Results

Every organization is unique, but a strategic approach to communications can unlock value, drive growth, and build long-lasting relationships. Here are a few of our results.

Giving a small firm big presence

A local investment management firm wanted to distinguish itself among larger advisors to maintain its asset base. But the market for investment management was at an all-time low following the 2008 recession. While double-digit returns in the stock market had been common for a decade, suddenly retirement-age consumers saw their savings eroding.

Our analysis showed that while competing banks, brokerage firms and insurance brokers offered off-the-shelf products, few offered objective perspective focused on the client’s needs. We developed a campaign to promote the firm’s independent advice and personal service through an updated brand, a new web site that focused on client interests and an advertising campaign that featured the firm’s straightforward, client-centered approach to investing. We streamlined the investment review process to capture proven methods and focus more attention on client needs, which in turn built dialog and trust.

Giving a regional firm national clout

A turnaround consulting firm serving banks and investors wanted a larger share of the market but found itself unknown outside the Northeast. As competition increased, the firm needed to demonstrate it had the capabilities to compete for large accounts.

We began by identifying the firm’s key customers and the qualities they looked for in a turnaround firm, and what information they found most credible when choosing a consultant. We analyzed competitor marketing materials. We also looked at the firm’s marketing and sales communications and found they were missing an opportunity to promote the firm’s deep bench strength.

We developed an integrated business-to-business campaign to build awareness of the firm’s unique approach to turnaround consulting among prospective clients. An optimized and redesigned web site focused squarely on client priorities. Print advertising in the financial press branded the firm’s unique approach to turnaround management. A thought leadership campaign targeting the financial community drove inbound links to the company’s website from leading financial sites and enhanced the firm’s credibility.

The campaign allowed the company to compete with larger firms on A-level engagements and provided a platform for its eventual merger with a leading competitor. Equally important, it involved more of the firm’s consultants in the firm’s leadership, which developed a cadre of new managers.

Winning support for strategic change

A multi-national consumer products and health care manufacturer needed a global information management platform to leverage data across the company and meet customer needs. While managers believed information management was useful, top management saw it as a strategic necessity. But as a decentralized company, more than 100 operating unit managers were skeptical of a costly corporate initiative. To win their approval, we needed to demonstrate the project’s value to their business.

Our first step was to assess management attitudes and test the messages that would form the basis of the information campaign. Using interviews and online surveys, we gathered information about management perceptions of the IT function relative to their business and the obstacles that might make adoption difficult. Taking this initial sounding allowed us to align our messages with management concerns and directly address misconceptions.

Knowing that a corporate, top-down directive would not be effective or sustainable, we developed a phased communications program to build awareness, enlist advocates and convince managers.

With these insights in hand, we launched a broad-based and sustained communications effort to build support for the program. We shared external trends with employees to underscore the need for change. We celebrated the best practices of early adopters and customers to make the business case for the investment and build momentum. And we used every internal channel – from operations reviews to the company’s Intranet to video news updates – to raise awareness and excitement for the program.

The 3-month campaign won the unanimous support of all unit executives and enabled the company to support its continued growth with a world-class information management function.

Reducing costs and improving customer service

A health insurer’s customer service operation was struggling to stay abreast of changing company policies across multiple product lines. We were asked to analyze internal communications and recommend a more effective flow of information.

Our analysis showed that the sheer volume of information had overloaded the system’s ability to distinguish between communications that were important versus routine. Too many people in the chain of command passed along non-critical information. Managers needed to direct information to the right people but weren’t given incentives to act as gatekeepers.

We identified the information and communications channels employees found most credible and recommended a streamlined internal communications structure to deliver timely, critical information. Our recommendations allowed the company to reduce costs and make customer service more timely and relevant.

From reorganization to resurgence

A diversified manufacturer in the midst of an aggressive reorganization needed to convince analysts and business partners that it had a strategy for success. Over the course of two years, the company had sold and acquired more than two dozen disparate businesses. For analysts, employees and business partners, the process was confusing and did little to explain how the effort would drive growth.

Our repositioning strategy shifted the focus from holding company to world-class manufacturer. Driving a consistent message through all corporate communications – from the annual report to analyst presentations to employee communications – gave stakeholders perspective on the company’s strategy and explained how each new transaction positioned the company for growth. Co-branded marketing materials allowed operating units to leverage the corporate name in their marketing efforts.