- Media Event
- Media Invite
- Media Releases
SoftBank Robotics – Secured 70 stories in media locally and internationally
The Mission
Grow Public Relations worked with SoftBank Robotics Group Corp (SBRG) to announce its global partnership with Keenon Robotics and launch the Keenbot delivery robot across Singapore and Japan.
This robotics and automation PR campaign, run out of Singapore, was built around one media event and targeted press outreach. It secured 70 earned media stories across local and international titles.
Client
SoftBank Robotics Group Corp (SBRG), a global robotics company
Sector
Robotics and automation, food and service technology
Services
Media event, press release strategy, exclusive media invites, executive positioning
Headline Result
70 media stories across Singapore and international titles, including CNBC and Nikkei Asia
The Challenge
The pandemic deepened labour shortages across the Asia-Pacific food and service sectors. SBRG had the technology to help, a delivery robot built with Keenon Robotics, but the market was sceptical about what automation meant for human workers.
The task was to explain the practical value of the robots without framing them as a threat to jobs. The launch also involved high-profile partners including TungLok Group and Grab, so the campaign had to manage several stakeholders at once and turn a technical product launch into a mainstream story about the future of the service sector.
70
Earned Media Stories Accross Local and International Platform
By anchoring the launch to the labour shortage story, it reached Tier 1 business and mainstream titles
What we did
Grow PR built a high-visibility media event, supported by targeted press releases and exclusive media invites. We moved the core message away from product specifications and towards a bigger idea: robotisation as a practical answer to the regional labour crunch.
To make that argument credible, we showed the Keenbot in real use with named enterprise partners, focusing on meal deliveries and day-to-day operational efficiency. The framing reached top-tier financial media, with SBRG's view on how robotisation could ease labour shortages featured on CNBC's Street Signs Asia. The deployment in cloud kitchens, and the role of SoftBank-powered robots in Grab's meal deliveries, was detailed in Nikkei Asia.
The Results
The campaign generated 70 earned media stories across local and international platforms. By anchoring the launch to the labour shortage story, it reached Tier 1 business and mainstream titles.
Locally, The Business Times covered Keenon Robotics tapping Singapore as a launchpad alongside SoftBank, and The Straits Times reported on intelligent service robots being rolled out to transform the service industry during the pandemic. Internationally, the story reached Business Insider India, which asked whether robot waiters could replace humans in Singapore and Japan, and Deal Street Asia, which covered the SoftBank, Keenon and Grab collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does PR work for robotics and automation companies in Singapore?
PR for robotics and automation companies in Singapore works best when it connects the technology to a problem people already care about. For SoftBank Robotics, Grow Public Relations tied the Keenbot delivery robot to the regional labour shortage rather than to its specifications, which gave business and mainstream editors a reason to cover it. The approach combines a media event, exclusive interviews and clear proof of real-world use with partners like Grab. Handled this way, a robotics launch reaches Tier 1 outlets such as CNBC and Nikkei Asia instead of only trade press.
What media results did SoftBank Robotics get from its Singapore PR campaign?
SoftBank Robotics secured 70 earned media stories across Singapore and international titles from a single launch campaign run by Grow Public Relations. Coverage reached Tier 1 business and mainstream media, including CNBC's Street Signs Asia and Nikkei Asia internationally. In Singapore, The Business Times and The Straits Times both reported on the Keenon Robotics partnership and the rollout of intelligent service robots. The story also travelled to Business Insider India and Deal Street Asia. The result gave SoftBank Robotics broad awareness across two markets, Singapore and Japan, from one coordinated media event.
How do you launch a new robotics product to the media in Singapore and Japan?
To launch a robotics product across Singapore and Japan, Grow Public Relations built one high-visibility media event supported by targeted press releases and exclusive media invites. Rather than briefing every outlet the same way, the campaign offered selected journalists early access and a clear narrative about how the Keenbot works in real settings such as cloud kitchens and meal deliveries. Named enterprise partners, including TungLok Group and Grab, gave the launch credibility in both markets. This mix of a strong event, real use cases and exclusives carried the SoftBank Robotics story into international media.
Why did the SoftBank Robotics campaign focus on labour shortages instead of product features?
The campaign led with labour shortages because that was the issue editors and readers were already discussing during the pandemic. Grow Public Relations judged that a story about easing a regional labour crunch would travel further than one about robot specifications. Framing the Keenbot as a practical response to operational bottlenecks in the food and service sectors let SoftBank Robotics speak to a mainstream audience without appearing to threaten human jobs. That framing earned a feature on CNBC's Street Signs Asia, where SoftBank's view on robotisation and labour reached a Tier 1 financial audience.
Which PR agency in Singapore handles technology and robotics launches?
Grow Public Relations is a Singapore PR agency that handles technology and robotics launches. For SoftBank Robotics, the agency ran the launch of the Keenbot delivery robot with Keenon Robotics and secured 70 media stories across Singapore and international titles, including CNBC and Nikkei Asia. The team turns technical products into mainstream business stories and manages several partners, such as TungLok Group and Grab, within one campaign. Brands in robotics, automation and deep tech that want coverage in Singapore and the wider region can work with Grow Public Relations on launches of this kind.
Can a single PR campaign reach both Singapore and Japan media?
Yes. A single, well-planned PR campaign can reach media in both Singapore and Japan, as the SoftBank Robotics launch showed. Grow Public Relations built one media event and press programme around the Keenbot, then framed it around a regional issue, the Asia-Pacific labour shortage, that mattered in both markets. That shared angle helped the story cross borders, reaching Nikkei Asia and international titles alongside Singapore's The Business Times and The Straits Times. The key is a message that holds up in every target market, supported by proof points and partners each market recognises.
