D B C PR+ N ew Me dia
Technology Practice
Ideas matter. The blessing and the curse of technology is that it is forever changing. Companies need to develop strong brand positions without being stodgy. The end customer must know who you are and where you’ve been while trusting that you can take them where they need to go. Getting that message precise and delivering it in ever-evolving ways is where DBC PR+New Media comes in. Having bright ideas and the courage to follow them through makes the difference between forgettable marketing and communication campaigns that inspire action. At DBC, we understand the fast-pace of the technology industry, know how to stand out in a frenetic crowd and have deep relationships with relevant media so that we can get your company or product the recognition it deserves. Ultimately, we believe that technology is about helping people achieve more. At DBC, we will scour your brand until the human connection shines through and then tell your story with finesse. Oh, we have many, many ways to make that happen. That’s where those bright ideas come in handy. In other words: Ideas Matter. www.dbcpr.com
Smart.
Creative.
World-Class.
The soul of DBC is our team. Without their brains and dedication, none of this is possible. So we hire with intention and you reap the rewards.
It’s all about ideas. But not just any ideas—great ones. Creativity is only effective if it actually solves the problem. That’s why our brand of ingenuity is so useful; we may be thinking big, but we are always grounded in the real world.
We define world-class service as the point where Madison Avenue intersects with Main Street—combining highend creativity and exquisite execution. In our opinion, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
www.dbcpr.com
Smart.
Become the Standard
Bright minds bring great ideas to life. At DBC we look at your technology and its intended audience, then find the human story within.
iJET Travel Risk Management launched its Travel Intelligence® service in 2001. Seeking to raise awareness of the company and attract new clients, iJET turned to DBC for help building a positive media presence in key travel and security industry media. DBC identified publications read by corporate travel and security officers and initiated a detailed plan to bring iJET to their attention. We then introduced top reporters to iJET analysts available for expert commentary. In addition, DBC placed numerous articles bylined by iJET staff and created trade show speaking opportunities for iJET principals. The numbers speak for themselves. iJET’s media coverage grew nearly 900% from 26 total hits in 2001 to more than 230 in 2004. Today, inbound media requests rival outgoing pitches, demonstrating the strong relationships and quality expert analysis established between iJET, DBC and the media. Byline articles continue to appear, further securing iJET’s position as a thought leader in the industry. Media alone is not the whole story; iJET’s business has flourished as well. After launching in 2001 with just six clients, iJET Travel Intelligence grew to serve nearly 350 by the end of 2004, counting among its client base much of the Fortune 500.
IJET TR AV EL RISK M A N A G EME N T
Create an Industry BL A C K B O A RD
Blackboard came to us as a startup with little software, less money, and no real name for itself. It was February of 2000, and dot coms were popping up everywhere. Blackboard needed a story that would build credibility allowing its software to sell and prompting investors to invest. Initially Blackboard saw itself as an Internet company. DBC helped the company redefine itself as an education company—one that leveraged the power of the Internet, but wasn’t defined by it. As DBC molded the company message, it became clear that software wouldn’t be the drumbeat; instead Blackboard would anchor its story to teaching and learning. Instead of counting users, Blackboard would serve professors, students, teachers and learners. And messaging would forgo features to focus on telling the story of the student experience. By humanizing the Blackboard story, and positioning the business around education not technology, a dominant brand was born. Thousands of articles, speeches, blog posts, and homerun results later, Blackboard is the world’s largest course management system, an industry category that DBC and Blackboard set out to create and then dominate. Six years into their partnership with DBC, Blackboard premiered on the Nasdaq as a billion dollar public company (Nasdaq: BBBB). www.dbcpr.com
Creative. Technology is all about doing something different. Better. More streamlined. It’s about throwing away the rules and defining new possibilities. We are creative to prove that you are.
