Background

CBC represented Belkin for two years in the UK, and took the company from a low profile position to a major force in the UK, with dramatically increased market share and media profile. During this two year period media coverage was obtained for Belkin Inc which equated to over € 10 million (equivalent advertising value).

The Challenge

When CBC was first appointed as Belkin's PR agency in the UK, Belkin was primarily known for cables. The company wanted to use PR to build awareness in its other core product areas.

The Solution

By leveraging its strong press relationships, CBC was able to raise Belkin's profile successfully. Since CBC holds the attention of key writers, the agency was confident that it could further penetrate end-user, corporate, and SMS press. CBC worked with Belkin to agree key messages for all three of these target groups, and then developed these messages with the press.

A comprehensive product review programme was also launched, which saw Belkin products reach new targets and dominate existing ones.

The Results

CBC placed more than 176 product reviews for Belkin in more than 88 end-user titles. Awareness of Belkin rose dramatically, and its profile developed significantly from its original image as a cabling company. Through sustained press activity, Belkin's reputation was elevated and enhanced across wider markets and product areas, including networking, USB and Bluetooth.

In a poll of Belkin's key press targets two years into the CBC PR Campaign, journalists were asked: "Do you think Belkin's reputation has improved over the last two years?" 79 % said yes.

When asked: "Do you think Belkin has better PR now than it did two years ago?" again 79 percent said yes. And when asked: "How would you describe Belkin's PR profile? 86 % answered with either good, very good, or excellent.

The advertising equivalent of press coverage grew to £5,228,003 per quarter, up from £ 613,000 when CBC first started on the account. As a result, Belkin obtained a Return on Investment of up to 80 times (equivalent advertising value) of the amount that the company paid CBC. Over the two years the ROI averaged 4,350%.

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Background

NetManage, a CBC client for more than nine years, is a software company that provides solutions for accessing, web enabling, and integrating enterprise information systems. The firm has a very good reputation with the press, and has built up a loyal following of writers who regularly follow the latest company developments. CBC has organised one major event per year to maintain profile in the UK.

The Challenge

A year into the company's UK PR campaign, NetManage wanted to plan an event that would both pique the interest of key members of the media, and also thank the journalists who had supported them during the previous year.

The Solution

An informal press event was planned on behalf of NetManage for the UK press, and attended by the company's President and CEO, Vice President, and Marketing Manager.

A breakfast meeting held at the Savoy Hotel, London with the editor of Network Solutions. A champagne reception for the press at the Westland Helipad, Battersea, followed, with a helicopter trip up the Thames to the Millennium Dome. After the helicopter ride, a lunch was held at top London restaurant, Le Gavroche. Prior to the lunch press packs and promotional gifts were handed out to all the attending journalists, company executives gave a short presentation, and a question and answer session was held.

The Results

The events was attended by more than 15 of NetManage's key press targets, including writers from IBM System User, The Independent, FT.Com, Computing, PC Dealer, Network Week, Microscope, Internet Works, as well as analysts from Datamonitor.

In the days that followed, NetManage received numerous emails with positive comments regarding the event from journalists, resulting in four pieces of positive coverage in key publications over the next three months.

Background

Brighton-based Computer Experts Ltd, founded in 1993, made a name for itself by developing bespoke programming services for business. However, by 1996, the company realised that the Millennium Bug was an issue being over looked by many computer programmers. As a result, its team of computer scientists began working on the problem, and came up with the The Millennium Bug Toolkit™.

The Challenge

Computer Experts came to CBC with a specific objective: the company needed to market and sell its Millennium Bug Toolkit™, a software fix for the Millennium Bug both quickly (in the run up to the Millennium) and by using methods that would differentiate the company and its products from similar software that was being produced by competitors.

The Solution

The key to Computer Experts' PR Campaign was the ability to rise above the noise; a lot of software companies were offering Millennium Bug fixes, and Computer Experts wanted and needed to stand out.

Although New Year's Eve was just six weeks away, it was the 'wrong' New Year's Eve. The year? 1998. Thirteen months before the first Millennium Bug problems were expected to hit.

But this time gap would prove to be a benefit for both CBC and Computer Experts, since it gave CBC the chance to plan the first ever Millennium New Year's Eve party, at London's Millennium Club no less.

Better still, the party gave CBC the chance to put four major brand PC's to the Millennium rollover test in front of a live audience made up of 117 members of the media. During the test, Real Time Clocks were all seen to roll over from 1999 to 1900 at 'midnight' on New Year's Eve - actually around 9pm on 13th November 1998. Luckily, CBC had handed out Millennium Bug Toolkit watches as guests arrived, so everyone knew with certainty just when 'midnight' was approaching.

Each PC bought within the past two months from a leading retailer was set on display to the press during a 'live' simulation of New Year's Eve 1999. Members of the press were astounded as they witnessed one-by-one each PC's Real Time Clock failing to roll into the year 2000 and reverting instead to 1900.

After seeing each PC fail, Computer Expert's Millennium Bug Toolkit was then installed. At the final simulation, the watching crowd waited in anticipation as the count down to midnight began, and they were not to be disappointed. Each PC now rolled-over correctly, balloons fell from the ceiling, a bagpiper started playing, smoke billowed across the floor, and the real New Year's Day celebrations began.

The Results

As hosts of the first-ever Millennium New Year's Eve Party, Computer Experts gained national attention, featuring on hourly Capital Radio news broadcasts throughout the day. The firm's MD immediately became a recognised spokesperson on the subject of the Millennium Bug, and was invited to the offices of the Mail on Sunday to provide an exclusive story on the subject.