Case Studies

Technology: Human Resources expertise

• 4th Contact, now part of the Star Technology Group, is the dominant provider of technology to communicate and manage employee benefits, which includes increasingly popular 'flexible benefits' schemes. By working with The PR Department, the company has helped itself become recognised as the technology leader and it knows that it receives strong business leads from its PR activity. The company has also been told by a PriceWaterhouseCooper's executive that it has a very high press profile. A strong relationship with each of the company's target media means that its name stays in the press, encouraging growth of the relatively young company. 4th Contact was acquired by the Star Technology Group in 2003. The PR Department now also works for Star Managed Services.

• Microsoft Business purchased Great Plains and PWA; the former was the UK's leading provider of human resources and payroll solutions, supporting more than 1500 organisations in 58 countries. The PR Department worked with the companies during their acquisition processes, ensuring that communications and messages were carefully and effectively executed. PR activity for the HR and payroll solutions worked at ground level − increasing company and product awareness and creating sales leads. In March 2000, PWA was acquired by Great Plains, the world leader in integrated back office and front office e-management solutions. In turn, Great Plains PWA was acquired by Microsoft in 2001.

• Futuremedia PLC is a dynamic NASDAQ listed e-learning company which sells its products and services to HR and training management throughout the UK. The company's new service, Learning For AllTM, works with the UK government's Home Computing Initiative, helping organisations provide all their employees with PCs to use at home. E-learning is a buzzing and fierce marketplace, so The PR Department promotes each of the company's services in order for it to become a recognised leader. The PR Department has worked with Futuremedia since 2000, creating and spreading news stories and writing articles for the UK HR, training and business media, as well as the national broadsheets.

Technology: Mobile, telematics and satellite communications expertise

• Motorola: case study to follow shortly

• UK business development and PR: Wayfinder Systems AB has launched its products in the UK with The PR Department business development wing. This division has 2 decades of experience in the mobile and telematics industries, with contacts in all the right places. Wayfinder is the world's only genuine mobile phone navigation tool and uses GPRS technology to find a location in seconds. This information is provided to users in their Symbian mobile phone giving them voice directions to their destination - it's truly amazing technology. The strength of The PR Department is such that Wayfinder has now asked it to publicise the launch to the media to create consumer pull. See also the consumer case studies page.

• European and worldwide PR: Next Destination/O'Gara Satellite Networks is a distribution company, specialising in Magellan GPS and O'Gara Inmarsat terminals. The campaign required press coverage firstly throughout Europe, but expanded worldwide after Next was purchased by NASDAQ-listed O'Gara. Next/O'Gara relies heavily on press relations to promote its range of products, and The PR Department achieved this in a variety of media - consumer press like men's, lifestyle and daily newspapers as well as trade magazines like marine, outdoor, forestry, mining and so forth. PR became so important to the company after 3 years of The PR Department's involvement, that a full-time specialist was hired to manage the the work. See Magellan also in the consumer case studies page.

Other technology customers include:

• Star Managed Services
• Pivotal Corporation, CRM
• CKS Security Software

Consumer case studies

Although The PR Department is richly experienced in technology markets, it is also fully skilled in promoting goods to consumers. We'll be more than happy to show you the results we achieve for these customers:

• Oscar + Dehn Ltd: Very lovely, successful and beneficial health and beauty and mother/baby care products
• Wayfinder Systems: (see business case studies for more information) Boy's toy gadgetry that's useful for everyone. Mobile phone mapping information
• Magellan GPS Systems: (see Next/O'Gara in technology case studies) PR was essential to create sales leads in the yachting and outdoor markets) and we love the boat shows - they are great experiences and fantastic for product pushes.
• Outback Mountainboard: This short campaign resulted in coverage in men's consumer, TV, radio and national broadsheet coverage. It was like a very large skate board and we fully captured the media's interest, catapulting interest from buyers.

New! We've just been selected to work on a large and long-term project to promote an electronic consumer product firstly in the UK, then to manage the US launch. It's currently top-secret and is due to be launched at the end of the summer. We were selected after pitching against a top London agency.

Automotive case studies

Using previous experience in the motorcycle industry, The PR Department has worked with BMW Motorcycles GB (Great Britain) to promote the brand within national and consumer press.

Crisis PR

We have also worked with Honda Motorcycles to manage and communicate a potential negative subject, turning it into a rider safety issue. The PR Department contained negative information carefully to ensure that all journalists were communicated with appropriately and that editorial coverage was published in a factual, interesting and positive way.

Business to Business customers

• Miller Freeman Exhibitions (previously Blenheim)
• Reed Exhibitions
• Area Sq, office interiors
• New! Foinavon, real estate development and consultancy
• Commercial Business Funding
• New! WorldChangeNLP