Media & PR

WesTrac

Client
WesTrac
Project type
Media Management
Project date
2025
A television crew interviewing a WesTrac employee at the Global Operator Challenge site.

The brief

One of Australia’s largest Caterpillar® dealers WesTrac engaged SPOKE to assist with media and PR support to promote the Global Operator Challenge event, hosted by the company in Western Australia and New South Wales.

The Global Operator Challenge occurs every two years and is a competition designed to showcase the skill, speed, and agility of the world’s best machine operators.

SPOKE’s brief was to engage media, generate publicity, and provide on-ground support to WesTrac executives during this globally significant event.

Our approach

  • SPOKE developed a tailored media strategy for each event, including a specific pitch to journalists, a customised media release and supporting image gallery, as well as individual media interview briefs and speeches for WesTrac’s Executive team members.
  • The WA Final and the NSW Final were treated as individual campaigns due to the specific nature of the media landscape in each state, but consistent messaging remained vital across both events.
  • The WA Final coincided with the 2025 WA State Election, requiring an alternative approach to engaging with journalists to secure pre-event interviews to help cut through the election-focused news.
  • The NSW Final presented greater opportunity to engage and retain media attention, maximising the likelihood of journalists attending the event and generating earned media for WesTrac.
  • Due to this increased likelihood, a member of SPOKE’s experienced media team was deployed to the NSW Final, held at WesTrac’s headquarters in Newcastle, to assist with on-ground media management and support.
  • This included gathering interviewees for media to interview, identifying prime vision opportunities, and providing requested information and statistics throughout the duration of the event.
  • SPOKE’s media expert also conducted on-ground videography at the NSW Final to capture the moment the winner was announced for use by broadcast media.

The results

  • SPOKE’s strategy and proactive outreach generated 24 individual media hits with a combined reach of more than 11.2 million, across both the WA and NSW Final.
  • This included a nearly 2-minute television story broadcast during NBN Newcastle’s 6pm news bulletin and distributed across NBN’s social media channels, achieving strong engagement including 4,100 likes, 1,100 comments, and more than 586,000 views.
  • Additional high-ranking coverage was secured with The West Australian, Australian Mining Review, and Earthmovers and Excavators.
  • The on-ground media management and in-person strategic counsel ensured a smooth and streamlined experience for both attending journalists and WesTrac’s Executive team.
  • Importantly, the earned media coverage further solidified WesTrac’s reputation as a leading Caterpillar® dealer in Australia and an unwavering supporter of its customers’ success.

Coverage

  • An NBN News interview with WesTrac at the Global Operator Challenge, filmed in front of Caterpillar excavators.
  • A news camera operator filming a wheel loader during the Global Operator Challenge.
  • A WesTrac employee being interviewed by NBN News in front of excavators at a work site.

Get in touch

Speak to Spoke.

Call (08) 6182 1478All work

Our offices