Photonics campaign has real impact

Matter PR’s campaign to promote photonics research and technology has been the sector’s most successful global PR campaign ever. In its first year (2016), it generated 524 pieces of media coverage in 28 different countries and reached over 70 million people.

Over half of these articles were in trade media targeting potential end-users of photonics research and technologies, and generated real commercial impact as a direct result.

Matter PR have successfully delivered the first year of an ongoing campaign on behalf of the European platform Photonics21. The campaign has focused on promoting a range of high-impact projects funded by the EU through the Photonics Public Private Partnership.

So far, the campaign has resulted in over 524 articles in newspapers, magazines, and websites in more than 28 countries, representing an advertising value totaling approximately €4 million.

Highlights have included coverage in The Times, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, BBC News, MSN, as well as major national and international titles in Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, France, China, Japan, and the USA.

With a readership of over 70.7 million people so far, Matter PR has helped applied research groups across Europe promote the value and potential uses of photonics (the emission, manipulation and detection of light) as well as raising awareness with the public and policy-makers in governments across the world.

There have also been some direct commercial impacts from the campaign already, with a number of the Horizon2020 Photonics PPP projects receiving commercial application requests and developing new business partnerships as a result.

One success was a story about using inspiration from nature to create a new anti-bacterial, dirt-repellant metal. Media around the world hailed this as a possible way of making a “self-cleaning saucepan”. The Tresclean project team have been inundated with enquiries about potential business opportunities and R&D collaborations with major industrial manufacturers in the food and drink industry.

The campaign has involved creating original and engaging content and developing strong relationships with the media, especially in key target sectors such as aerospace, manufacturing, defence, healthcare, and security.

David Reid, Founding Director of Matter PR said:

“The Photonics Public Private Partnership chose Matter PR, one of the only communications agencies specializing in science, technology, and engineering, for its experience in targeting general news and industry sector media. We are demonstrating how photonics can be applied to wide variety of industrial sectors as well as showing its importance to our everyday lives.”

Europe is a global leader in light-related research and with the production of European photonics alone accounting for €60 billion and employing over 350,000 people directly.

Matter PR is the only communications, PR, and government relations agency which specialises in promoting photonics and related areas. Read more about our services.

If you would like to discuss a project or campaign please get in touch.