TV Connect is rapidly approaching, and as one the biggest events in the TV and broadcast calendar, it is certainly an occasion that we at Platform have been looking forward to. Around the room at the Olympia will be many of Platform’s clients, who will be demonstrating a wide range of innovative solutions that are shaping the landscape of TV.

It is truly fantastic to be working with companies that are driving thought leadership in the market and developing the ground-breaking technology that is enabling next-generation TV experiences. Evidence of this success is the number of TV Connect Awards that our clients have been nominated for – no less than seven! We hope that you will join us in wishing the best of luck to all of our clients that have been nominated for these prestigious awards, and look forward to meeting with you at the show.

List of nominations:

ACCESS

Category: Best TV multiscreen solution

Product: NetFront Living Connect

ACCESS

Category: Best component or enabler

Product: NetFront Browser NX

Civolution

Category: Best TV multiscreen solution

Product: SyncNow

Ericsson

Category: Best component or enabler

Product: SVP 5500

Ericsson

Category: Best Cloud or CDN Service Delivery

Product: Media Delivery Network

ruwido

Category: Best TV Consumer Device

Product: r117 remote control

Tvinci

Category: Best TV on the move service

Product: EpicTV

Platform is looking for a talented Account Manager with a passion for technology and the media. Due to a growing client portfolio and several exciting new business wins, we need someone to join the team, located in London’s Marylebone, to drive forward some of our client accounts in the broadcast, media and telecommunications industries.

We are looking for a bright, focused and enthusiastic team-player who has previous experience in a B2B technology SAE or AM role. You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, a commitment to delivering first-class client service and the ability to oversee and manage accounts proactively. Over time your in-depth knowledge of your clients will allow you to devise creative strategies which deliver success.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Acting as the first line of contact for your clients and providing proactive response and day-to-day account management
• Overseeing the account team and ensuring efficient use of resource and time
• Engaging in both online and offline PR techniques and understanding how best to integrate them
• Creation of crafted and creative copy including press releases, articles and other marketing collateral
• Contribution to the strategy and creative development of accounts
• Participation in new business initiatives
• Events and trade show management
• Campaign management
• Media relations and pitching
• Management of junior team members.

You will be joining a team that provides content, service and technology providers with highly effective and targeted PR and communications for programmes based on a proven track-record in digital TV and entertainment.

For over fifteen years Platform’s highly effective campaigns have consistently delivered for companies in the digital media world. We pride ourselves on having a first class team of experts and award-winning clients who trust our knowledge and depend on our services.

New agency to support Grass Valley as it expands its thought leadership position in end-to-end Broadcast production

Platform PR, the specialist in digital TV and multi-screen media communications, today announced that it has been appointed as the global PR agency for Grass Valley®, the company that is defining the future of live broadcasting.

In a competitive pitch that kicked-off with a formal RFP (request for proposal) in November 2012, Platform was chosen from over ten prospective agencies because of its deep understanding of the issues driving the business of television and of the technologies enabling the ‘TV Everywhere’ generation. Platform’s proven ability to serve a broad roster of video technology and services clients, from start-ups to large multinationals, at a global level was also a key factor in the selection decision.

Kara Martin, VP Corporate Marketing Communications at Grass Valley said; “We were impressed by the enthusiasm and positive attitude of the people at Platform from the moment we met them. They have a solid understanding of our markets and of the issues we and our customers are facing in a rapidly changing technological landscape. They are clearly able to couple that expertise with creative and focused communications messaging and PR campaigns. I am sure Platform will be an asset to us as we continue to grow Grass Valley’s thought leadership in the end-to-end live production world.”

Platform has already started work with the Grass Valley communications team and will report directly to Denise Williams, Director, Corporate Public Relations. One of the agency’s first tasks will be to help launch a number of integrated solutions, including innovative cameras, playout and workflow systems, at the upcoming NAB exhibition, Las Vegas, 8-11 April, 2013.

Gay Bell, CEO of Platform PR said: “We are absolutely over the moon to have won what could be termed as the broadcast industry’s ‘PR pitch of the year’. The Grass Valley brand is highly respected by many in the broadcast industry. I too have admired the company since I first started working in the broadcast sector. It is truly an honor to be asked to help shape the communications of this industry changing organization.”

