CASE STUDY
The Challenge: Education and Launch Combined
CommuniClique is a collaborative software company targeting market adoption within the project management community. CommuniClique was entering a crowded field with big name competitors like IBM and WebEx and needed to emerge from BETA testing with a superior product and start to establish market awareness and build a brand identity. Concurrently, CommuniClique’s differentiated approach at providing a solution with the project at the core, sets them apart, but also required significant market education up front, to occur simultaneously with the initial branding.
The Solution: Thought Leadership Forefront
Larkin Communications launched a public relations campaign that positioned CommuniClique as a solution to project management enhanced with a marketing position that the product was developed around the project and distributed teams compared with competing products developed solely for the project manager. Articles were focused on positioning CommuniClique as a visionary in their market, while validating the need for the product and reaffirming its value. Trend pieces were targeted that could link CommuniClique to the market as a thought leader backed by hard news pieces that announced the formal launch. Larkin also launched an analyst relations program and provided strategic direction for the website to further validate CommuniClique’s position in the market.
The Results: Articles that Provide Value Beyond the Sell
Larkin generated articles in such publications and media outlets as InformationWeek, Computerworld, VoIPPlanet, Project Manager, Washington Business Journal, Potomac Tech Wire, Washington Post and more - focused on branding, market education and product awareness. Readers saw the coverage as not only a “hard sell” but a value-driven educational tool that helped them understand the new on-demand environment for project management and its worth to them. As a result, a number of direct leads resulted from the coverage, helping to take CommuniClique to 100% growth in one month. All leading analyst firms (including the Gartner Group and Forrester Research) were fully briefed about CommuniClique, helping to strengthen analyst relationships while garnering valuable industry insight. In addition, the finished website provides a visually attractive and targeted online resource that incorporates a blogging strategy to maximize Internet visibility.
- Differentiated and concise messages
- Lead generation to drive growth
- Coverage in a wide range of industry, technology, business and regional publications
Services Provided:
- Message Management /Positioning
- Media Relations
- Analyst Relations
- Website Creative and Strategic Support