IOT is Lined Up Launch To 5M Early Adopters

This case study is a little different. We are going to focus on the process of getting media placements, what you should expect, and how it's playing out for Instruments of Things, as of February 1st, 2023. 

Before we dive into the details, here is a quick summary: 

1. January 16th, 2023 - journalists have inquired about their products. Woohoo. 
2. January 19th, 2023 - eager ones have requested product samples.
3. January 20th, 2023 - samples have been shipped.
4. January 27th, 2023 - conversations have progressed.

Now we are waiting on the journalists to review, use, and of course, get those articles published. 

A Challenge

The background is Instruments of Things (IOT) have designed a wearable device that allows artists to create music through the movement of their bodies. This is an interesting technology, to say the least, but their first products only addressed technical musicians. 

So they’re going to launch an app that allows non-technical musicians, creators, DJs, dancers, and choreographers to take part in the fun. Awesome. That’s where Propeller comes in. 

The Results

Within 2 weeks of actively campaigning we’ve landed some strong leads: 2 Music-tech focused outlets and 1 Gadget focused outlet. 

"Propeller set us up with music-tech media outlets who are supporting our consumer app launch and get our product reviewed. Excited to get the results!" - Henrik Langer, CEO of Instruments of Things

The music-tech outlets are FutureMusic and Magnetic Magazine. They collectively have about 155k monthly visitors and 416k followers across social media. FutureMusic is technically focused and has a print magazine that ships globally. Magnetic Magazine is digital only, and has a consumer-oriented electric dance music audience. So while slightly different, both have a deeply focused audience that lives, breathes, and works in the music industry. 

If you’ve read this, you’d know we call these audiences Underground Kings. They aren’t big in size, but their content is detailed and their audience is highly qualified to become fans and buyers.

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Next up is Engadget. This is the big consumer audience an app launch needs. They’re going to be doing a product review in front of 5.6M monthly visitors and 5.4M followers. This is where we can make big waves because its audience is full of early adopters of products like IOTs. 

The Process

Now let’s take a look at the process of how we got here. 

Step 1: Gaining attention 

• We reach contacts we have relationships with. This is the fastest and easiest way to get your product out there but we don’t always know the contacts that might be the most valuable to you. 
• We reach new contacts using a database and algorithm that matches relevant contact to your brand or pitch.

Step 2: Answering Inquiries

• We answer questions the contacts ask on your behalf. These are usually trivial, yes-no, dates, and fact-type questions. 
• And the screen for low-quality inquiries. Sometimes we get inquiries that are either irrelevant or are low value to your brand. This usually happens because everyone wants free stuff. 

Step 3: Shipping a product

Often contacts want a product sample. This is for two reasons: 

• They want to verify that your product is what you say it is. If your product is uber low quality, fake or scammy. They’ll sniff it out. 
• They want to review it, compare it, and use it. They do this because of their duty to provide their audience with their honest perspective.

Step 4: Publishing Content

Publishing content is always the goal. But there are some steps to getting there. 

• Depending on the outlet, 1 - 3 weeks from 1st contact to a published article is normal. Add interviews, reviews, or deep dives and this timeline might grow. 
• Outlets notify the publishing date. We often have little control over when the content is published, but we know when it will be published.

These 4 steps have led us to articles in Tom’s Guide, Engadget, Forbes, and many more media outlets. IOT is in the last and final step of the process and as you can expect are excited to line up the publishing dates with their app launch. 

On The Horizon

Let me be clear, these outlets haven't been reached, as of now. But they are on the horizon for Instruments of Things. Fanatics and fans look to these publications for recommendations and to stay up-to-date on the latest music news and trends. Moreover, these publications have a history of covering influential and innovative artists, which can also increase the perceived value of the product.

• Pitchfork - Traffic: 7.6M
• XXL Mag - Traffic: 2.7M
• Loudwire - Traffic: 1.8M
• Complex - Traffic 11.5M‍
• Rolling Stone - Traffic: 16.9M

For example, if Instruments of Things is featured on Pitchfork, which has a reputation for championing alternative and independent music, it can be seen as a marker of quality and innovation.

Landing one of these publications would lead to increased interest and sales, and may even lead to new collaborations with artists and retailers. By leveraging the reputation of these publications, Instruments of Things could gain a competitive advantage and set itself apart from the rest.