Winner: Salesforce.com
Salesforce.com launched with the definitive messaging of a scrappy upstart. Using the market-threatening tagline "The end of software," the on-demand, online software service provider made it clear that it was going after the established players.
This strategy worked so well, the company went public in 2004. After a successful IPO, Salesforce.com sensed the opportunity to remake itself from a market challenger to a market leader.
With a team of two, a decreasing budget across all marketing functions, and a competitive landscape, it would prove difficult. But Bruce Francis, VP of corporate communications, and Jane Hynes, director of PR, were up to the challenge.
Hynes and Francis eyed their objectives: shift the perceptions of consumers, the press, and partners from a feisty startup to a market leader; show how its software was being used by industry heavyweights; align the name Salesforce.com with on-demand computing; and increase its work with customer evangelists.
One of the first things the PR team did was focus on internal communications, by pooling employee resources and creating monthly marketing events. It also insisted the company keep new products and updates churning down the pipeline to live up to its message of constant innovation, and make sure that as many new clients as possible would allow the company to announce its new wins, keeping the media attention coming. The company adhered strictly to its "end of software" line, repeating it press conference after press conference. Internetnews.com called Salesforce. com "The MS Office Killer."
When it held an event announcing the signing of client Thomson Financial, 12 reporters attended and 22 news stories were written. Headlines from those articles, from outlets such as Business Week, Information Week, and Reuters, included "Salesforce.com: The Vision Gets Grander," and "New Salesforce.com Tool Links Online Apps." The company also partnered with AOR OutCast Communications to ensure placement in long-lead features, profiles, and industry analyses.
The highlights of the yearlong effort were the marketing events, called "mojo" launches. All included press conferences helmed by CEO Marc Benioff, customer panels, and luncheons and one-on-one interviews with Salesforce.com executives.
The results were cover stories in InformationWeek, NYSE, VARBusiness, InfoWorld, and Red Herring, 105 press releases in the first 10 months of 2005, five "mojo" launch events in 2005, and 17 product awards. Among those accolades were CIO's Ones to Watch, The Wired 40, eWEEK Excellence Award Finalist, and Start's Hottest Companies of 2005.
Honorable Mention: Applebee's
Applebee's made it through its first 14 years without an in-house PR staff, but didn't waste time in expanding after its first hire in 2002. Now, armed with five staff members, executive director Laurie Ellison wanted to make up for lost time. Applebee's goal was to create a simple PR program that everyone could follow, as well as hone its crisis communications policies and its internal website. The PR plan it decided on for objective one was a "World's Greatest Lovers" event that was enthusiastically embraced in 450 restaurants. Its crisis communications mettle was also tested when a complaint arose about a finger found at a restaurant. Applebee's was cautious about saying anything before all the facts were known, and the story quickly faded. The internal site was also a success, with usage increasing more than 50%.
Finalists:
Applebee's
LCEC
Office Depot
Salesforce.com
SAE International
Sponsor:
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide operates in 60 markets around the world. The firm specializes in seven practice areas, including healthcare, consumer marketing, public affairs, technology, entertainment, social marketing, and corporate. We are pleased to recognize the finalists in the award for the Small Corporate Communications Team of the Year.