Media + PR plan — the external narrative machine

Source: External Comm Plan (the field network Marketing, 2026-06-10, deal-NDA) + GTM v4.1 §6/Appendix A. This is the corporate megaphone only — customer/internal sequences live in day-1-playbook.md and retention-engine.md. Voice of the rebrand: CEO Roman Elias Mercado*. Where this plan and GTM v4.1 conflict, the GTM (later, 2026-07-21) wins.

The four phases

Phase	Window	What happens
I — Control the narrative	Sep 1, 2026 (Day 1)	8:00 press release on devices + corporate newswires · 8:30 homepage splash/video banner + Vimeo CEO announcement + landing pages live · 10:00 vendor/partner B2B technical briefings
II — Editorial blitz	Q4 2026	Sept: LinkedIn digital ads to devices C-suite + procurement · Oct: pre-recorded CEO podcasts released across networks · Nov/Dec: print features, sponsored thought-leadership columns, cover stories in the trades
III — Live circuit	Early 2027	Heavy presence at the trade circuit, Lakeside Winter Show, the trade fair, the ops summit, the industry assoc, OGA + targeted GSO Tech Summit · podium spots, private VIP dinners, premium swag, high-visibility sponsorships
IV — The Apex Summit	2028 (planning from Q2–Q4 2027)	Proprietary capstone event: key partners, vendors, high-volume clinicians — solidifies market leadership

Pre-launch build (the external half)

Jul 1–Aug 15: produce the CEO video (public cut: unifying vision, expanded national infrastructure, market stability) · media kit (hi-res brand assets, corporate headshots, Orange County master-lab facility photography, press release) · splash banners + landing pages staged for instant Day-1 go-live · B2B position papers for manufacturing partners/suppliers · PR crisis playbooks (rapid-response matrices for competitor counter-campaigns and forum rumors on price hikes / capacity bottlenecks).
Jun 15–Aug 1 (long print leads): pitch executive editors for late-Q3/Q4 features, sponsored inserts, covers · pre-book and record CEO/President podcasts through July–August with hard release dates ON or just after Sep 1 to match the blitz.

PR agency shortlist (engage immediately)

HarlowReeve (works with Northbridge/Kessler) · Redwing Studio (Orvane) · NinefoldBranding (US Service Partners, Ridgeworks Vertex).

Publication targets (Phase II priority order, with the why)

Outlet	Audience	Angle
Inside Devices Technology (IDT)	Lab trade (premier)	Highest priority for Q4 editorial, sponsored articles, feature spreads
LabPress Magazine	Lab decision-makers	The business bible; feature/cover cements corporate scale
Journal of Devices Technology (JDT)	NGIL peer-reviewed	Official structural credibility in the organized lab industry
Group Practice Wire	GSO/group practice	"Scale without Friction" straight to enterprise executives
Devices Economics	High-producing independents	The business-of-instrumentation champion; independent-practice message
Cordell Devices + GSO Review	Corporate/M&A watchers	Where procurement + PE look for devices M&A news
Instrumentation Today	Practicing clinicians	Clinical results story with high-end aesthetic case photos
Devices Products Report (DPR)	Tech/materials	Technical articles on scanning integration + engineered workflows
InstrumentationIQ	Digital-first aggregate	Rapid distribution, video interviews, splash banners
Praxis	Clinical CE	CE partnership underscores the education retention pillar
Resonance Magazine (+ Resonance Bench Podcast)	Leadership/culture	The "human side" of the rebrand story

Podcast tour (CEO booking list, with the talking point per show)

Show	Host(s)	The CEO's talking point
Voices from the Line	Wes Calloway, Marguerite Selby	#1 lab-industry show. Peer-to-peer: preserving craftsmanship while scaling digital design. Artistry at scale, engineered precision
Confessions from the Shop Floor	Gerald Bostwick	M&A logistics without corporate fluff; QC and elite aesthetics stay consistent
The Digital Bench Podcast	Curtis Wren	National footprint expands scanning infrastructure, AI design workflows, localized production
Group Practice Wire Show	Grant Ellery, Rosalind Pike	Pure B2B: scale, risk mitigation, supply-chain redundancy; master price agreements stable
Ironclad Devices Practice	Dr. Alan Reddick, Dr. Marcus Thale	Consolidation can still deliver custom reporting + data transparency; the SOP-driven culture story
The trade circuit Podcast	Dr. Nolan Briscoe	"Corporate buyout fear" head-on; the "Local Lab Scaled" message, direct lab-to-technician lines protected
Instrument Digest Podcast	Dr. Renata Voss	Purely clinical: technical-advisor access, premium aesthetic lines, engineered QC
Instrumentation Unfiltered	Dr. Owen Halstead	Tough practical questions welcome: turnaround, remakes, FedEx 2nd Day routing, operational consistency
Independent Bench Show	Reid Marlowe	Lab scale aligned with fee-for-service practice success; Continuity Guarantee + free CE year
The Shop Marketer Podcast	Devin Rojas	Trust during change: transition kits, automated case updates, integration credits, GSO dashboards
The Resonance Bench Podcast	Corinne Vasquez, Peter Lindqvist	Psychological safety during industry change; culture of clinical excellence at scale

Standing cautions

Naming in these plans predates the endorser decision: they say "Apex Instruments network" — endorser line ships per Q-20.
The enterprise dashboard is called "Truepath" here and in the GTM, but the integration session rejected Truepath on trademark — naming open as Q-23. Do not put "Truepath" in anything external until resolved.
Retention proof points quoted to media (rate lock, Continuity Guarantee, CE year, $500 credit) come only from Facts/about-company/pricing.md, exactly.
Q4 print requires long lead — booking window is effectively now.