Turn a Boring Topic into the Talk of the Town A U DIT TR AIL: A PPR O VA
The Enron, WorldComm and Sarbanes-Oxley legislation were a burden to some, but meant a business boom for Approva Corporation, a software company that helps big companies meet even bigger compliance requirements. Approva had the right software, but the company lacked the pizzazz needed to spur conversations with customers and prospects. Frankly, the business was a yawner. Enter DBC ready to create new energy around a sleepy topic. To ignite the conversation we created the Audit Trail, the company’s sometimes irreverent but always relevant corporate blog. The blog’s approach to covering the fifth birthday of Sarbane-Oxley? A birthday party of course! The “Happy 5th Birthday to Sarbanes Oxley”® campaign featured a viral rock video from the slightly tone deaf “Singing CPA,”® not to mention a photo of Approva executives presenting former Congressman Michael Oxley with a birthday cake. Since its launch, Audit Trail has seen daily traffic spike to nearly 30,000 at its peak, and major sales have occurred as a direct result. We like the blog, but we’re not the only ones. Audit Trail racked up three national awards for online marketing excellence in 2007 alone. www.approva.net/audittrail
Bring Your Brand to Life MICR O S O F T
Microsoft has a problem. . . and an opportunity. More and more computer science students are opting for open source coding instead of Microsoft’s .NET standard. The company needs to connect with young computer scientists and convince them that MS-friendly coding is indeed fun and worthwhile. Enter the Microsoft Campus Connections bus tour. This mobile marketing tour crisscrossed the USA to share technology with the best college and university computer science departments in the country. Unfortunately, students weren’t lining up for sneak peaks at Windows Vista or educational seminars. DBC saw an opening and took it. We threw out the Vista box and added an X-box—and new energy—to the tour. We connected directly with student newspaper staff to create excitement over the arrival of an unexpectedly cool MS Tour, making every campus feel that being part of the campaign was a sign of respect from Bill Gates himself. Snapshot results: A stop at the University of Miami was met with full court press coverage both on campus and with the city’s TV, radio and newspaper outlets. For the first time on its journey, the bus was overrun with interested students and education sessions sold out. www.dbcpr.com
World-Class.
Demonstrate Leadership
There’s a difference between getting a job done and getting it done well. That’s where you’ll find DBC.
Horizon Wimba wanted to increase campus recognition and solidify its leadership position in the competitive education technology marketplace. Following a string of acquisitions and brand changes, they needed to arrive at a final brand posture that was strong, different, true and had staying power. Then they needed a major marketing push to deliver on aggressive sales goals. DBC got to work learning the business, getting to know the people, understanding the products and talking to their customers, prospects and users. Throughout the process we worked hand-inhand with the company to evolve the brand name to simply “Wimba” and round out the brand promise with a tagline that tells it like it is: “People teach people.” DBC accompanied this effort with a 12-month PR and New Media Campaign to take Wimba’s new brand to its customers. The heart of the plan was storytelling—uncovering the tales of real people who could demonstrate how Wimba technology helped them teach and learn. Sales are through the roof—nearly doubling, press hits are piled high and the company tagline has become an industry standard. DBC re-positioned the Wimba brand based on fundamental truths uncovered during our research about their business, the marketplace and education. The updated brand positions the company to lead the way in their industry.
W IMB A
Dominate the Media ME & ME BLO G: EUR O P ASSISTA N C E USA
Europ Assistance offers identity theft resolution and international travel and medical support to one in six Americans. In order to get in on the online conversation about identity theft, DBC created Me & Me, an industry-leading corporate blog that reflects Europ Assistance’s professional brand while incorporating the conversational tone of successful blogs. Operated like a news channel, Me & Me publishes editorial content that is written to reflect key themes and serves up daily doses of useful advice about identity theft. The results defied expectations. Europ Assistance credits Me & Me with increased sales and an undeniable leadership position in the industry. As more and more of their competitors scramble to catch up with blogs of their own, Europ Assistance’s worldwide blog traffic is growing stronger every day. www.meandmeblog.com www.dbcpr.com
D B C SERVIC ES Public Relations
New Media
Product Launches
Product Placement
• • • • • • • • • •
• Blog Design and Development • Blog Editorial Planning • Blog Promotion • Blogger Outreach • Blogger Training • Daily Blog Content Creation • Facebook Campaigns • Google AdWords/SEM • Interactive Design • Social Media Strategy
• Direct Mail Campaigns to Media • Media and/or Consumer Launch Events • Satellite Media Tours • Viral and Grassroots
• Award Show Gift Bags and Lounges • Celebrity Endorsements • Film and TV Product Integration
Media Events
• • • • • • • • •
Award Programs Brand Development Cause-Related Marketing Media Outreach Media Tours Media Training Messaging and Positioning Press Conferences Speaking Opportunities VNR and B-roll Development
• • • •
Editor Events Stunts Retail Store Openings Trade Show Management and Support
Copywriting
Biographies Case Studies Collateral Corporate Website Content Media Advisories Presentations Press Kits Press Releases Speeches
The DBC team welcomes the opportunity to learn more about your business goals and marketing objectives in order to determine if our experiences, capabilities and passion are a fit for your brand.
C O N TA C T:
Dan Baum, CEO DBC PR+New Media 1050 Thomas Jefferson St., Suite 300 * Washington, DC 20007 * 202.298.8044 * Dan@dbcpr.com www.dbcpr.com
Mission. We match dedicated professionals with exceptional clients to achieve enviable communications results. We deliver these results within an extraordinary customer service experience that balances true teamwork, inspired by creativity, hard-line analysis and flawless execution.
Promise. To treat your organization with the same respect as we treat our own.To make the right decisions and not necessarily the easy ones. To be good to our clients, ourselves, our families and our community. To listen with focus and purpose.
www.dbcpr.com