YAP Global: Evolving with the media narrative on blockchain & cryptocurrencies
Quick stocktake: The media sentiment on cryptocurrencies fluctuates along with the volatility of the market and PR strategies should adapt too.
It’s been over a year now since YAP Global was founded to help our clients create value and shape important conversations in the industry while at the same time work to evolve, promote and protect their brand reputation.
We’ve since grown globally to a team of three (Rachael from Singapore and Hannah en route to Canada) and also grown together with the journalists and editors covering the space that we’ve been in touch with on a daily basis.
We say it’s time enthusiasts and newcomers alike become more informed about the leaders and companies that are truly building real projects and shaping discourse in the crypto sphere.
We are proud that YAP Global clients are of the highest calibre and are in this industry for the long run.
Time is of the essence
We’ve observed, the rise and fall of the price of Bitcoin, often impacts whether journalists will cover the industry with optimism or pessimism.
Take a look at this Wall Street Journal headline that came out in late December 2018 when the price of Bitcoin was floating around USD $4000: “Make the most of Your Failed Bitcoin Gamble: Sell Now.”
Failed? Bitcoin Gamble? — This language wouldn’t be welcomed by the HODLers and the Bitcoin maximalists out there.
Now contrast it with this one that came out in the same publication mid-May 2019 when Bitcoin surged above USD$8000 hitting a nine-month high: “Bitcoin Surges Above $8,000; Investors Say ‘Crypto Winter’ Is Over.”
‘“Crypto Winter” over’? At least it acknowledges that Crypto Winter was a season and not just a bubble popping.
These examples show us that if you want to get your angle presented accurately, timing is everything and careful consideration needs to be made when positioning stories in the media.
Go beyond the headlines
To get ahead in this fast-changing industry in 2019, it’s important to understand how to read past the media headlines — this is what YAP Global has been doing since January 2018.
Buzzwords come and go from ICOs to STOs and DApps to DeFi, but what remains constant are the sustainable companies that are consistently building and developing their projects in the midst of everything.
It’s the timely explainer pieces on everything you need to know about Digital Security Offerings (DSOs) or educational articles on how to safeguard your crypto funds from phishing attacks that withstand any breaking news story of the day.
We believe education will be the driving force behind mass cryptocurrency and blockchain technology adoption and the media are in the best position to disseminate valuable, educational information.
It’s also important that the media continue to work with thought leaders in the industry to address big-picture questions, like what happened to dApps in the Ethereum community? Or review whether developments in the cryptocurrency sphere in areas such as regulation are moving in the right direction.
The general public has yet to fully realise the transformative power of blockchain and cryptocurrencies and we at YAP Global aim to help them envision this potential via our clients who are working hard to grow companies for the future of finance.
If you or your company want to take control of the evolving media narrative and get your angle presented, we would love to speak with you.
Reach out to us at samantha@yapglobal.com or via Twitter @samanthawyap & Telegram @samanthawyap.
Author:
Samantha Yap, Founder & Director of YAP Global — A fintech, blockchain and cryptocurrency media specialist with past experience working as an international freelance journalist in Jakarta, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong. Prior to delving into fintech PR, she worked at Channel NewsAsia in Singapore as a broadcast journalist and current affairs producer.
