One Day. Two Major News Stories

Maximising interviews on the world’s leading news programmes for two leading automotive executives on the same day while managing their messaging against controversial backdrops

Challenge

Monday 9th January 2017 was a big day for markettiers’ corporate team.  We were seeking to maximise interviews on national and international broadcast news programmes for two of the world’s leading automotive executives while helping manage their messages against controversial backdrops.

In London, Rolls-Royce’s CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, announced their 2016 sales figures amid speculation about the effect of Brexit on the luxury brand's production at Goodwood. Meanwhile at the Detroit Auto Show, BMW’s Global Sales & Marketing Director Ian Robertson, arguably the most powerful British car executive in the world, was articulating the German car giant’s strong commitment to building a £1 billion Mexican production facility in the face of President-elect Donald Trump's strong twitter campaign 'encouraging' carmakers to build cars in the USA rather than south of the border and then export them to the US duty-free. The day also saw several other auto companies release their sales figures and significant developments in the ongoing VW emissions scandal, while London was semi grid-locked by a tube strike.

Solution

We undertook an intense, targeted media relations effort from early December 2016. On the day, one senior markettiers executive was with BMW out in Detroit where we had full live radio and TV interview capabilities via ISDN and satellite. In London, Markettiers' Media Director accompanied the Rolls-Royce CEO to BBC New Broadcasting House, Bloomberg's studios and then to the marque's Berkeley Square dealership. TV crews were invited here for interviews, including with the CEO in the back of a Rolls-Royce while being driven around the Square. 

Results

We generated significant global broadcast coverage with each interview delivering highly robust messaging.  

The pre-record we set up for Ian Robertson with Radio 4's Today programme the evening before Press Day at Detroit set the agenda. Within an hour the line about Mexico was the leading business story on bbc.co.uk and was picked up by news outlets around the world. Ian subsequently did strong satellite TV interviews with Deutsche Welle, CNBC, BBC News Channel, CNN, BBC World TV, Sky News and Bloomberg.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös had an even busier day with lives on BBC World TV, Radio 5 Live and Bloomberg TV and then pre-records at the dealership with Reuters TV, CNN, Channel News Asia, Channel Four News, BBC News Channel, BBC World Service Radio, Italy's RAI, Japan's Nippon TV and Germany's ARD Radio. 

Both companies were delighted with the coverage.

Emma Begley, BMW Global Business & Finance Communications: “The coverage you generated in Detroit was fantastic. I honestly can’t remember a show with so many hits – and big ones at that!”

Andrew Ball, Rolls-Royce Corporate Communications Manager: “The response from the world’s media was overwhelmingly positive. I am also delighted that, in PR value terms, we significantly beat last year’s result.”