Zwei Arme, die ein Paket halten. Der Rest der Person ist nicht im Bildauschnitt zu sehen.

Data-driven: Press relations for eBay Kleinanzeigen

From 2016 to 2021, PIO supported eBay Kleinanzeigen with press relations. Our team was responsible for all aspects of media relations, including establishing and maintaining contacts and responding to incoming press enquiries. In addition, the active placement of topics was an important part of the communication work. Among other things, we focussed on data PR: we identified informative and entertaining stories behind the more than 45 million constantly available advertisements

Ansicht von einem Tablet und einem Smartphne, auf dem Pressemitteilungen zu sehen sind.

Mensch hält Tablet in der Hand mit Pressemitteilung.

Mensch sitzt am Laptop und hat Artikel in Magazin geöffnet .

Frau sittz mit Kaffeetasse in der Hand und offenem Laptop mit Pressemitteilung.

Task

Among the more than 45 million simultaneously available adverts on eBay Kleinanzeigen, you can find (almost) everything - from the latest iPhone model to a new flat. This diversity of adverts brings with it a wide variety of data that can be used to tell stories about trading on eBay Kleinanzeigen or even about individual products. The aim of our communication measures was to make the stories and connections behind this data visible and thus create new communication occasions and ultimately generate media coverage.

Implementation

We used data on supply and demand to create a continuous background noise in the reporting. To do this, we analysed advertising figures, average prices, popular categories and specific products. We made current developments - for example in the area of online retail - tangible by showing users how much their current smartphone is still worth when a new model is released. We also linked seasonal topics with the available platform data: for example, with a rent index for shared flats at the start of the new university semester or with an evaluation of average prices for holiday flats during the holiday season. We also drew on external data for support: we used ad hoc surveys to place eBay classifieds in current discussions. We took care of the conceptualisation and implementation of the individual measures in coordination with eBay Kleinanzeigen. Intensive monitoring of the reporting ensured that we always had an eye on the relevant topics and could react quickly with suitable measures.

Result

With our data-driven PR measures, we were able to successfully place eBay Kleinanzeigen in the media on a recurring basis from the very beginning. We established strong relationships with relevant journalists from high-reach media and continuously expanded our circle of contacts. In addition to regular themed placements, our activities for the tenth anniversary of eBay Kleinanzeigen in 2019 and the communication for the launch of a new payment function also achieved a wide reach in German-speaking media. With our press work for eBay Kleinanzeigen as a whole, we achieved a monthly reach of 84 million contacts in online, print and TV publications.