CASE HISTORY AND SAMPLE CLIPS
Capitalizing on a Customer Contract
Workscape, a provider of web-based software and services to handle talent management, benefits administration and employee communication challenges for large companies, had just landed a new client – General Motors. GM saw Workscape’s services as a way to outsource the ever-growing cost of an internal employee benefits department.
Workscape asked The Bohle Company to develop a news release about this new contract win. We counseled the client that this news had far wider, far braoder opportunity – for both Workscape and GM.
GM had convinced Daimler Chrysler to share the cost (and use of) of the new employee portal. And the two companies had convinced United Auto Workers that the move would benefit the auto workers of both companies, because the savings in overhead cost through Workscape’s automated services could be turned into bigger benefit packages for employees of both companies. This, we said, was a national story. Why not do a press conference and invite the national business press to private briefings?
We outlined our PR Strategies to Workscape:
• Get GM and Daimler to position the portal as a fantastic new service for employees, while saving the company millions
• Position the portal as breaking ground for not only the auto industry but all other large companies
• Involve the employee union in the announcement
• Capitalize on GM’s prominence as a Fortune 50 company; make the news announcement from Detroit
• Work to get the news in all business pubs, automotive trades
The Bohle Company then:
• Served as liaison between two Fortune 100 customers (DaimlerChrysler, GM) and two major partners (AOL, Sun)
• Coordinated the launch event in Detroit
• Set up the Webcast event for technology media in New York and San Francisco who could not attend
• Used the GM CTO as the spokesperson for the press
• Prepared all remarks made by speakers at the press conference
• Wrote all company and product materials for event
• Prepared separate messages for automotive, tech and business press
Results:
• More than 100 press were in attendance at the launch event
• Coverage with Workscape’s key messages appeared in all major IT trades, national business publications (BusinessWeek, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal) as well as the HR press
• Picked up on all national news wire services (BLOOMBERG, Reuters and AP)
• Coverage in most major metro newspapers, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and USA Today
• Workscape raised $50 Million from new investors in week’s following the event
