Digital & Social Media

Microsites Create Enormous Industry Influence #905

An international trade organization wanted to connect companies from its country with American firms to solidify business deals in emerging industrial markets, including renewable energy, desalination, biotechnology and transportation/infrastructure. The trade commission enlisted the assistance of Gibbs & Soell to create a comprehensive online network of niche microsites where prospective partners in very specific targeted industries could obtain industry-relevant information. In addition, G&S developed a member-focused e-communications campaign to help an international association of financial professionals improve member productivity and generate increased dialogue between established member leaders and the rest of the organization. 

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G&S developed a member-focused e-communications campaign to help an international association of financial professionals improve member productivity and generate increased dialogue between established member leaders and the rest of the organization. The program’s cornerstone is a blog that allows member leaders to post perspectives on important professional- or personal-development topics, which the entire membership base can view and offer feedback on. The blog has become one of the most popular pages on the company’s Web site, as members exchange valuable information and share ideas on an ongoing basis.

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To help a new division of an international wire and cable company maximize its success in the booming offshore, marine, oil and gas markets, G&S developed a multi-pronged strategy to deliver maximum results via highly-targeted channels. By developing consistent core messages, creating sales-critical tools, garnering awards at major industry events, generating favorable coverage, and reaching prospects with targeted e-communications, the agency helped the client enter the market on strong footing. The communications program helped the client achieve record orders, bolster its image among the top industry players, and successfully differentiate itself in a competitive marketplace.

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To help one of its manufacturing clients minimize mishandling of its heat-sensitive plastic resin throughout the supply chain, G&S organized two educational Web seminar sessions. Scheduled at times that allowed convenient participation from attendees in North America, Europe and Asia, the webinars included educational presentations by client representatives and concluded with an interactive Q&A session. Data and anecdotal feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with approximately 90 percent of attendees confirming that the webinar provided a better understanding of effective handling procedures.

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How do you develop and sustain a corporate culture? One client enlisted the help of G&S to provide educational materials for its employees on the company’s backbone mission – sustainability. To do so, G&S developed CD-Rom and web-based campuses structured for graduated learning. The purpose: to drive home, via top-level corporate messages, the company’s focus and commitment. Incorporating video, sound, pictures and animation brought the material to life. Each of three courses was divided into two chapters. Knowledge retention was measured with a quiz. This dynamic learning tool was utilized for both new employee orientation and existing employees’ educational enhancement.

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Every product fills a need or niche. For one G&S client, that need was a treatment for a particular feline disease. The problem: generating greater awareness of the disease and its need for treatment. As one component of a multi-faceted campaign, G&S developed an interactive web site targeting distinct audiences – veterinarians, breeders, shelter managers and consumers – to educate them about the disease’s dangers and the client’s product as a treatment of choice. The consumer site included a printout option for feline owners to take information back to their veterinarians, pulling the product through the marketing channel. A CD containing all web site versions was included in a comprehensive product launch kit distributed to more than 20,000 veterinarians across the United States. In the first three months following the sites’ launch, more than 20,000 veterinarians and 58,000 consumers visited.

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Training sales reps as well as retailers and distributors when a new product hits the pipeline became a pertinent issue for one G&S client. To do so with maximum efficiency, G&S created web-based training modules – each with a targeted focus: one targeting the retailer channel, one aimed at end-users and the final a more generalized version for the public. Each module, though focused towards a specified audience, covered four areas: product information, sound agronomic practices, application and safety. The modules’ interactive diagrams enhanced the participatory feel of the material’s presentation. Measurement indicates more than 4,000 site hits during the first two months.

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Newsletters are becoming a more common methodology for conveying key corporate and brand messages. However, to do so in print is both time-consuming and costly. G&S chose another route and opted for an internet-based newsletter for a client looking to reach a customer base that’s increasingly technologically savvy. University research served as the backbone of the material, making the newsletter both compelling and useful for the agricultural target audience. . The first issue had a 20 percent click-through rate to the newsletter web site, which was much higher than anticipated for its first at bat.

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An international association of financial services professionals sought a cost-effective way to increase active involvement among newer and younger members who would be future leaders, spark more frequent professional/personal development and create excitement at its annual meeting. G&S introduced an e-communications campaign that included a series of interactive, online Web seminars moderated by the organization’s Executive Committee members and led by prominent members. To date, each live event has been attended by more than 300 members – more than 60 percent of whom are younger than 50 years old – and another 100+ have viewed post-event archives.

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A major challenge for the sales team of a leading cabinet manufacturer was to maintain consistent contact with current and future builder customers, while not overwhelming them with “just another new brochure.” G&S was charged with creating a unique communications vehicle that would increase brand awareness among national builders, support new product introductions and position the company as a strategic partner by providing pertinent information that would positively affect the customer’s bottom line. G&S created an electronic newsletter packed full of design trends, industry buzz and company news. Making it available on the company website in easy-to-read PDF and HTML formats, encouraged customers to read and share the newsletter with colleagues. The nature of the newsletter, informational, not sales-y, helped position the company, and the sales team, as strategic partners knowledgeable about all aspects of the industry.

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As your business evolves, so too must your communications efforts. For one client, G&S revamped a corporate web site to give it a fresh, appealing new look and a more manageable interface. The new site was more intuitive, easily navigable, up-to-date, focused on customer-specific information, and consistent with strict branding guidelines. G&S created the new site map, composed content and managed the design process. This site has been ranked for four consecutive years as one of the 100 best business-to-business web sites by BtoB Magazine.

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With a client seeking more efficient and effective ways of reaching out to its customer base, G&S developed a comprehensive E-Newsletter aimed at the client’s citrus grower audience. Recognizing that this segment was increasingly computer savvy and dependent on technology for business purposes, electronic communications was deemed an effective route and one which paid dividends for the client. The newsletter, distributed three times per growing season, contained pertinent topics such as weed and disease management, and increasing grove production. The newsletter further provided links to additional information on the client’s web site and links to University web data.

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To support an environmentally oriented program for one of its clients and encourage more mainstream adoption of corn-based packaging polymers, G&S organized an online Web seminar moderated by the editor of a major industry trade publication. The webinar included presentations about the benefits of “green” packaging from a leading non-government organization and a customer, as well as an overview of the client’s new initiatives and milestones. The event drew more than 325 attendees, including numerous leading consumer brand companies, with nearly 70 percent indicating it provided them with a better understanding of green packaging. Within one month, 200 additional visitors viewed the event archive.

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