Case Study
B2C / Tech / Lifestyle PR

From Skull-iQ to Tony Hawk: How we grew Skullcandy’s share of voice in DACH

Client

Skullcandy
www.skullcandy.eu

Project date

June 2021 - September 2025

Services

B2C / Tech & Lifestyle PR

The results

52

MONTHS

741

ARTICLES SECURED

8.4B+

REACH

The brief

Already the best-selling brand of sub-$100 stereo and true-wireless headphones in the US, Skullcandy asked Laika to help them become the #1 choice for youthful, adventurous audio consumers in DACH. With the forthcoming Skull-iQ voice platform and a strong roadmap of product and culture-driven collabs, the brief was clear: build brand awareness in top-tier tech, gaming, lifestyle and national media to ultimately drive online sales.

The campaign

We started by (re)acquainting our closest tech and lifestyle contacts with the brand through targeted seeding and hands-on testing. That groundwork paid off: when Skull-iQ launched, we ran an embargoed pitch to select journalists before a wider roll-out, landing coverage in tier-one German tech titles like Netzwelt and Heise that introduced Skull-iQ, Push Active and Grind Fuel to DACH audiences.

As the holiday season approached, we leveraged raffle opportunities to reach sports, lifestyle and women’s media, stepping in with in-house product photography when assets were missing. Among others, desired featured Skullcandy in its advent calendar—extending our reach beyond core tech.

Momentum & milestones (2021–2025)

2021 – Platform & performance.

Launch of Skull-iQ on Push Active and Grind Fuel set the stage for hands-free control and OTA feature updates—the hook for tech media in DACH.

2022 – Gaming re-entry.

Skullcandy returned to gaming with SLYR, SLYR Pro and PLYR. Our outreach broadened from tech to gaming media and communities, with news and tests across outlets like Notebookcheck and Gamezoom. Co-branded drops (e.g., Street Fighter, Pit Viper) kept lifestyle interest high.

2023 – Culture collabs & flagships.

Limited editions with Burton and TMNT added cultural heat. On the product side, Crusher ANC 2 and Mod sustained review interest in mainstream titles.

2024 – Sustainability & ANC for everyone.

Skullcandy introduced EcoBuds—earbuds designed to halve their carbon footprint—alongside accessible ANC options like Rail ANC and the new on-ear Icon ANC. These launches helped us tell a broader story: performance meets sustainability and inclusivity on price.

2025 – Headline partnerships & next-gen line-up.

A highlight of the year was welcoming Tony Hawk as a Skullcandy ambassador and the launch of Method 360 ANC (sound by Bose) to anchor the active line. We also supported the premium Aviator 900 ANC over-ears and the gaming-centric Crusher PLYR 720, extending the narrative into travel, premium ANC and 4D gaming audio.

Influencers & community

Beyond classic media work, we consistently tapped micro-influencers across sports, lifestyle and gaming for authentic, steady-state reach and UGC (see our influencer case study here. This dovetailed with Skullcandy’s own creator/athlete programs (e.g., Boundary Breakers), reinforcing credibility with the brand’s communities in arts, music, and board sports.

The results

Among many highlights, Skullcandy’s 2022 return to gaming with SLYR, SLYR Pro and PLYR opened doors beyond our core tech base and sparked coverage in dedicated gamer outlets (e.g., Gamezoom, Gaming Deputy) while also landing write-ups in broader tech/lifestyle titles like Basic Tutorials, Caschys Blog and Notebookcheck, plus mainstream reach via n-tv’s Crusher ANC 2 review. From 2023–2025 we kept momentum with culture- and sustainability-led launches — from the Burton and TMNT collabs to EcoBuds — giving editors fresh storylines across boardsports, gaming and green tech. In 2024 the revived Icon ANC broadened on-ear appeal, and in 2025 the Tony Hawk partnership and Method 360 ANC (featuring “Sound by Bose”) delivered another spike in awareness and reviews; new flagships like Aviator 900 ANC and Hesh 540 ANC further strengthened the premium tier.

Closing the chapter

Our collaboration concluded at the end of September 2025. Four years and four months after kick-off in June 2021, Skullcandy’s brand presence in DACH is stronger, broader and more credible—across tech, gaming, lifestyle and culture. We hand over with momentum, clear storylines (performance, culture, sustainability) and a network that’s warmed up for the next chapter. Thank you for a great time together, Skullcandy!