By: Rachel Syfargo
As a child growing up in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, I equated gadgets and technology largely with entertainment. My family loved computer games, so I remember playing the very first Mario Kart games (and falling into lava or careening of the track in Rainbow Road to be fished out by Lakitu all too often) on our Super Nintendo Entertainment System or (SNES).
For computers, we downloaded games on floppy disks (which got smaller and smaller while storage grew larger and larger over the years) and booted them up in the one desktop computer we had at home – and we had to take turns playing!
When it came to music, I listened to my favorite New Wave songs in cassette tapes, which became CDs, before graduating to mp3 players. As for phones? My first encounter with instant messaging was through a pager.
Fast forward two decades later and gadgets for me have evolved not only to provide entertainment. Having moved to our own place, appliances are now best buddies to decode and care for, to help me keep up with my chores. My desktop has been replaced with a laptop, a creative powerhouse for writing and gaming. My smart TV allows easy access to streaming services and YouTube videos.
And my mobile phone does everything from helping me check on messages, keep track of meetings, and yes, still play the occasional idle clicker!
All these devices have become daily companions for work, play and everything in between – from boosting our productivity, enhancing our creativity, keeping us entertained and even keeping us on track of our health goals – you name it, there’s a gadget for it!
So it’s no surprise that doing public relations (PR) for technology has likewise evolved, becoming an exciting playground to explore for any PR professional. While press releases and reviews are still our bread and butter, tech PR has now expanded to address a multitude of products and a variety of audiences, from working professionals, digital natives and content creators and parents and children.
From demystifying complex innovations to building emotional connections through storytelling, the task for tech PR has become more than just about generating awareness for the newest gadget but also about creating meaningful conversations about how these technologies can make life better for the everyday Juan.
Check out some of these trends here and you might just pick up some tips to add to your PR toolkit!
Personalization & “Laymanizing” Tech Jargon
In tech PR, one of the biggest challenges is how to make complex innovations understandable and relatable, especially in an age where your audience has grown exponentially with the normalization of technology.
Tech companies are increasingly shifting toward personalized storytelling, tailoring messages for specific audience segments. These can include investors, journalists and publications, and end-users who may be non-techies.
The job of PR therefore, is to translate technical jargon into plain language that highlights real-world impact.
The work begins with clearly identifying who your audience is – is the professional looking for a device that helps him work on the go? The parent looking for ways to multitask? The content creator looking for a new creative tool? Once you’ve zeroed in on the who, the next thing to ask is why and how, identifying pain points and clearly framing how your product can help them.
For example, instead of just citing exact specs for a battery in a laptop or mobile phone for example, think of translating it into how many hours of work, gaming or video streaming your gadget can provide. This approach not only creates clarity but illustrates how the product fits into their daily activities and passion points.
PR Tip: Craft case studies and seek testimonials that highlight user benefits on top of specs. Create thought leadership articles with industry-specific examples for B2B products.
AI in Tech: What’s the Buzz?
In 2026, AI has exploded as a buzzword – it seems that every gadget is touting an AI feature! And while the Philippine audience is curious, we are still at a stage where people aren’t very clear on what AI actually does or whether this is something that can really help them in their daily life.
As AI becomes embedded in nearly every product and service, PR professionals now have an additional task: how to clearly and responsibly communicate AI features to customers, partners, and the press.
This includes being able to clearly define what AI actually does in your product (is it translating or summarizing? Provide advice or making a recommendation?), how it works (is it cloud based or on the gadget? Is it adaptive?) and what benefits it can provide (is it helping them organize their day? Making editing documents, photos and videos easier?)
To make communicating AI more effective, PR pros must work closely with product managers to understand AI features and craft stories that address what we call the “so what?” factor. We need to be able to answer the question – how can AI help me? At the same time, while narratives should educate and explain, it must also navigate concerns on security and privacy.
PR Tip: Demystify AI with FAQ-style or infographic content, which can include step by step explanations on how to access features. Tap industry experts who can speak on both technical aspects and provide use cases.
Tech for Good: CSR & Advocacy Campaigns
Today’s audiences, especially Gen Z and millennials, see brands as more than just products they use, but products they choose. More than just advanced technology and features, they also study companies to see if brands align with their values and the causes they believe in.
With demand for corporate responsibility growing among businesses and audiences alike, many tech brands are launching CSR and advocacy campaigns that highlight their commitment to environmental sustainability, education and digital inclusion and support for culture and arts.
PR practitioners then become valuable partners for companies looking to bring their values to life and create positive impact in their communities. From identifying possible partners for competitions, donations and campaigns, crafting messages that would integrate the company’s brand story in their CSR program, to creating activities to bring together stakeholders, brands and beneficiaries, the possibilities are endless when it comes to advocacy campaigns.
PR Tip: Craft stories on employee volunteerism. Consider partnerships with brands that have similar values. Get customers involved at the store or at the digital level,
Mixing It Up Experiential and Influencer Marketing
Going beyond traditional tactics, PR campaigns are now being amplified through experiential marketing and influencer partnerships.
From pop-up events to interactive product demos, experiential marketing activities offer media and other audiences with a tangible touchpoint of the brand’s latest features and innovations. When tied with creative executions and a unified narrative, these events provide opportunities and inspiration for media and content creators to come up with materials that educate their audiences on key features.
This can also be coupled with influencer marketing. Just like the tech audience, those who can called influencers for tech has similarly expanded. Aside from reviewers who do long-form videos, tech influencers can include a variety of content creators, from gamers, wellness enthusiasts to parenting, along with start-up founders, developers and other industry experts. Channels have also expanded from Youtube to short-form video content in Tiktok or thought pieces in LinkedIn.
With a variety of voices to choose from, PR practitioners can now reach more specific and targeted audiences to augment more mass efforts.
PR Tip: Include interactive stations and explainers in media launches. Consider sessions for different stakeholders in a product launch for content creation that can be amplified in different channels.
With technology evolving so rapidly, Tech PR has become a multi-faceted discipline that blends data-driven storytelling with real-world impact. Whether you’re pitching the latest application that runs on AI or crafting a launch that combines wearable tech and fashion, remember to combine tech innovation with empathy and connection!