Platform client Connect TV has become part of the Arqiva group. Phil Walder, Connect TV’s managing director thanked Platform for all our hard work and contribution to making them a stand out company in a very short space of time. He said:

“As a start-up company, it was vital to Connect TV that we found the right PR company, not just because they needed to understand our requirements and objectives, but because we needed to ensure that every penny we spent was effective. We selected Platform PR – and it was one of the best decisions we made. They simply got it, when we explained what we were doing, and within weeks our profile in the industry had grown immeasurably. Everyone was talking about us. We invented and built a fabulous new technology, but it was Platform PR that made sure everyone knew about it.”

In October 2012, Israel-based Pay-OTT video platform provider Tvinci completed a $4.5million round of investment funding that would enable it to explore new market opportunities and develop its video platform.

When an announcement such as this is to be made, it is vital to spend time clearly defining the right message that will have maximum impact with the media. We worked closely with Tvinci’s senior management to understand not just the immediate facts of the investment, but to identify the strategic messages and news angles that would gain the attention of the media.

“There is always a danger for technology companies to default to talking about their products and not their business. We wanted to make sure that with Tvinci’s announcement we focused on their wider success in and contribution to the nascent market for Pay-OTT TV.  We used proof points like recent deployments, revenue growth, staff expansion, and of course the investment itself. We believed that’s what would get journalists and bloggers excited, and we were right. The results were fabulous and we exceeded Tvinci’s expectations,” said Gay Bell, CEO, Platform PR.

Following a solid campaign of pre-briefing media and blogger interviews, we activated the global distribution of the press release. Coverage was gained in Wall Street Journal, Techcrunch, The Next Web, paidcontent.org, Social Times, as well as leading TV technology trade publications, and the Israeli business press.

Within 3 days of the announcement being made, it had gained:

-        88 news articles in trade and business publications

-        727 Tweets

-        An immediate Twitter audience of 61,897 through Tweets from Techcrunch, The Next Web, paidcontent.org, and Social Times

-        314 Facebook ‘Likes’

-        887 Business Wire views

Ofer Shayo, CEO and co-founder of Tvinci said: “We have worked with Platform for over two and a half years and they have helped us to build a strong profile. Our thought leadership position was a big factor in securing the new funding and we wanted to ensure that everyone knew about it. The job that Platform did in elevating this news exceeded everything that we had hoped for. The key to this success was in the strategic advice we received – Platform did not just tell us what they thought we wanted to hear. They gave the right advice regarding the messaging and a planned approach to the news delivery. The proof of success is there for all to see – this was a hugely impactful campaign that has really moved the needle and got people talking about us.”

Platform has a strong track record of helping companies to secure investment funding, mergers or acquisitions. To hear more, or discuss your aims in more depth, please get in touch.

Capablue, specialist in TV Everywhere solutions, has gone from strength to strength in 2012. Having secured a Series A round of funding, signed a number of significant deals and strengthened its management team with three senior recruits, Capablue has had a lot to shout about… and shout we did!

Working closely with Capablue’s Client & Partner Director Craig Chuter we devised and implemented an integrated PR strategy to maximise this growth and build the company’s corporate value. It was important that the news was communicated to the right audiences, at the right time and in the right way. With a series of key announcements to press, customers, stakeholders, partners and prospects we made sure everyone in the industry knew about it.

The best part? The interest and follow-up Capablue gained more than matched what we set out to achieve. Not only did we secure coverage in key target industry publications including Broadcast, Videonet, New Media Age and Broadband TV News but the news was also picked up by key influencers in the industry. CEO Tom Cape was even given a break into the US market with a speaker invitation from TVOT’s NYC Intensive. He takes part next month.

“What I like about Platform is that when they are given a brief they take responsibility for it and make it happen,” said Chuter. “As the person responsible, not only for the marketing but for the business development and partner relationships at Capablue, I don’t have time to babysit an agency to make sure that what is supposed to be happening is happening. Our relationship with Platform is more like a partnership. We agree what we want to achieve and because they understand our commercial and communication objectives they just get on and deliver it.”

2012 may have been a huge success, but 2013 is set to be bigger and better with some exciting news just around the corner.