Client Situation
24/7 Media formed in December 1997, as the result of a merger between three new media advertising leaders with a mission of becoming the preeminent global provider of interactive marketing solutions and services. Following the merger, 24/7 Media solidified its executive management team, doubled its sales force, and made a series of strategic acquisitions. In addition, the company formed important strategic alliances, while continuing to add a steady stream of high profile Web sites to its networks. In August 1999, the company completed a successful initial public offering just prior to a market lull. Additionally, in January 1999, 24/7 Media began its global expansion that has since taken it into Europe, Asia and Latin America.
From day one, 24/7 Media faced a major competitive battle as they challenged market goliath DoubleClick and what would become a landscape driven by consolidation and privacy speculations.
Strategy
24/7 Media and Connors Communications joined forces immediately before the merger to define the company's positioning and core messages in order to establish a distinct corporate identity for the company and clearly differentiate it from its competitors. Through focused media relation activities (press and analyst tours, frequent press releases, print and TV interviews), Connors raised 24/7 Media's profile among key media and analysts and secured consistent coverage of company news in key ad/marketing trades and business media outlets. In addition, Connors helped to establish CEO David Moore as the "voice" of the company and a "player" in the industry by securing his inclusion in industry articles and the Who's Who sections of industry news Web sites, such as The Industry Standard, and by arranging Q&A profile interviews, high-profile speaking engagements and/or participation at key industry trade shows and conferences.
Year one of Connors' public relations efforts focused on creating a solid foundation of awareness of 24/7 among key media and analysts and firmly establishing the company within the advertising/marketing and Internet communities. Having achieved that goal, in year two Connors took PR initiatives to a more extensive level designed to secure "blanket coverage" of the company -- helping the company develop an even stronger brand identity, reinforcing its position as a leading Internet marketing powerhouse, further positioning company executives as media experts on the development of effective online advertising sales and strategies, and extending beyond trade-focused initiatives to generate broader consumer awareness of the company in 1999.
Program Goals
- Develop a strong, distinct corporate brand identity for 24/7 Media
- Increase awareness of the company and the value of online ad networks among advertising, marketing and Internet industry professionals
- Establish 24/7 Media as the leader in providing one-to-one marketing solutions to advertisers and Web sites
Results
Connors elevated 24/7 Media to the forefront of the interactive marketing space, helping to drive a successful launch and IPO and maintain a leadership position in a fiercely competitive battle.
Connors secured coverage of 24/7 in all of its target business media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC's "Power Lunch" and "Squawk Box," CNNfn's "Digital Jam" and "Business Unusual," Red Herring and Upside; ad/marketing trades including Advertising Age, Adweek and DM News/iMarketing News; interactive trades including The Industry Standard, Inter@ctive Week and Internet World; influential trade newsletters/Web sites including Iconocast, ChannelSeven.com, ClickZ; Silicon Alley publications such as Silicon Alley Reporter and @NY, and leading online news and investor sites including Bloomberg, Dow Jones, The Street.com, Red Herring Online, CMP's TechWeb and ZD Interactive Investor. Connors also conducted a successful post-IPO media tour for 24/7 Media, arranging more than 30 appointments with analysts and media and garnering significant coverage coming out of the company's quiet period.
Connors also secured keynote-speaking opportunities for David Moore at the Adweek Forum at Fall Internet World and at Ad:Tech West, panelist opportunities at consecutive Jupiter Online Advertising conferences and participation in the exclusive P&G FastForum summit in August 1999.
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