The story behind the cover

Trade press collaboration goes beyond traditional PR—it's a strategic alliance including articles, advertising and images that can significantly amplify a brand's narrative within its industry.

Visual power

Images are critical in storytelling, going beyond just article support. They serve as a visual representation of a brand's identity and influence within the industry. Providing high-quality imagery as "stock photography" for editorial use by trade press not only supports their content creation process but also builds stronger relationships with editors and brand recognition.

One good example comes from our collaboration at palamides GmbH with bindereport, the German-language trade magazine specializing in bookbinding and print processing. The new Collect To Box (CTB) solution was selected as the cover story for the November 2023 issue which focused on automation,.

Developing the story and images

Collaborating closely with Frank Baier, bindereport's Editor in Chief, discussions centered on curating a story reflecting automation while highlighting the CTB solution. To bring this narrative to life visually, a photo shoot featuring the CTB solution in action was conducted, showcasing Marcus Gasser, Palamides' Head of Engineering.

Creating a compelling cover image

However, to create a cover image that captured the essence of automation and its efficiency, there was a specific photo shooting after the story was finalized. Sokol Gashi, a service technician at Palamides GmbH, was featured in the final image and the headline was “Einer für Alles (one for all)”. This collaboration with bindereport not only showcased palamides' technological innovation but also portrayed a compelling visual narrative, unifying the theme of automation with palamides' automated solutions that reduce the amount of operators needed for postpress production processing.

Strategies for Effective Collaboration

Understanding the details of trade journalists' workflows is key. Timely, clear and exclusive content delivery is essential for engagement. Building relationships before deadlines, creating compelling content, and offering the company’s photography for editorial use further strengthens these relationships.

Conclusion

Trade press collaboration isn't just about PR—it's about strategic engagement beyond articles and advertising to encompass imagery. palamides GmbH's collaboration with bindereport is a good case study on the power of visual storytelling. By building partnerships with trade press for imagery elevates brand visibility, enabling compelling storytelling that resonates within the industry and beyond.