Case Studies
Appian
High impact branding hits the DoD bullseye
Situation
Jump to design samplesAppian, a software and professional services firm, is the original architect of the world's largest intranet portal, Army Knowledge Online (AKO) and a leading provider of real-time enterprise web solutions to the public and commercial sectors. In order to sustain its growth in the public and commercial sectors and to raise the company's status (both inside and outside the Beltway), Appian required a high impact campaign to increase visibility in a short amount of time.
Objectives
- Brand Appian as the architect of AKO.
- Increase visibility within public sector trade publications, particularly those focused on the Department of Defense (DoD).
- Generate leads within the Army, as well as the rest of the DoD/public sector, for new consulting engagements.
Tactics
Boscobel first conducted a Press Awareness Survey and Synopsis (PASS) — an exclusive service whereby the senior public relations staff “turns the tables” on the press — interviewing them on their knowledge of Appian and AKO. This led to Appian’s first coverage opportunity in Washington Technology, even before a contract had been signed.
Boscobel then built the foundation for a strong public relations infrastructure by creating a well-targeted media list and a systematic approach to placement of editorial calendar features.
The “kickoff” of the public relations campaign was an interactive demo of AKO at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. Reporters from both federal IT publications and DoD-focused publications attended the demonstration, which was conducted by Colonel Robert Coxe, the Army’s Chief Technology Officer. Appian provided technical support.
The visibility gained by this demo was intended to raise awareness of Appian both in the federal IT community as well as the media. Boscobel also leveraged its media contacts to help generate additional coverage for Appian aside from publications’ preplanned features.
Results
The Ft. Belvoir demo was a smashing success leading to headline coverage in National Defense, Federal Computer Week, The Washington Post, Potomac Tech Journal, SIGNAL, and the Washington Business Journal, just to name a few. The coverage equaled nearly $100,000 in advertising equivalency over a four-month period, with a circulation of more than 1.25 million.
Even more impressive, Appian generated more coverage in four months in its targeted DoD/military and federal IT publications than its top seven competitors combined.
These public relations achievements also helped cap a banner year for Appian, shown in the company’s 325-percent growth. Boscobel’s efforts were rewarded with an add-on contract to help further promote Appian’s successes, in addition to helping the company launch private sector solutions.
Design Samples
