LEADING MONARCH’S PR STRATEGY REFRESH

PR & COMMS | Monarch Tractor | 2023-2024

  • PR Lead | Sandya Kola
    PR Firm | Sling & Stone

A PR STRATEGY THAT ISN’T SMOKE AND MIRRORS

A lot of startups feel doubtful of what public relations can actually bring to the table. The often intimidating and foreign territory of PR can sometimes feel like a black hole to small and mid-size businesses — a money drain that cannot be measured and is too high up in the marketing funnel to see a tangible impact on their business.

At Monarch Tractor, I developed a thoughtful PR and corporate communications strategy that had a clear influence on the company. Within the span of 1 year, Monarch’s image transformed from a pre-production company conducting testing and validation of their electric, autonomous tractor in Silicon Valley, to the next big unicorn of agriculture named to watchlists like CNBC Disruptor 50, Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups, and TIME Best Inventions.

MY IMPACT AFTER 1 YEAR

196

PRESS PLACEMENTS

+28%

ORGANIC SEARCH GROWTH

AWARDS

9

  • FORBES NEXT BILLION-DOLLAR STARTUPS

    “Launching an agricultural equipment company is tough, but Livermore-based Monarch seems to have hit a tipping point.”

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  • Washington Post

    “At your next winery visit, you may see electric tractors instead of gas-powered ones. The electric vehicle revolution has reached the vineyard.”

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  • New York Times

    “Like his grandfather, whose mission was to advance Napa Valley into the forefront of wine regions, Mr. Mondavi has found his own urgent calling.”

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  • CNBC DISRUPTOR 50

    “The driver-optional EV tractor at center of agtech boom… can address labor shortages, safety concerns and risk of government regulation.”

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  • TIME Best Inventions

    “The MK-V tractor is the world’s first fully electric, self-driving tractor—poised to make the lives of farmers easier, safer, more sustainable, and more profitable.”

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  • CNN International

    A “one of a kind on the market” and real “David and Goliath story”, as other major players start joining the agtech race to bet on autonomous technology.

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  • The Verge Code Conference

    “The Android of agriculture: AI is everywhere this year, and Monarch is bringing it to farms with an AI-powered tractor.”

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  • Smithsonian Magazine

    “Although diesel tractors are practically synonymous with farming, green technology is reshaping the relationship between farmers and these workhorses.”

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  • World’s Most Innovative Companies

    Named to Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024, earning #1 in the Agriculture category.

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named to the top business watchlists of 2023

CNBC

DISRUPTOR 50

FORBES

NEXT BILLION-DOLLAR STARTUPS

time

best inventions

BUILDING A NEW NARRATIVE

With Monarch’s first MK-V production tractors rolling off the line and market expansion efforts, it was time to refresh the company’s story from pilot development to a post-production chapter. Tasked with leading our PR and corporate communication efforts at the start of 2023, I led redefining Monarch Tractor’s corporate image and messaging for the new phase the company was entering.

FROM PRODUCT TO PLATFORM

Repositioned Monarch’s messaging to elevate the company from the maker of an electric, autonomous tractor, to the catalyst for an industry-level transformation of agriculture.

Monarch Tractor went from the creator of cutting-edge agtech products, to a platform that is kickstarting an industry-shift that will create a better farming future.

Looks and works like a traditional tractor but is so much more…

TELLING A GOOD STORY ISN’T ENOUGH

Sharing Monarch’s new and refreshed messaging was only the first step towards elevating the company’s image into an industry-changing solution. Telling a good story isn’t enough, it’s also about who you tell your story to.

One of the biggest mistakes of PR is getting caught up in the enthusiasm to share your company story far and wide. Defining your messaging is only one part of PR, the other is picking the right target audience.

But how do you determine who your target audience should be…

pr that delivers on company goals

Targeting the right audience is the key to PR that actually has a measurable impact on the company. Here’s how I did it at Monarch…

With Monarch Tractor’s elevated and targeted messaging, here are some of the media milestones I achieved within 1 year of turning around the company’s PR and corporate communications strategy…

THE RESULTS

PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

Monarch’s new and improved messaging landed the company in major business watchlists. Named to  CNBC Disruptor 50, Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups, TIME Best Inventions, Fast Company's World’s Most Innovative Companies, and more, the power of crafting a compelling brand story earned Monarch recognition as the next big unicorn of agriculture.

LOVED BY MOVERS
& SHAKERS

Monarch’s name in the news captured the eyes and interest of beloved celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, prominent government officials like the Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, and even Nasdaq!

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

With Monarch’s new positioning as a tech and industry leader in the agricultural space, Monarch executives were invited to speak on the main stage at coveted conferences like Jeff Bezos’ invite-only MARS Conference, the Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit, the United Nations’ COP28 UAE, Nvidia GTC, and Vox Media’s Code Conference that co-host, Nilay Patel said “was one of my favorite conversations of the whole event”.