The Challenge
Victrola, with its rich heritage in audio equipment, faced the daunting task of cutting through the noise at CES 2025—arguably the most crowded tech news cycle of the year. With thousands of brands competing for attention and journalists’ schedules packed to the brim, Victrola needed a strategic approach to ensure their new product lineup wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle.
The team needed to build meaningful connections with journalists across various media segments—technology, home, audio, lifestyle, and gaming publications—without the luxury of having established relationships with many of these outlets. And they needed to do all this while navigating the chaotic environment of CES, where journalists are notoriously time-poor and overwhelmed with pitches.
There was also the matter of timing. With hundreds of press releases hitting inboxes simultaneously during the show, how could Victrola ensure their announcements would receive proper attention and not simply be filed away or, worse, ignored completely?
The Solution
We took a methodical but flexible approach to tackle these challenges. First, we compiled a comprehensive list of media who’d confirmed their attendance at CES and were likely to cover audio product news—no point wasting time on outlets who wouldn’t be there or wouldn’t care about our client’s products.
Rather than waiting until the show started, we kicked off our outreach weeks beforehand. This gave us a crucial head start, allowing us to make initial contact with journalists before their inboxes became completely unmanageable. We crafted personalised pitches for key media targets, highlighting different aspects of Victrola’s new lineup that would resonate with each publication’s specific audience.
For those who expressed interest, we worked diligently to arrange concrete meeting times—not an easy feat given the packed schedules of CES attendees. Each meeting was carefully scheduled to allow the Victrola team enough time to properly showcase their products while respecting journalists’ tight timelines.
We strategically timed the launch press release for the first day of the show to capitalise on the initial wave of CES coverage. The release was crafted to provide journalists with all the essential information they needed, even if they couldn’t attend a meeting in person.
Perhaps most importantly, we didn’t consider our job done once meetings had taken place. Our team followed up promptly with each journalist, providing bespoke media kits and additional information based on what aspects of the products had sparked their interest during discussions.
The Results
The carefully orchestrated campaign delivered impressive results that exceeded expectations. Over 50 publications across the UK and USA covered Victrola’s launch news, including many tier-one outlets that the brand had previously struggled to reach.
Coverage appeared in prestigious tech publications like What Hi-Fi?, TechRadar, T3, and Digital Trends, as well as broader lifestyle media such as Esquire Magazine and Rolling Stone. The news also reached mainstream audiences through coverage on Yahoo and ZDNET.
Beyond just coverage numbers, we successfully arranged 20 high-quality meetings with influential media organisations including The Verge, CNN, TechRadar, Rolling Stone, and ZDNET. These face-to-face interactions allowed the Victrola team to demonstrate their products’ unique features and build relationships that will continue to benefit the brand beyond this single launch.
Perhaps most telling was the feedback from the Victrola team, who noted that the quality of the conversations and depth of coverage far exceeded what they’d experienced at previous CES events. Several journalists who met with the team went on to produce in-depth reviews and features rather than just brief news mentions.
In a sea of tech announcements at CES 2025, Victrola didn’t just make a splash—they established themselves as a standout brand worth paying attention to in the audio space.
