Campaign type
Media relations
Campaign title
Brand reputation management
Brief
Founded in 1886 Arthur D. Little (ADL) is the world's first management consultancy. Despite ADL’s global reputation for quality and integrity, having returned from the brink of bankruptcy the consultancy had to reaffirm its position in the marketplace, reassuring current and potential FTSE 1000 clients that it was still the same management consultancy, distinguished for its deep industry insight and technology expertise. With an overarching business objective to aggressively rebuild market share in its core practice areas, Say Communications was appointed to rebuild Arthur D. Little’s brand reputation within a 12 month period.
Solution
Say’s strategy was to reposition ADL as not merely another consultancy reporting on hot business issues but as visionary thought leaders, experts in strategy, innovation and technology producing world-class insight and real value for money. Say worked with the consultancy to identify the key market issue that would most resonate with today’s chief executive officers (CXOs) - sustainability in business.
Say began to build on the consultancy’s sustainability expertise co-producing a series of original reports offering business executives guidance - how best to address the growing environmental and CSR challenges facing contemporary multi-nationals. Rapidly, ADL’s expert spokespeople became highly respected and a constant source of comment to the tier one business reporters. ADL is now building reputation and respect as the management consultancy with a source of new, relevant and well-informed opinions on the hot sustainability topics of the day that business leaders were demanding to know about.
Result
ADL’s 12 month objective was achieved, Say’s PR drive was now positively impacting ADL’s new business pipeline, and leads were being generated in response to particular reports or comments published in the business press. Arthur D. Little’s Financial Times coverage alone for the last twelve months represents an equivalent advertising value of £577,008; giving an ROI of 862%.
Client verdict
“Such high impact results have generated a valuable momentum in re-building Arthur D. Little’s brand as an innovative and well-established management consultancy. Since 2006, the consultancy has enjoyed an average 20% annual growth and a new-found reputation for its excellent environmental and sustainability practices.” Arthur D. Little www.adlittle.com