Attitude is everything.

Microsoft

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With the launch of Microsoft Office 2010, the company wanted to broaden the software’s consumer appeal by positioning it as a must-have for work AND home. This required developing new consumer messaging that drove home the relevance of Office and reached influencers the company was not used to dealing with. The resulting consumer campaign targeted parent bloggers through social media and created special events to engage and persuade other key audiences. A “Holiday Survival Kit”, including a unique and entertaining package of software with tips & tricks for using Office 2010 to navigate and manage holiday stress, was sent to consumer and lifestyle publications and generated coverage of Office 2010 in holiday gift guides. Leading up to the launch, ongoing engagement with consumer, women’s and lifestyle publications resulted in coverage by media outlets that barely covered technology, let alone Microsoft. This integrated program – including video, digital assets, infographics and social media – made Office 2010 the division’s first successful consumer launch.

WALT DISNEY INTERNET GROUP

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When Disney decided to get into the mobile phone business with an innovative new product targeting families, they needed to weave a story that built on the strength of their brand, while introducing that brand to a crowded and unfamiliar marketplace. The resulting narrative combined the familiarity of Mickey Mouse with cutting edge innovation to make a splash in the pre-iPhone market at one of the largest mobile trade shows in the country. A broad media relations program covering business, consumer and trade press resulted in more than 2,000 broadcast, print, radio and online stories at launch and roll out. The Internet Group division exceeded revenue projections for the fiscal year.

Starbucks

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The reputation of the international coffee giant was being damaged by a public misperception that Starbucks was not paying fair prices for the coffee it purchased from growers around the world. After conducting a corporate reputation audit and media coverage analysis to understand the organization’s corporate reputation and identity strengths and weaknesses, a new message platform was created to address shortcomings and misinformation and to position Starbucks as a socially responsible company. Simple talking points helped baristas dispel errors during their daily interactions with customers. A media tour brought journalists to Santa Domingo during harvest to see the “Starbucks effect” first-hand among local farmers. Total transparency allowed the journalists to interact with farmers and learn how Starbucks was helping them grow coffee they could sell at a premium to any coffee roaster, not just Starbucks. This program resulted in a triple digit increase in positive media coverage year over year.

FICO

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The grand Poohbah of credit scores was under attack from a variety of nimble start-ups and needed to re-establish its credit score services as the premier consumer offering. Developing and implementing a comprehensive consumer PR strategy increased traffic to www.myfico.com and reinforced the preeminence of the FICO score. The program included the creation of original content across the full range of media, including blogs, WIKIs, Twitter, and produced traditional print and broadcast media coverage at the local and national level including:

• - The New York Times Credit Scores Could Rise With FICO’s New Model
• - U.S. News & World Report A Guide to Credit Scoring Models
• - Chicago Tribune Watch out for these credit score hazards

ServiceMax

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This late-stage SaaS start-up in field service management chafed under news media portrayals as a company known for funding and product updates, rather than as a leader and innovator in their space. A steady flow of customer profiles, executive bylined articles, provocative POV documents and promoting results from a national consumer survey, helped land a transformative article in Fortune.