Dear BAMf Podcast: Episode 56 with Josh Thomas

Dear BAMf // Episode 56: Josh Thomas of Flock Safety talks about the benefit of local PR when launching in new markets.

In this episode of the Dear BAMf podcast, we speak with Josh Thomas, owner of Flock Safety. Drawing from 15+ years of creating online and live experiences in both enterprises and start-ups, every day he gets to tell stories of crimes that were solved using the most advanced technology in neighborhood safety. In this episode, Josh answers tough marketing and PR questions from our listeners, including this one about launching in new markets.

Dear BAMf,

My client recently launched in several small-town markets and is receiving a lot of backlash from the local residents. Despite efforts to connect with them directly, the residents are not backing down. Knowing that the client has plans to launch in several more markets coming in the US this year, how should we be addressing the current problem while preparing for a more successful launch somewhere else?

 

Listen now to hear how Josh advises this writer to move forward.

Dear BAMf: Episode 56

Episode 56 highlights:

• (2:35) What is Flock Safety?

  "We're in the business of solving crime," explains Josh. Yearly, there are over 7 million property crimes in the US, 82% of which go unsolved. Flock Saftey captures how culprits get to the crimes, as most crimes are committed using a vehicle. "We build devices that can read license plates and use machine learning to decode that evidence and then deliver it to the right person at the right time," says Josh.

• (04:40) What are you most proud of accomplishing in the last 12 months?

  A year ago Flock Freight solved its first Amber Alert- now Flock Saftey's technology is used regularly used to solve Amber Alerts. "We actually built an integration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. So any Amber alert anywhere in the country, if it gets sent out our cameras get that information. If that car drives by any one of our cameras in any of those 1200 cities, instantly law enforcement will know that that car drove by our camera, and they can go dispatch and make the arrest." Josh is most proud of Flock Saftey for being a part of saving the lives of missing children

• (06:35) Do you have a favorite way to tell a story?

  For Josh, his favorite way to tell a story is through local media. Josh says, "My favorite thing is hyper-local kind of PR channels. I really like when we can tell the story in the Augusta Chronicle or the San Mateo Daily." Josh feels like Flock Safety is built for local neighborhoods explaining, " If you think about what we're talking about - our technology is built for small communities, it's for neighborhoods and businesses to work with their local police to stop crime." 

• (9:07) How do you scale in a mindful way?

  Josh suggests finding who the influencers in your new market are, "In some places, it might be city officials in some places, it might be business leaders. It kind of depends on who are the influencers in those markets," explains Josh. Building relationships with influencers is a great way to get familiar with your new market on a personal level.  "The only way to really make an impact in launching in a new market is, you have to understand them."

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