Voices of PR: Humanising Technical PR Stories 

In the latest article from our Global Voices of PR series, we spoke with Avani Gill Senior Account Manager at our UK member agency TechComms, and Shey Nel, Account Director at DUO Marketing + Communications, our member agency for Africa, about “humanising” technical PR stories. 

COLLECTIVIST: The agencies in our Collectivist network often support some of the most technical, innovative and pioneering technology firms in the World. How do you learn and understand the different technologies that we see? Do you have internal training sessions? Do you read a lot? What’s the secret?  

SHEY: It’s a combination of a lot of things. In terms of our expertise and skills as PR and communications professionals, we build a set of skills – innate to what we do – that includes being resourceful and connecting with people. We’re really good at listening to people and reading between the lines to understand and spot opportunities in every conversation we have. It enables us to extract information from clients.  

For a new client, we also usually have a longer, in-depth discussion with their technical experts. We put together clarifying questions upfront and do research before meeting the client.

A demo is always useful too. We ask clients to treat us as if we were a customer and walk us through the process. It can get technical because technical people are passionate about their work, but it gives us an understanding and helps gauge how well the client can simplify concepts for non-technical audiences.

Another important aspect is that while we are experts in communications, marketing, digital marketing, and PR, we are not necessarily experts in our clients’ technologies and solutions. They are the experts in their fields. A big part of our work is leaving our ego at the door and approaching every conversation as if we know nothing (even though we have some foundational knowledge).

AVANI: We have a similar approach. At a practical level, I start with background research. I go through the client’s website, see what they’re saying, watch any demos, and do a coverage search. Research is a huge part of understanding any concept and getting your head around the basics.

Then, we always ask for a sourcing call with the product team or whoever’s responsible for selling the technology. We ask a lot of questions—how and why—to understand the value proposition and what it brings to their target market. No one explains it better than the client. Asking these questions brings it to life and makes it clearer.

After that, I might do a competitive landscape review or look at customer reviews to get the full picture. We then hold a team brainstorm session to piece everything together. 

COLLECTIVIST: How do you create messages and storylines and adapt them for different audiences? A tech company might want to speak to journalists or even directly to buyers, investors, or the business leaders. How do you address those different audiences?

AVANI: We start by building the core story, which captures the client’s main message and value. That acts as a foundation. From there, we adapt it based on the audience and who we are speaking to.

For the business press, the story focuses on the bigger picture—how the client impacts the industry. For example, one client provided security offerings, and we worked with a business publication read by CEOs and CIOs to discuss managing cybersecurity attacks and having a crisis strategy.

For a technical audience, we lean into the technology details, how it works, and what makes it different. Throughout, we ask: why does this matter to their audience?

SHEY: For us, the key is reminding our clients who the audience is. Media training helps, including guidance on content formats, different types of media, and relevant beats. 

We explain what level of technical detail is appropriate and emphasise focusing on business value rather than technical minutiae.

It’s about empathy. Acknowledging our clients’ expertise while guiding them to communicate in a way that’s understandable and engaging for the target audience. 

We often suggest analogies or metaphors to help them explain complex concepts.

We also often frame conversations around audience pain points. The challenge is simplifying technical content so more people can understand the benefits and impact, while managing pushback on jargon or technical detail.

COLLECTIVIST: How do you make sure you don’t lose the point of the story along the way when customising it for different audiences?

AVANI: It’s a balancing act. We try to keep the key facts and remove fluff and any deep technical jargon. We focus on the reader and make information digestible. We also ask clients to check that the essence of their message remains intact. Within TechComms, we have such a rigorous approval process, with multiple layers of review before the client sees it. That ensures nothing essential is lost while making it accessible.

COLLECTIVIST: Is there anything else you can use to better communicate complex technical PR stories in creative ways? 

SHEY: We can use infographics, animated explainer videos, video interviews, and visual content like LinkedIn carousels. These help to break down complex technical elements for audiences.  We usually use that in owned media situations, but publications, especially in financial services, often publish stories with good visuals or infographics too.

AVANI: Visuals are huge in tech—infographics, motion graphics, and short explainer videos help people grasp concepts quickly. It’s not just writing “A leads to B leads to C”; visuals show the journey.

We also use real-world case studies. For example, we worked with a video conferencing company before it was common to talk to your GP on Zoom. A visual case study demonstrated the concept clearly. Written or visual case studies reinforce the product and its benefits.

COLLECTIVIST: Have you ever encountered tech that was just too complex to communicate?

AVANI: It doesn’t happen often. Most of our clients understand the value of keeping things clear. When it does come up, we create a version that strips back jargon and shows how accessible and engaging it becomes. Showing the potential impact convinces them that clearer language brings more people into the conversation, whether that’s media or customers. Once they see the difference, they’re usually on board.

SHEY: No, we can handle really technical content! We recently worked with a cybersecurity client, which was technically complex. The challenge was translating technical processes for a C-suite audience, shifting from feature-focused messaging to outcome-focused messaging. We managed it successfully. 

COLLECTIVIST: Last question – and perhaps the most important – how would you explain telecommunications to a 10-year-old?!

SHEY: I’d start with a high-level definition and use examples relatable to the child. For instance: Imagine you want to talk to a friend far away, watch a video, or send a photo to grandma. Telecommunications is like a giant invisible highway that carries your voice, video, or images super-fast anywhere in the world, using clever wires, invisible waves, and special glass tubes. It makes the world feel much smaller.

AVANI: Telecommunications is how people talk to each other from far away. It’s like sending a voice, message, or video through magic tunnels that carry them really fast. When you call a friend, send a text, or watch a video, these magic tunnels make it all happen.