Bospar’s Strategic Public Relations Positions Institute to Shine at CES
The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world’s leading technology R&D institutions, advancing global innovation through cutting-edge AI, robotics and healthtech research. Founded in 1973, the organization has played a crucial role in transforming Taiwan’s industries from labor-intensive to innovation-driven, incubating world-class companies such as UMC and TSMC.
With branch offices in the U.S., Europe and Japan, the company continues to drive cross-border collaboration and technology licensing opportunities for its award-winning innovations.
For the past three years, Bospar, the “politely pushy” PR and marketing agency for tech innovators, has promoted the client’s breakthrough technologies at CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics show. We leveraged our expertise in public relations, media training, integrated marketing, messaging and trade show support capabilities and domain expertise in AI, healthtech and consumer goods, boosting the firm’s share of voice by 76% and generating licensing interest from four major companies: BAE Systems, Kyocera, Microsoft (Microsoft HoloLens) and Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach.
Challenge
The company wanted to significantly increase media visibility, brand awareness and U.S. licensing interest for its latest technologies at CES 2025. Competing for attention at the world’s most high-profile tech showcase, amid thousands of product launches and media pitches, was a tall order.
Adding to the challenge, its showcase included innovations not yet available to consumers, such as its AI-powered badminton trainer, designed to enhance player performance through advanced motion and data analysis.
Strategy
The media experts at our public relations agency recognized an opportunity to bolster the client’s strategic communications with creative storytelling, positioning its AI trainer as a game-changing sports innovation that fuses AI and athletic performance. Our PR strategy involved delivering a story that would resonate culturally, spark media curiosity and stand out in the competitive CES news cycle.
Market research revealed that badminton, though popular globally, had limited visibility in the U.S., which has yet to win an Olympic badminton medal. With momentum building ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Bospar created a timely narrative that bridged AI technology, sports innovation and American culture.
Our creative concept: a playful rivalry between badminton and pickleball, suggesting that the company’s AI-powered tech could make badminton the next big racquet sport in the U.S.
To elevate credibility and engagement, Bospar partnered with Howard Shu, a U.S. Olympian and badminton champion. Bospar deployed Shu at the client’s CES booth to demonstrate the technology in action and share expert insights with the media.
Campaign Results
The PR campaign worked, generating long lines to try ITRI’s AI trainer. To make it easy for media to try it, Bospar scheduled exclusive pre-show demos for reporters before CES officially opened.
Our public relations pros pitched the story to Chris Morris at Fast Company, who covered the company’s tech in this exclusive: AI taught me to be a (slightly) better badminton player at CES
Alice Rizzo of Reuters got in on the action with the story: Could AI-assisted program help badminton players with training?
Bospar’s PR experts also teed up a Shu interview with Sports Business Journal, offering his POV on the tech’s market potential. This conversation resulted in the Sports Business Journal article: Olympic badminton player Howard Shu on ITRI’s new AI-powered badminton training system
Our creative storytelling and media outreach secured additional top-tier press coverage across global outlets, including:
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- CNET: Health Tech Inventions at CES 2025 Could Transform the Future of Personal Wellness
- Forbes: Exoskeleton Technology Has A Strong Showing At CES 2025
- NASDAQ TradeTalks: Improving Clinical and Patient Outcomes With AI Technologies
- Fox News: Best cutting-edge health and fitness tech from CES 2025
- TechRadar: TechRadar Pro, Residential Systems, and TWICE announce CES Picks 2025 winners
- Tom’s Guide: The best sleep tech from CES 2025 so far — from brain bands to singing smart rings
- Yahoo! Finance: Taiwan’s ITRI set to unveil AI-powered remote patient monitoring system
Bospar’s blend of strategic storytelling, creative media engagement and data-driven PR execution, helped our client dominate CES 2025, positioning the institute as a global leader in AI innovation and driving real business outcomes through high-impact technology PR.
