PR, Thought Leadership and Marketing Case Study for Maritime Industry

Challenge

McMurdo Group, a division of Orolia, an emergency readiness and response products and solutions provider, has been supporting government agencies and military organizations around the world for more than 35 years. The company has manufactured more than 25 percent of the world’s 1.2 million registered emergency distress beacons. It has also built and installed nearly half of the world’s Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue (MEOSAR)-capable satellite ground stations. Yet McMurdo did not have the brand recognition it desired in the aerospace, defense and government sector. With satellite search and rescue (SAR) technology on the cusp of the biggest changes since the Cospas-Sarsat global SAR system became fully functional in the early 1980s, McMurdo executives recognized a need to promote the company’s accomplishments and capabilities to government and defense organizations.

Solution

Boscobel initiated a Public Relations, Thought Leadership and Marketing/Sales Support program designed to highlight McMurdo’s expertise, ingenuity and past performance. We focused on:

• Press Coverage in Targeted Media: Through contract win and milestone press releases, media advisories for thought leadership presentations and executive interviews with prominent ADG media outlets
• Industry Awards: To provide third-party endorsement of McMurdo products and expertise
• Contributed Articles and Blogs: That educate customers about industry developments such as the global MEOSAR satellite rollout, early MEOSAR successes and innovations forged to incorporate the impending changes
• Sales Tools and Company Boilerplates: Updating sales presentations, social media profiles, website keywords and company descriptions to better reflect the company’s ADG expertise and fit
• Event Support: Including press outreach and on-site support for the industry’s first-of-its-kind awards ceremony to celebrate the people, teams and technologies behind successful search and rescue missions

Our government and defense PR program for McMurdo was designed to deliver an integrated mix of news and milestones across the press, company website, industry events and social media. We wanted more customers to know about how McMurdo solutions help to prevent emergencies, protect government and military assets as well as save lives – more than 40,000 since 1982.

Results

In just the first four months, McMurdo appeared in more than 35 news articles – averaging more than two media hits each week! Senior leaders and other thought leaders at McMurdo appeared in aerospace, defense and government media outlets covering industry developments, contract wins and other company news. Washington Technology, Government Security News, National Defense, Intelligent Aerospace, Army Technology, Defense World, American Security Today and GPS World are just some of the publications that published McMurdo news. American Security Today also honored McMurdo with an ASTOR Homeland Security Award, recognizing the lifesaving value of company’s emergency distress beacons.

Boscobel’s PR and Thought Leadership program for McMurdo reached nearly 5 million readers, the equivalent of more than $400,000 in advertising spend, for a fraction of the cost. Boscobel was successful in elevating McMurdo’s profile in the ADG sector as well as supporting the company’s business development efforts, as McMurdo hit milestone sales for its MEOSAR solutions at the end of our first four months together.