The brief

In December 2022, Woola presented us with a distinctive proposition. The Estonian start-up, committed to creating eco-friendly packaging for e-commerce and retail from surplus sheep wool, aimed to not only amplify its media visibility but also extend invitations to existing partners and potential customers. Having successfully organized Woola events in locations like Stockholm, Paris and Copenhagen, showcasing their products and narrating their story, they now aimed to replicate this achievement in the German market. The aim is to attract media attention similar to what they received in the previous cities. Recognizing our expertise, they enlisted Laika to orchestrate B2B communication and event PR tailored to this objective.

Our mission had a clear objective with a touch of warmth—supporting Woola’s mission to transform the packaging industry’s single-use mentality toward sustainable solutions, a cause we already successfully championed in the past for LivingPackets.

The campaign

The key strategy for our event PR was centered on introducing Woola to journalists, brands, decision makers and influencers, leveraging our established network to ensure a substantial and lasting impact. It became evident that our primary focus was on the DACH region with the Woola experience events, in order to enhance awareness of their products and company.

Once the strategy was in place, our attention shifted to introducing the innovative products to the DACH market. This involved securing impactful coverage in relevant national, local, business, retail, e-commerce, and logistics media, as well as select lifestyle titles. The spotlight was on versatile wool wraps, reusable bottle sleeves, and cushioning wool that could be recycled, returned, or industrially composted, capturing the attention of journalists as we initiated our partnership.

Recognizing the significance of establishing a solid foundation, we chose to step back before delving into the event. Acknowledging that attending an event without prior knowledge might result in reduced commitment, our priority was to first introduce the products. This drew attention, swiftly noticed by media outlets such as: Frundscene, Logistik Heute and the Packaging Journal.

The subsequent crucial stage involved captivating journalists, decision-makers, and influencers through a compelling promotional strategy. Our approach placed emphasis on delivering information about the event, the company, and its products in Woola’s distinct tone— purposeful and environmentally conscious. This strategy was designed not only to optimize attendance, but also to enhance brand awareness effectively. Notably, Frank Puscher, the deputy editor-in-chief of Meedia and the events moderator, provided coverage, garnering attention in multiple articles for the subsequent developments.

Our plans don’t always unfold as seamlessly in reality as they appear in the strategy presented to clients, and this was evident in our experience with Woola. Despite our extensive efforts to generate interest and secure attendance for the event, we faced challenges that resulted in a more limited guest list just a week before the scheduled date. Registrations were lower than anticipated, and the feedback from journalists and influencers frequently mentioned challenges such as the perceived inconvenience of timing, despite our proactive approach in pitching and sending save-the-dates well in advance. It’s worth noting that other external factors, such as vacations, may have played a role in the turnout. Faced with this challenge, we took a more traditional PR approach by personally reaching out to journalists via phone calls. Fortunately, this strategy resulted in a better-than-expected turnout, but it undeniably caused some stressful moments.

The results

The journalists had the unique opportunity to tour the Woola Experience exhibition alongside Anna-Liisa Palatu, CEO and co-founder of Woola. During the visit, insights were gained into how the company is revolutionizing the packaging and shipping of products. The event also featured a panel discussion with experts from the sustainability and packaging industry, including Frauke Schoon, Ethics Communications Engagement & Outreach at Lush (also our client at that time) and Tanja Tanskanen, Sustainability Manager at Ampler Bikes. The focus of the discussion was the challenges of achieving a plastic-free future of packaging. Additionally, attendees had the chance to meet the Woola team in person, explore their products, and participate in hands-on testing. Looking back on it, it feels good to know that we helped Woola shift the packaging industry away from single-use materials to more sustainable solutions.

Thank you, Woola!
It’s been a pleasure to work with you!

The brief

Less traffic and cleaner air: That’s the promise behind ONO. The Pedal Assisted Transporter (PAT) is an emissions-free and weather-protected vehicle developed to first focus on intracity logistics and the CEP industry. With its smart design it can easily replace the volume capacity of a conventional delivery vehicle.

