Corporate Public Relations / November 9, 2020
Creating a strong recall value of the Danish robotics brand Universal Robots as the pioneer of light-weight robotics and their approach of human-robot collaboration as the need of the hour for the manufacturing sector in India
Context
Headquartered in Odense, Denmark, Universal Robots was founded in 2005 to make robot technology accessible to all by developing small, user-friendly, reasonably priced, flexible industrial robots that are safe to work with humans. The company launched its first collaborative robot (cobot) in 2008 with the goal of making automation accessible to everybody. With its easy to program, flexible and cost-effective robot arms UR3, UR5, UR10 and UR16e, the company has revolutionized robot technology across the globe. The company has about 300 partners around the world and started its operation in India in February 2016, making it available in industries such as Automotive, Pharma & Chemistry, Food & Beverage, FMCG, Furniture & Equipment industries and more. Today, as the pioneers of cobots, UR has sold over 42,000 cobots worldwide.
Communication’s narrative
Universal Robots being globally known for making cobots or collaborative robots that work with humans in manufacturing facilities lacked its significance and appeal in the Indian manufacturing sphere. The brand was launched in 2016 in India, however, the market was not too receptive to this new technology which posed a hindrance to the brand to penetrate deeper due to the resistance towards automation and the apprehension of jobs being lost.
The brand continuously voiced that introduction of cobots almost always results in net job creation as human employees are redeployed to supervise the work of cobots and focus on more value-added strategic work. As businesses inevitably grow as a result of implementing cobots, more jobs are created in the enterprise. This explanation, however, was not highlighted through the right media channels and hence was not reaching the MSMEs, SME and other manufacturing entities in India. Universal Robots wanted the right kind of media visibility and brand recall through their PR outreach. The brand wanted to focus more on trade publications, important business portals and direct associations with brands to increase its visibility.
Universal Robots and WishBox collaborated on an approach that not only presented the brand as the pioneer of light-weight robotics as well as human-robot collaboration but also as a cost-effective technology that intends to make automation accessible to all. A technology that allows even small-scale manufacturers to evolve and produce world-class products in an increasingly competitive world.
Our Strategy
The PR approach and intent was in creating a strong recall value among the trade and business publications both through print and digital mediums so that it is established as a brand that is here to uplift MSMEs and SMEs. Not just this, an easy to deploy technology that is fit for any industry in India ensuring a good ROI wherever it is deployed.
The “Solution”
Wishbox Studio as UR’s PR partner helped the brand showcase its usage and features in every possible industry and the market in India to establish it as a go-to brand for any existing industry in the country.
Team WBS aligned one-on-one interviews with leading business publications shared expert opinion for industry stories explored multi-brand partnerships to showcase how the cobots function eventually helping the brand to make direct sales, authored expert articles for trade publications catering to different industries which played part in leading us to some great coverage in varied publications.
To showcase the functioning of cobots, the team suggested arranging FAM trips for media to give them first-hand experience on the functioning of cobots at the brand’s cobot manufacturing plant in Denmark as well as at other manufacturing facilities in India where the cobots have been deployed. Additionally, WBS suggested tying-up with F&B joints to showcase the workings of the helping hand or the robot co-worker at a coffee shop, restaurant, ice-cream parlour to name a few.
WBS further proposed a collaboration with their existing client Jindal Stainless Steel Limited for a joint media outreach initiative for both UR and JSL. The WBS team helped Universal Robots to deploy their cobots at Jindal plant in Pathredi to help JSL team to increase their efficiency through cobot automation ensuring an ROI within a pre-decided time frame. This activity is still in the ongoing phase, once concluded, Universal Robots has a promising chance of getting a huge business deal from JSLL team which Team WBS will further amplify in media through press visits at the plant clubbed with an announcement release around the same.
Outcome
Universal Robots has garnered great media exposure through publications where they wanted to be seen by their potential clients. UR has been covered by the senior journalists of the business and trade publications where the stories have further helped them crack business deals and also build relationships with potential customers as well as have helped them build an image as the best go-to brand for collaborative robots in India.
The brand has been covered by Trade Publications from different industries like SME Futures, Automation & Digitisation, Aviation Times, TransReporter, Times International, Analytics Insight, Industrial Automation, Coatings & Anti-Corrosion, Engineering Review, Auto Tech Review, Indian Retailer, Manufacturing Today, Electronics Maker, Express Healthcare to name a few.
Basis exclusive interviews of Pradeep David, General Manager, South Asia of Universal Robots, we have also garnered coverage in the mainstream media such as Forbes India, Entrepreneur India, The Times of India, Livemint, The Hindu Business Line, The Business Standard, YourStory, Money Control, News 18, Times Now Digital, People Matters etc.
