Case Studies: Insight In Action

Microsoft Bing launch
Agency: Waggener-Edstrom 

Analytics can help businesses focus their resources on the greatest potential impact. An example of this is how Bing leveraged WE’s Ripple Effect tool, which shows which top influencers had the biggest, most positive and longest lasting impact on a specific campaign. Ripple Effect measured the effectiveness of its communications strategy and the impact of a select group of influencers on the Bing launch, illustrating the impact of 20 key influencers in digital media channels — how those influencers created 120 original coverage pieces that were shared across online channels, and which influencers spread positive brand perceptions about Bing. Finally, the tool showed how that coverage engaged an additional 268 links and comments from online engagement, ultimately revealing the impact of key influencers and helping Bing evaluate how to adjust its communications strategy moving forward to increase positive perceptions.

HP Inkology
Agency: Porter-Novelli

HP wanted more people to buy its printer cartridges, rather than the cheaper generic versions that have become increasingly popular. Porter-Novelli began its work by listening closely to social media discussions about printer ink. The result is Inkology, a digital-fuelled content platform that has helped HP cartridges increase their consumer engagement, awareness and sales. Data analysis helped define two important elements in its success. First, by initially discovering that two specific cartridge types were of particular appeal to the audience in question, allowing content to be focused on these models. Second, by finding that distinct portions of the effort’s Facebook presence resonated best with different user communities, such as students and businesses - in turn enabling mid-campaign adjustments that eventually led to higher views and greater interaction.

Netgear ‘The move from big IT to smart IT’
Agency: Atomic PR

Netgear wanted to improve coverage, exposure and visibility across all markets, and grow SMB and mid-enterprise adoption of its networking, storage and security solutions. Atomic used its ComContext research to show that coverage for its market categories tended to be product news and reviews driven with a focus on speeds and feeds, and lacked dynamic market commentary or mainstream dialogue. The firm recommended a series of steps to broaden and invigorate coverage across its categories, in addition to developing an overarching theme to amplify and tie its efforts together - The move from Big IT to Smart IT. Results were strong, with coverage surging as Atomic managed to raise awareness and shift Netgear’s positioning from widespread associations of blue router boxes for the home, to the idea that the company is a world leader across a range of home entertainment products, “Smart IT” products for the mid-enterprise, and retail-tested solutions for Internet service providers.

Unisys Security Index & Consumerization of IT
Agency: Lewis PR

Unisys’ positioning as a provider of mission critical IT is not exactly unique in the B2B tech market, So Lewis PR determined that the company needed a more persuasive messaging approach. The firm integrated traditional PR tactics with new methods such as infographics and video to turn the company’s annual Security Index into coverage on Mashable and The Atlantic. Two months later, another survey - on the “consumerization of IT” - landed space on GigaOm, thanks to a data visualization that drove a Unisys blog and content platform.