Solarplaza

Solar: one of the most promising ways to generate clean energy. Solarplaza: one of the most prominent organisations bringing the solar world together. Our Netherlands-based client plays a vital role in promoting solar photovoltaics (PV), and has organised expert conferences and international PV trade missions in Spain, Germany, California, China, Germany, Italy, Greece, India and Taiwan.

 

The next territory on the solar agenda is the UK. The introduction of the feed-in tariffs in April 2010 is creating new opportunities for UK businesses and investors. Solarplaza organised the UK PV Conference, in Westminster, London, to explore the potential of the growing UK market, and the technological developments that make it possible.

 

Solarplaza wanted to attract sponsors, and also secure bookings from entrepreneurs, investors, financiers, property developers, utilities operators and electrical contractors, and encourage them to network and discuss the future of solar in the UK.

 

Two months before the event, its press releases were not getting enough coverage to guarantee the number of bookings it needed. So Edwin Koot, the CEO of Solarplaza, enlisted us to raise awareness of the event.

 

We put together a campaign plan that outlined the communications strategy, messages and media we would use to engage Solarplaza’s audiences. The target media list we compiled comprised over 350 publications.

 

Our comprehensive PR service for Solarplaza included liaising with media and partner organisations, pitching features and interviews, following up press enquiries, and writing and submitting press releases and articles to the target media. We compiled a press pack for our media contacts, wrote an e-shot to recruit sponsors, partners and delegates. We also worked closely with conference speakers in sourcing background information.

 

“Resonates exceeded our expectations,” says Edwin. “Their proposed approach for the campaign was very solid and professional. The way they executed the plan was accurate and very well prepared, and I was impressed with the speed with which they executed the plan.”

 

We had promised Solarplaza five partners for its event, and then succeeded in engaging twice as many. In raising the profile of the UK PV Conference, it was a real advantage to have recruited the media muscle of Electrical Review, Environment Industry Magazine, Electronics, Solar, and Energy Management. Our media partnership initiative opened up some powerful channels for promoting the campaign, including print advertising and email newsletter sponsorship.

 

In addition to that, we secured opportunities to contribute eight feature articles in top-tier target publications, including EE Times Europe, New Energy Focus, Industry UK, and Worldwide Independent Power. This activity brought Solarplaza’s messages to a combined circulation of over 260,000. We also secured some interview opportunities, and our press releases achieved coverage in many key publications.

 

Edwin is pleased with the results. “Great plan, good service, excellent editorial quality, superb accuracy and planning,” he says. “As a customer, you are always looking for a trusted partner who can read your mind and take care of the things you don’t have time to do yourself. It’s even better when the delivery is exceeding your expectations.”

 

Our client is based outside the UK, but that didn’t prove a barrier to achieving great results in promoting the event. We approach every new project we undertake with the attitude that great results don’t just make our client look good; they make us look good too. It helps a great deal when the people we are working with are constructive, enthusiastic and ready to give you the resources you need to build an influential campaign. We have really enjoyed working with Solarplaza.