It pays to formulate a vision about your industry. By speaking out about the future of the sector, you position yourself as a thought leader and create newsworthiness. A proven recipe for PR.
Three examples of PR
One of the ways in which a company can get a head start over the competition is by speaking out about the future of the sector. This way, your organization positions itself as a thought leader, as it creates a new perspective for your sector. Below you will find examples from a tech startup, an intermediary in the construction industry, and a medical training center.
Barqo voiced its opinion on European legislation for labor migration, which threatens the growth of Dutch startups (and therefore the economy). Building Heroes argues that professionals from outside the construction industry are welcome in the growth sector. De Hele Dokter speaks out about medical training.
1: Barqo scores with BNR with criticism of EU legislation
Startup Barqo is concerned. Not because there are too few boats to rent via their platform. It’s too difficult to attract foreign employees. They call on the cabinet to revise immigration laws. This led to an interview lasting more than ten minutes on BNR. The press release that led to this interview can be found below.
‘Dutch economy's growth suffers under immigration legislation’
The Dutch startup Barqo calls on the cabinet to revise the immigration laws. It is difficult to attract talent from outside the EU, which hampers the growth of the Dutch economy. Floris van Hoogenhuyze: “We find that it is made very difficult to employ talent from outside the EU. While there are affordable specialists outside Europe who are indispensable for startups."
The Barqo founder draws on personal experience for this appeal. Recently, the boat rental platform wanted to employ a talented designer from Brazil. At the time, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) stated that this was quite difficult. The EU prefers its own citizens over talent from outside the EU. Because the designer (coincidentally) had roots in Italy, she was able to start working as an EU citizen after a naturalization procedure. Van Hoogenhuyze: “Why not make it easier for talent to enter the Netherlands, so that our companies – and economy – can grow?”
- Building Heroes discusses the future of the construction sector
The construction industry is facing an acute shortage of labor. This puts the construction of much-needed housing under pressure, which could potentially affect every Dutch person. By presenting a solution to this problem, it becomes relevant to report about this company.
Construction sector opens up for non-construction professionals
Building Heroes recognizes a promising development
More and more companies in the construction industry are open to professionals who are not educated or do not have much experience in the construction sector. That’s what Willem Molengraaf, one of the founders ofBuilding Heroes, notices. Molengraaf encourages this development because it leads to a diversity of perspectives and smarter decisions.
Molengraaf: “A new generation is taking over at many family businesses. The sector also has to deal with a dire shortage of personnel. This complexity means that more and more companies are open to employing workers who do not have much experience in the construction industry. Working with status holders – think of a civil engineer from Syria – is also not shunned.”
- De Hele Dokter positions itself as an expert
De Hele Dokter coaches doctors on the softer aspects of their job, thereby preventing burnouts and other personal issues. It could be a commercial message to share with the press. By focusing on the problem – doctors are not well prepared for the tough practice – urgency is created. By speaking out about the medical sector, the message becomes relevant for trade journals.
‘Medical education does not prepare for the current practice of a doctor’
De Hele Dokter wants to help doctors take better care of themselves
Medical specialists and general practitioners have a completely different profession than twenty years ago: they have to collaborate more, be empathetic, deal with technological advancements, and face a much higher workload. Medical educations do not sufficiently align with this, according to De Hele Dokter. All this leads to a large number of doctors struggling with burnouts and other personal issues. De Hele Dokter, which offers accredited courses, wants to address this issue.
“The solution lies in giving more attention to the doctor themselves, the person in the white coat. If doctors learn to take good care of themselves first, they can better care for others. With our courses, we help doctors rediscover their job satisfaction and fulfillment. They learn how to maintain a healthy work-life balance. We do this because healthy and happy doctors are better for the quality of Dutch healthcare,” says Ilse Ganzeboom, co-founder of the training institute De Hele Dokter.
Conclusion
Perhaps your company was founded to forever change the world or a certain industry. That's a good starting point for formulating such a new perspective for a sector. Identifying challenges and problems is also a good starting point for formulating a vision for the sector. After all, the opinion that a certain industry is totally awesome is not very newsworthy.
