Ocean Signal: from start-up to award-winning global brand.

10+

years working with Ocean Signal and ACR Electronics

DAME Award: overall winner at METSTRADE 2022 for the rescueME PLB3

King’s Award: one of the UK’s most prestigious business honours

The challenge

Ocean Signal came to Saltwater (now part of BLUE) 18 months after being founded. The company had spent that time in R&D, developing a portfolio of communications and safety products for the commercial shipping and leisure marine sectors. The technology was strong and the management team experienced, but it had no brand recognition, no advertising budget, and was entering a market dominated by established competitors. The task was to build a brand and a voice from nothing, and to make Ocean Signal visible and credible across both markets.

The strategy

We developed Ocean Signal’s brand and messaging from the ground up. With that foundation in place, we built a PR programme around strategic trade show presence and targeted media engagement across the commercial and leisure marine sectors.

A press reception at METS Amsterdam proved an early turning point, placing Ocean Signal alongside established industry names. We followed with press events in Miami and London, and as the brand expanded into commercial shipping, coordinated product launches at SMM Hamburg and Nor-Shipping in Oslo. Throughout, a consistent programme of news releases, technical editorial and competitions in key publications kept Ocean Signal visible and credible across both markets.

When US marine safety group ACR Electronics acquired Ocean Signal in 2015, our remit expanded to cover both brands across global commercial and leisure markets, and our communications support developed alongside the business.

The impact

Ocean Signal grew from an unknown start-up into a globally recognised marine safety brand. In 2022, its rescueME PLB3 AIS Personal Locator Beacon won the overall DAME Design Award at METSTRADE, the highest accolade for innovation in the marine leisure industry, a campaign we supported and whose communications we managed. Ocean Signal later received the King’s Award, one of the most prestigious honours available to UK businesses, where we ran the communications programme around the announcement and made sure the recognition reached the right audiences across Ocean Signal’s key markets.

“From day one, Saltwater was involved in shaping our messaging and brand identity. We needed a PR partner who could genuinely transform an unknown start-up into a globally-recognised, credible brand – and that’s exactly what Saltwater delivered for Ocean Signal. Securing extensive coverage in the right publications, reaching the right people and ensuring international awareness, Saltwater helped propel Ocean Signal to market leadership.”