How do you create a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for product development? How do you get journalists from the most popular technology and business magazines and portals to write about it?
We were asking these questions just as information about the coronavirus pandemic began to reach us. Due to the pandemic, editorial offices were making decisions to limit many activities.
Yet, our cooperation with MC2 Innovations shows that great PR can be carried out even in such a difficult period. See how!
A few words about our client MC2 Innovations
The team working at MC2 Innovations has been working on complex projects and implementations for years. They work in both the private and public sectors, such as within the Ministry of Digitization.
As a young company, they conduct activities for organizations of every size. Their aim is to modernize these organizations and increase their efficiency.
The work undertaken by us concerned the key product of MC2 Innovations – the Carrotspot tool.
Carrotspot answers problems related to the motivation and loyalty of employees. It facilitates the creation of a human-oriented workplace.
The system, based on proven blockchain, BI and AI technology, allows you to run various incentive programs, build a company community and reduce bureaucracy in companies.
Thanks to this, work becomes more pleasant and efficient. It also helps the employer to better understand the needs of employees.
The aim of our communication activities was to inform people about the launch of the second crowdfunding campaign. This was to raise capital for the further development of the Carrotspot platform.
We had to let as many potential shareholders as possible know about the issuance of shares.
It is worth noting that in December 2018, the first issuance of shares took place. At that time, it was possible to collect an amount that significantly exceeded original assumptions.
The acquired capital (almost 1.2 million PLN) was then allocated to the building and launch of an innovative platform.
In 2019, the commercial version of the platform was offered to recognized brands from various industries. As a result, several contracts have been signed with companies of all sizes.
Not an easy task in a difficult time
We started working with MC2 Innovations in the second half of February. Since the start of the share issuance coincided with the beginning of the pandemic, we had a tough nut to crack. It was necessary to act quickly and unconventionally!
So, we offered the client to conduct an original event, a gamified press conference. During the conference, we would organize an engaging game with prizes for participants.
We sent a mysterious e-mail with an invitation to journalists, and we confirmed their presence by phone.
We also ensured that, in addition to representatives of MC2 Innovations, Arkadiusz Regiec appeared. As CEO of Beesfund, he could answer journalists’ questions about the function of the platform.
Big day!
Despite the already quite tense situation caused by the beginning of the pandemic, the conference hosted journalists from prestigious publications, such as Forbes, Puls Biznesu, and MIT Sloan Management Review.
We did not tell our guests about the set-up of the event. The assumption was that the rules of gamification would begin to emerge during the event.
The organizers, headed by Mrs. Anna Streżyńska, began their presentation. When the first journalist asked his question, he received a special token, reminiscent of those used to play poker.
And that was the whole idea – the tokens were only given to those journalists who asked questions. The proverbial bank was broken by a journalist from Forbes, who collected a whole stack of tokens.
Every game must have its own reward, and so it was in this case. The gifts also surprised our guests – they received socks and a flash drive with a carrot pattern.
The vouchers for oxytrees were the real icing on the cake. Thanks to their huge leaves, these trees produce vast amounts of oxygen that other trees can only dream of!
Effects of our work
After the conference, we sent press material to all the journalists (those present at the event and those who did not manage to attend). The press material included information about the share issuance and the company’s activities.
It was at this time that the media raised the alarm about the coronavirus. So, our task was not easy.
We contacted journalists who still had questions and asked for additional materials. And we waited… (although you can’t say patiently!).
It turned out that, at a time when it seemed that editorial offices lived for only one topic, we managed to create another media storm. Publications sprung up like mushrooms!
Material on the issues raised during the conference was published by a total of 16 editors (!). This included websites such as Forbes, Puls Biznesu, Fintek, My Company Polska, Mam Startup, Brief, Mam Biznes, and MIT Sloan Management Review.
With our actions, we have shown that it is possible to achieve communication success even in such a difficult time.