Company Seeking Growth
Founded shortly before the technology market crashed in early 2001, this company was rolling out its first networking products well ahead of any market recovery. In this difficult environment, the privately-held company had to not only bring its products to market, but it also had to create enough brand awareness to support a series C fund-raising effort. Not an easy task at the time.
Strategy: Create an integrated PR and marketing program to establish the company as a thought leader in its space, and to elevate the company above the noise of the technology bust. Connect2 Communications principals created a robust strategy with the following elements:
- An analyst outreach program
- A customer champion program
- Media briefings/press releases
- Off-site demos at several major trade shows
- Bylined articles placed in leading publications
- Key speaking opportunities
Result: The plan was successfully executed, with numerous product and company accolades, a stack of positive press clippings and favorable analyst citations. The company also closed its $45M financing within the year.
Company in Transition
This company shifted the technology foundation of its enterprise telephony product from proprietary operating systems to an open source model. The company had to articulate the value of standards-based open source technology on business, economic and development levels.
Strategy: Create an integrated PR and market communications plan that enables the Connect2 Communications client to develop credibility and deliver its message prior to the product launch. This was accomplished by Connect2 Communications efforts to work with the client on creation of:
- Detailed landscape analysis
- Industry analyst champions program
- Media briefings/press releases
- General analyst interaction
- Trade show presence
- Blogs
- Contributed articles
- Speaking opportunities
- Updated Web site
- Value-based collaterals and whitepapers
Process: To keep all these activities consistent in terms of message, Connect2 Communications first created a corporate messaging playbook. Whether it was a matter of writing a press release, or speaking to an analyst, the company and Connect2 Communications spoke "with one voice."
Result: The company saw a ten-fold increase in leads after the program began. In the first year and a half of the program, Connect2 Communications placed 18 articles in leading trade and vertical market publications and secured 18 speaking opportunities for the company, including two keynotes at major industry conferences. The company was also the recipient of four industry awards.
Company in Crisis
Once a leading player in the technology bubble, this company had already booked more than $1B in contracts when the bubble burst in early 2001. It had created an exciting new optical networking technology and a positive industry view of its technology. When the market dropped, networking pundits decided that too much network capacity was already in place, a view that savaged the company's ongoing market plan.
Strategy: Connect2 Communications and its client had to quickly change these perceptions by promoting:
- A strong message that businesses still needed more network capacity
- Market statistics validating the message
- Statements from impartial sources on industry needs
- Forums to advance the message
Process: Connect2 Communications helped the client with developing a supportive message, finding appropriate statistics and cultivating sympathetic industry observers. Connect2 Communications also conceived and developed a "Showdown" debate at a major industry conference where industry luminaries discussed the network capacity issues.
Result: On a tidal wave of resulting press placements and favorable analyst reports, the company became the leading spokesperson for the industry's new-found realization that corporations were still in need of additional network bandwidth. Today, that company is recognized as an industry leader, and it is healthy and profitable.
A Company the Market Bypassed
This company spent so long bringing its telecommunications technology to market, its carrier customers had already decided on alternative solutions. The company went back to the drawing board, retooled its products, but emerged from this process as a little-known, "who cares" market entrant. With significant churn in its executive ranks, few partnerships and a market that had left them in the dust, the company had to quickly rebuild its image as a player.
The strategy driven by Connect2 Communications included:
- Full scale outreach to press and analysts
- Brand new message
- Revamped Web site
- New trade show booth and enhanced event participation
- Four major speaking opportunities within one key conference
Process: Connect2 Communications established the company as the thought leader in its space, highlighting the value of its products for carriers that were looking to differentiate their offerings as more than just a larger "pipe."
Result: With more than 25 major customers worldwide, the company has won several major awards for its products. The Connect2 Communications customer has secured 14 speaking opportunities and 11 contributed articles within 18 months.
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