‍How to use reactive PR for the automotive sector

As Prefab Sprout once sang, some things hurt more than cars and girls.

But despite that priceless piece of 1980s pop wisdom getting your creative juices flowing to come up with fun and newsworthy PR content for the automotive sector can be a real headache. 

Newsjacking, which is the art of capitalising on breaking news to get your brand in the middle of trending and important conversations, can offer the perfect solution.

If done correctly, companies can use their expertise to add their own dialogue to a subject already in the news to win coverage and links and ultimately boost SEO rankings for their website. 

Yes, it sounds overwhelming, but grabbing opportunities with both hands to build effective and quick campaigns is a great skill to have in digital marketing and PR. 

When it comes to winning coverage and links for automotive clients, quick-fire, reactive PR, and newsjacking can win great results.

We work with several clients in the automotive industry, and over the years, the team have found that responding quickly to news stories on transport issues can be a great way to score digital PR success.

Quick Fire 

A recent example of this came when Tesla announced the future launch of their baby hatchback EV. We were able to react very quickly with a quote from our client LeaseElectricCar.co.uk welcoming the news and offering expert comment on how the launch was likely to impact the EV market in the UK

By getting this signed off and pitched faster than a boy racer at an amber light we were able to watch as our quick fire comment won coverage across several news and automotive platforms.

The key to winning these results was our fast response to the news, turning the quotes around quickly, and pitching our motoring angle to the media before anyone else.

Another recent example came when the government announced the trial of the mobile phone emergency alert. We quickly jumped on this and were able to put together some quotes from our client QuoteZone.

We warned drivers that the alert could cause potential dangers and distractions and that reacting to the message could land them in trouble with the law. Our statement was warmly received by the media, winning coverage and links in a matter of minutes. 

The key to newsjacking and reactive PR is acting super fast as the news agenda moves quickly. That's why having someone who can approve comments rapidly is vital. 

Being nimble and ready to respond to the news agenda can make a huge difference when it comes to winning coverage and links for automotive brands. It really doesn’t have to hurt, despite what Prefab Sprout said. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: For those under 45 years old, Prefab Sprout were a 1980s pop combo who sang about Cars and Girls. 

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