HERE Technologies is the classic example of a ‘behind-the-scenes’ company. Many of us will use their technology every day without knowing the brand exists, as their tech solutions are often white-labelled or used to power other technologies.

For example, their location technology powers the maps in around 70 per cent of embedded navigation systems in Australian cars, including Audis, Mercedes Benzes, and BMWs. They provide indoor venue maps for some of the country’s major shopping centres, airports and sports grounds. But the average Joe would never know.

Even within their target audience – the transport and logistics, public sector and automotive industries – brand awareness was low across APAC, and they needed support to turn this around and increase sales. This led to Keep Left becoming HERE’s lead PR agency in the APAC region back in 2016 – a long-standing relationship we’re incredibly proud of.

When you’re competing against Apple and Google for share of voice, you need to get creative. Our strategy is simple – play to our strengths (transparency, customisation and unique data assets), remain highly targeted in our approach, and focus on reaching the audiences that will impact sales.

We’ve formed strong partnerships with data and transport journalists at metro newspapers, provided them with access to HERE’s unique data assets and worked together to build out impactful stories that increase brand awareness among mass audiences.

We’ve developed integrated campaigns engaging the voting public, gaining government agency decision makers’ attentions and demonstrating HERE’s ability to work with governments to improve our cities’ infrastructures.

We’ve worked closely with influential technology journalists during large tech events like CES to increase understanding of HERE’s products and services at B2C and B2B levels.

And we’ve supported HERE with their inaugural transport and logistics customer event in the region. This included audience strategy work to better understand the needs and wants of the local transport and logistics audience, creating an integrated communications strategy to provide a roadmap for comms execution, drafting speech and presentation content, developing a registration content marketing campaign, and facilitating media outreach and attendance.

Greater brand awareness, engagement and sales amongst target audiences thanks to:

• Three front page stories in major metro papers in the space of 12 months
• 270+ pieces of media coverage in past two years – including print, broadcast, and online – exceeding volume and quality KPIs
• Direct engagement with government decision makers
• HERE becoming regarded as a thought leader in traffic, multi-transport and logistics, and HERE spokespeople becoming authorities on these topics within the media.
• HERE’s data being referenced by academic leaders within their commentary.
• Our project with The Age being a finalist in the Walkey Foundation Excellence in Journalism awards