When ONO approached us the company behind this new kind of cargobike was close to finishing its second generation of prototypes – and looking on how to promote those and the soon to start pilot projects with logistic partners. ONO did not have to have to look far: The Berlin based startup found its PR partner in Laika where we have extensive experience with logistics and sustainability topics.

The campaign

To successfully introduce the second generation of the ONO prototype together with its pilot projects with Hermes and Liefery, we initially chose three European key markets to communicate this new category of vehicle: Germany, France and UK.

As a first step together with the client, we organised ONO’s presence during Viva Technology 2019 in Paris where we setup media interviews, met the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo along with several other key stakeholders.

Back in Berlin, Laika organised a product photoshoot for ONO’s new prototypes together with our in-house photographer Julia Murray and external photographer Kristina Nabieva. ONO’s and Laika’s strong focus on high quality images to demonstrate the great design of the ONO cargobike later on assured that the media had a variety of visuals to pick from. Furthermore, the high quality of this photoshoot put ONO up to the standards of the German automotive industry, where they strategically wanted to establish themselves.

Equipped with great visuals, Laika then drafted a pan-European narrative for a press release distribution in DACH, France and the UK which triggered media interest and coverage in all three regions. Highlights of the coverage included a test ride by the best selling European newspaper BILD, whose editor took the ONO on a ride as well as Tagesspiegel who discussed the pro and cons of cargobikes in a mobility special.

Ramping up to ONO’s upcoming Series A, and mass production starting in 2020 the Laika team is currently focusing on building a strong throughout leadership positioning for the ONO founding team by supporting them with commentary and by-line articles. We are also organising ONO test rides throughout Germany to demonstrate the advantages of ONO for citizens and drivers alike.

Furthermore, we are currently working on a series of PR stunts and data stories to keep up the momentum. So keep your eyes peeled for the first ONO on streets near you!

Thank you, ONO!
It’s a pleasure to trailblaze emission-free transportation with you!

The brief

Green, greener, Liefergrün—that was the promise of this last-mile start-up, founded in Münster, Germany, when founder Niklas Tauch came across Laika in February 2022. When Niklas unexpectedly knocked on our spaceship door, Liefergrün was about to close its first major financing round, had already amassed a young team, and was already whizzing along Germany’s roads and bike paths. Despite the youthful age of the start-up and founder, Liefergrün was anything but “green behind the ears” and approached Laika with clear goals:

The company wanted and still intends to grow rapidly. They therefore needed a strategic, nimble, and agile communications partner who could accelerate from 0 to 100 and also prep the start-up for international expansion. In addition to attracting the attention of investors and potential employees, Liefergrün wanted to inspire confidence in their green last-mile delivery concept within relevant markets—among potential retail customers, as well as end consumers. Particularly among the latter, the desire for more sustainable and fairer delivery was already present at the time—but a lack of alternative delivery methods in the market meant that a guilty conscience was always part of (online) shopping. With Laika’s support, Liefergrün wanted to change that for good.

The campaign

Our plan was based on a few fundamental pillars: First, it was important for Laika, to let the media and people look behind the curtains to see what modern, environmentally friendly and fair logistics look like. To do this, we initially had to educate people about the problems that traditional last-mile logistics creates: air pollution and CO2 emissions, traffic jams, noise pollution, and the lack of space in cities. Wherever possible, we also backed this up with data. Media such as Terra X had the opportunity to stop by Liefergrün and check out the new logistics player on the market.

At the same time, we accompanied Liefergrün’s rapid growth with a variety of news topics that we successfully placed with the media through targeted exclusive and news embargo strategies—which were then sent out widely. From investment news in Handelsblatt, to an Austria expansion successfully placed in local media, to announcing the Schenker investment and partnership in the logistics trade press—with an extremely high number of relevant news and updates, we successfully transported the rapid evolution of the start-up to be seen as a relevant challenger of established parcel service providers such as DHL, and Hermes & Co. Wherever possible, and relevant to international media, we collaborated with our partner Oldstreet Communications to draw the attention of English-speaking media to this rising star in the logistics market—including placement in UK’s Business Insider.

