence the influencers

When you meet with editors and reporters, it’s an opportunity to help “influence the influencers.” The earned media that’s generated through PR provides a valuable source of reliable information for your prospective customers. In an age of mass disinformation, credible, trusted news media are more important than ever.

We’ve seen many instances where articles in leading publications have resulted in new prospects and customer wins for our clients; press meetings at trade shows will help support your sales efforts.

Don’t overlook analysts when planning your meetings at industry events. Analysts issue highly influential reports on technology vendors, and it’s important for them to know about your company in order to understand the vendor landscape.

Analysts are important players in major sales cycles; retailers seek out analysts when deciding on technology direction and vendor short lists, and analysts are frequently consulted when companies are considering mergers and acquisitions.

3. Discover new opportunities

Not surprisingly, most of our communications with editors take place via email and occasional phone calls or Zoom meetings; the journalists we work with are scattered throughout North America and worldwide. Given the nature of our virtual world, it’s hard to overstate the importance of in-person meetings; they present a rare opportunity to make an in-person connection.

Even a short meeting at a trade show can provide an opportunity to learn about new stories a reporter is working on, and the topics and trends they’re especially interested in. You can learn about upcoming industry analyst reports, too, and arrange in-depth analyst briefings after the event.

In-person meetings are opportunities for you to share your opinions on industry trends, challenges and opportunities. Technology vendors are an important source of information about the direction of our industry, and trade show meetings provide a chance to provide your perspectives.

4. Develop long-term, valuable relationships

As editors get to know technology vendors, good things start to happen. They can begin to understand your company’s area of expertise and recognize you as a valuable resource for future articles – which in turn leads to more press coverage. As a PR agency, we see it happen continually, when we get inbound media requests to speak to one of our clients for a story.

In-person meetings also nurture the “relationship” aspect of public relations. We get to know one another as unique individuals, which leads to better relationships and in many cases, lifelong friendships. And that makes business–and life –a lot more enjoyable and rewarding.

Talking Retail Trends, Journalism and Children’s Books with Jamie Grill-Goodman

Posted on March 12, 2024 | by Catherine Seeds

Well, this was a fun one, folks! I recently had the chance to visit with the talented Jamie Grill-Goodman, editor in chief of RIS News. As editor in chief, Jamie is among the ranks of amazing journalists and retail tech thought-leaders who previously held this post, such as Joe Skorupa and the late Dennis Eskow. She has been with the RIS News brand since 2015.

In this fun chat, we talked about her journey to the publication, why she likes writing about in-store technologies and her love of the library and children’s books.

Following are some excerpts from our conversation. Enjoy!

Tell me about your path to retail tech journalism.

I have a degree in journalism and creative writing from Rowan University. The truth is that I’ve always loved writing! Long before I began to focus on retail tech, I started at a consumer magazine called Unique Homes and then transitioned into children’s book publishing.

In 2009, I started working for Private Label Magazine, which was my entry into the retail consumer goods field. Phil Russo, the publisher, became a great mentor during my tenure at the publication and taught me so much about the consumer goods space. I went on to work for another private label magazine for a few years but, in 2015, I made the move to Consumer Goods Technology and RIS News.

What is it about the retail tech industry that you enjoy so much?

When I had my initial interviews with Private Label Magazine, they asked me if I liked to shop in stores. I’d always wanted to be a travel writer, so of course I said yes! Working for that publication gave me a unique opportunity to do a ton of store visits, so I really started paying attention to the experience shoppers were having in the store.

The physical store has always interested me, especially when it comes to localization or personalization efforts. The store itself is almost its own travel experience, especially destination shops.

I love retail tech because it’s always changing. It never gets boring. For context, when I started at RIS News eight years ago, my kids were babies and there was no curbside pickup! And now, 63% of retailers that we (RIS News) surveyed are up to date with curbside pickup. It’s just so crazy how fast the industry adopts things and how fast the technology itself evolves.

As a retail journalist, what do you use as inspiration for writing your stories, and how do you stay up to date on the latest trends?

I am always looking at the wires for breaking news, and of course I have a lot of Google alerts set to monitor key terms or trends. I also like to read other publications. But so much of my inspiration comes from just talking to a lot of people! We talk to retail tech vendors to get first-hand accounts of what their retail end users are seeing.

We also have an editorial council which meets a few times a year. They’re great at telling us about the things keeping them up at night and helping us direct our coverage. I also learn so much through our people profiles and hear more about what they are working on, what’s trending in the industry and what changes are really happening in retail tech.

I have to say, also, that women in retail tech always inspire me. Stay tuned for our 8^thannual women in retail tech feature later this year.

What do you look for when deciding on which story or trend you want to write? What gets you pumped to write a particular story?

In general, it’s always better if we can talk to the people who have been working with the technology. We love doing case studies with retailers, especially if we can profile someone who’s had the technology in place for six months.

This allows us to go deeper and find out how the technology was implemented, what issues they have had, how they overcame them and what could be done differently next time. Our readers really want to hear the realities of these technology implementations, even if those are not so picture-perfect.

What retail technologies are you most excited about or interested in these days?

I think you can’t ignore Gen AI, but I’m most interested in it for both retail technology and how it’s going to impact journalism. I think it’s interesting to see what use cases there are for AI and how people are dipping their toes into this technology.

For in-store tech, I love anything that the customer is using! I’m really interested in smart carts, smart mirrors, sample vending machines and new instant checkout options – basically anything where the customers are touching the technology. I always get excited and want to learn more about where these in-store technologies are being implemented.

At industry events, how do you like to divvy up your time? What are the main priorities for you at these events?

Certainly, NRF is the big one for us, and we put out a huge report on it every year. For NRF, it is very formulaic in terms of how our editorial team plans for the event. Our schedules are mapped out to the minute every year. We meet several times before the show to assign sessions and floor coverage. We then use the extra time that we have left to meet with vendors and talk to them about what they’re seeing.

For other industry events, we generally try to identify the sessions that we think are the most interesting, and as we have time, will set up meetings with vendors.

We do have our own events, such as Analytics Unite in May, but it is the same formula of having every minute accounted for during those shows. The best conversations come during the networking time when we’re not covering sessions.

I would say when it comes to meeting with retail tech vendors at industry events, the biggest thing we want to hear is if you are announcing something new at the show. That will get our attention to want to meet and find out more about the announcement, especially if it is a partnership with a retailer.

At Ketner Group, we are in the business of PR and working with journalists like yourself. Can you share how PR professionals can provide you with the info you need to generate stories?

The biggest thing for me is just know that my audience is retail tech executives, and making sure that the pitches or announcements have some kind of tech associated with it.

The best pitches I get are when the person sending it to me knows my audience and knows what we do. It’s always helpful to pull out a few bullet points to tell me what exactly about the pitch is going to resonate with my audience.

I receive an overwhelming number of emails, over a hundred every day, so concise pitches help me to quickly determine if it is important for me to read. In short, I need to be able to see that the pitch or news is tech related and if there is a retailer involved.

When it comes to pitches that we may not use right away but identify that it may be a good resource for the future, we will share it with the other editors so that everyone has access to it when the time is right. As an editorial team, we are constantly sharing things that look interesting and then work to boil down what we’re really going to cover.

What are you reading right now?

My kids are 7 and 9, so most of the books I’m reading these days are children’s books! The best one I’ve read most recently was “Maddie’s Fridge” (you can check it out on Storyline Online). But I do still love the library. I love taking out a stack of books and hoping that I’ll get to them!

The library route is great because you have a deadline, and I do well with deadlines! I recently checked out “Beach Read” by Emily Henry and “National Dish” by Anya von Bremzen.