From The Editor’s Desk: May 2021 Press Release Highlights

With a huge five-fold increase in press release volume compared to the same period in 2020, tourism made almost a full recovery last month in Mainland China. However, domestic tourism activities in some countries in APAC were relatively muted due to fresh waves of infections.

Last month also saw a 45% increase in trade show-related releases, while those on high tech remain popular. Trending topics of the month include “Travel”, “Trade Show News”, “AI” and “Carbon Neutrality & ESG”.

Top Press Release Topics

1. Travel: Key topics from the travel industry include new hotel launches, campaigns and surveys on the state of the tourism industry. Westin Hotels & Resorts launched a “Let’s Rise” campaign to motivate locals and travelers alike to enhance their well-being through a series of wellness programmes at the hotels. Marriott International’s The Luxury Collection launched a new luxury hotel, Josun Palace in the upmarket district of Gangnam in South Korea.  

2. Trade Show News: May saw a big increase of 45% on this topic, compared with the volume in April. China International Consumer Products Expo was the highest trending trade show in May, with 22 releases distributed. Example include Secoo Group unveiled its Hainan International Business Strategy for the first time at the China International Consumer Products Expo.

In South Korea, the 2021 Korea Basic Income Fair was held successfully, attracting 600,000 visitors to its online and offline events. The Smart Energy Conference & Exhibition in Australia also saw brands like AlphaESS launched its latest residential and commercial energy storage solutions.

3. AI & New Gadgets/Apps: Topics related to new technology remain popular, with a 35% spike in press release volume as compared to April. Examples include digital payments giant Visa setting its focus on payment security as digital commerce resets in Asia-Pacific. AIZEN, a South Korean artificial intelligence finance company is expanding its footprint in Vietnam, with many local companies using its platform for lending services.

4. Carbon Neutrality & ESG: This emerging topic remains popular. Examples include DBS, SGX, Standard Chartered and Temasek joining forces to take climate action through global carbon exchange and marketplace for high-quality carbon credits; Tech company The Acer Group pledges to achieve 100% renewable energy use by 2035 and launched an “Earthion” platform for its employees and supply chain partners to help tackle environmental challenges. USI strives to make ‘a Green Earth’ by enhancing its performance of ESG.

RELATED READ: From The Editor’s Desk: April 2021 Press Release Highlights

Note-worthy Press Releases of the Month

1. P&G launched its virtual innovation festival, iLab 2021, which saw start-ups collaborate with the consumer goods giant to overcome real-world challenges faced in the areas of advertising, retail, and supply chain. Through this press release, P&G was able to promote the event with quick, bite-sized details and quotes that can be easily picked up for reporting.

Both The Straits Times and The Business Times crafted stories with direct quotes and details from the release. Along with earned media coverage, the release received 218 direct link syndicated pick-ups.

2. Smartphone brand TECNO recently tapped on American actor Chris Evans, who is best known for his role as Captain America, to be its brand ambassador. Besides featuring a high-profile personality, the release also has prominent multimedia assets and strong talking points that are embedded with TECNO’s brand values that enable the media to generate their stories.

The news received 150 syndicated pick-ups and earned media coverage. Media outlets such as  Exchange4Media and TechObserver reported on the news, and included quotes and details from the release in their articles.

3. DIZO’s launch was announced in late May and several Asian tech media including Analytics India Mag, an India-based AI/data science-focused news distributor, and independent news site The Spuzz, incorporated details from the release into their own articles.

Both media used the direct quote from the Vice President of realme, while The Spuzz included the multimedia assets to make their piece more engaging. The release gained 60 syndicated re-posts just in Pakistan alone.