Another pillar of our successful concept is thought leadership. Through interviews, podcasts and placing guest articles, we communicated how to achieve a truly green last mile to decision-makers and consumers, we positioned Niklas as a pioneer and challenger in the industry, and brought the Liefergrün brand into the minds of people and the media. After a news-rich period, it’s this second pillar in particular that we want to expand even more in the future—especially now that Niklas has been nominated for Forbes 30 Under 30. We can certainly reach for the stars here, and we will continue to hear a lot about Liefergrün in the future. After all, the future is green!

The results

With all of this combined, we were able to go full throttle for Liefergrün right away and achieve quick success in the form of over 100 clippings in less than a year. Highlights include BILD, Handelsblatt, Business Insider and many more. At the same time, we are looking ahead and thinking about communication and coverage that has a lasting impact—in addition to continuing reporting in trade and business media, it’s important for us to shift into the next gear and achieve targeted highlight reporting in leading media. At the same time, of course, we are also aware that growth can always bring with it some growing pains. That’s why we prepare Liefergrün holistically—be it through crisis communication training or more intensive media training.

Thank you, Liefergrün!
It’s a pleasure working with you!

The Brief

New year, new PR opportunities? That’s exactly what last-mile logistics company DODO thought. At the beginning of this year, they became our new client, aiming to establish DODO as a leading expert in last-mile logistics among e-commerce and logistics managers in Germany and Austria.

DODO specializes in same-day delivery for e-commerce and grocery orders, with a mission to delight their clients’ customers across all 14 segments. Based in Prague, they currently operate in six European countries. Their secret weapon, GAIA, is an in-house developed logistics platform that ensures speed, reliability, and sustainability. Proud to be one of the fastest-growing tech companies, DODO’s clientele includes major names such as Tesco, BILLA, KFC and Decathlon.

Our partnership with DODO is thrilling primarily because it aligns our long-term communication objectives with their vision: a relentless drive to enhance their media prominence in comparison to key competitors. We are focusing on three key areas: last-mile logistics, technology and innovation, and sustainability—areas where we excel. Recognizing the importance of spreading their story and setting high standards for the last-mile logistics industry, DODO sought our PR expertise to amplify their voice and solidify their position as leaders in logistics PR within Germany and Austria. To achieve DODO’s objectives, we strategically leveraged our expansive network and forged new alliances with both conscientious journalists and established media entities in both countries.

The Campaign

Our strategy positions DODO as a trustful reliable logistics partner. Within our strategy we target key sectors such as business, technology, logistics, nationals, e-commerce, transportation and additional podcasts, this to highlight the company’s impact and relevance within the industry.

Focused on these objectives, our campaign reinforces DODO’s role in the changing last-mile logistics industry and addressing their interesting, own made GAIA technology. A new technology for precise customer order forecasting. The goal: to optimize the last mile. By disseminating this message through various media outlets, our goal is to provide readers with the expertise, position, voice and knowledge the company has in this industry. With significant coverage from outlets like Logistra and Transport, it marks a great initial success.

But we didn’t stop there, eager to position DODO as a thought leader and voice in the industry—we decided to go the extra mile, and this time, we had the logistics to back it up. To achieve this, we adopted a media hijacking strategy, leveraging existing media channels, platforms, and trends to gain attention, increase visibility, and spread our message.

When we learned that Getir and Gorillas had officially withdrawn from the German market in mid-May, we saw an opportunity. We decided to pitch the question, “Is it even possible to deliver groceries profitably?” to journalists covering the news. This approach paid off significantly, as we scored a major hit with Handelsblatt!

The Results

In the six months we’ve collaborated, we achieved eight media clippings, reaching over 18 million views, and garnered attention from Handelsblatt—and we’re just getting started. With these impressive accomplishments under our belt, we eagerly anticipate the future of this partnership, aiming to go the extra mile together.