Case study · CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY & AI
Embargoed Virtual Briefings Turn a Short-Notice AI Launch Into Day-One Headlines
Two embargoed CEO briefings, held in place of an in-person event, led to same-day stories in TechCrunch, The Verge, and WIRED, plus 32 pieces of coverage within 48 hours of the Plaud NotePin announcement.
32
Pieces Of Coverage In 48 Hours
416M+
Impressions In One Week
20+
Top-Tier Briefing Attendees
Overview
PRACTICE: Earned Media | Product Launch | Media Briefings
Plaud.AI engaged 5W in August 2024, 28 days before announcing the Plaud NotePin, a wearable AI notetaker. The category came with baggage: competing AI wearables had drawn harsh reviews from the tech press, and reporters were skeptical.
Discover
With the announcement landing close to Labor Day and less than a month to prepare, an in-person launch wasn't realistic. Tech reporters let down by earlier AI devices also needed to see NotePin working before they would write about it.
Define
“Skeptical reporters don't need a pitch. They need a demo.”
5W replaced the launch event with exclusive virtual briefings. Before the embargo lifted, top-tier tech media viewed a live product demo and heard from Plaud.AI's CEO.
How 5W ran the program
Drive
- Swapped an in-person launch for two embargoed virtual briefings. Flexible session times made it easy to attend despite the holiday timing, and more than 20 top-tier reporters joined, including TechCrunch, The Verge, WIRED, Forbes, and CNET.
- Kept the news exclusive. Shared exclusive details with reporters who attended a session, protecting the embargo's value.
- Put the CEO and the product on screen. Each briefing included a presentation, a live Q&A with the CEO, and a real-time NotePin demo.
- Built a reviews pipeline. Sample units went to reporters for long-form reviews after the announcement.
Results
32 pieces of coverage in 48 hours · 416M+ impressions in one week
TechCrunch, The Verge and WIRED published immediately after the embargo was lifted.
- 29 sample requests for the Plaud NotePin as part of an ongoing reviews program.
- Multiple TechCrunch features, plus coverage in Forbes, Digital Trends, Engadget, TechRadar and ZDNet.
Coverage included
