Making digital parking visible: PR for Avantpark

Avantpark is one of the leading providers of digital parking management in Germany and Europe. The company helps operators in retail, hospitality, real estate, municipal administration and healthcare manage parking areas more efficiently. They rely on camera-based licence plate recognition (ANPR), which makes barrier-free, ticketless parking possible.

In the media, the topic of parking is traditionally seen as a purely infrastructural issue, with little differentiation between conventional car park operators, hardware providers and data-driven solutions such as Avantpark. A key challenge was to position Avantpark as a digital technology provider without giving the impression of a classic parking operator. At the same time, we had to work out relevant topics and news value, even though many aspects of the market are perceived externally as a niche. It was particularly demanding to present complex subjects such as AI-based forecasting, ANPR technology and data-driven analysis in a way that is clear, practical and still engaging for trade media in mobility, smart city, retail, hospitality, facility management and healthcare.

In addition, coverage in local media often painted a one-sided picture: the focus was mainly on high parking fees, while innovative digital solutions and efficiency gains received less attention. Part of our task was therefore to complement this picture, show more nuanced perspectives and present Avantpark as a pioneer in data-based parking management.

Our strategy aimed to position Avantpark as a thought leader in the digitalisation of parking, with a clear, data-driven and journalistically compelling communications architecture. A central building block was the topic analysis and PR positioning. Here we developed strategic messaging that firmly anchored Avantpark as a pioneer of digital parking systems, AI-based planning and user-centred app services. On this basis, we built a strong content foundation: we conducted interviews with the managing director and the head of customer care and prepared data analyses, for example on seasonal parking violations and user behaviour.

For thought leadership, we deliberately focused on trade media that reach decision-makers in mobility, retail, healthcare and public administration. To do so, we used data-driven stories, executive communications, statements, interviews, reports and case examples, among other things.

The strategy was rounded off by continuous media relations. By approaching relevant editorial teams in a targeted way, we achieved successes, in particular on topics around parking at hospitals and the search for parking as part of urban infrastructure.

Within just a few months, the collaboration led to a significant increase in visibility and reach for Avantpark. In the first six months alone, more than 50 articles appeared, including in leading trade media in mobility, healthcare and municipal business. We also secured tier 1 placements in mainstream media. In addition, Avantpark became visibly established as an expert in digital parking systems, while a recognisable narrative around digital parking management was built up. The media response contributed significantly to positioning Avantpark as an innovative technology company, clearly away from the image of a classic car park operator.