Positioning
Ensuring that our clients, and their products and services, are positively perceived relative to their competitors is at the heart of our positioning process. Working with our clients we develop and define messaging that underscores the desired market position. This often, but not always, revolves around points of competitive differentiation and uniqueness. Our positioning process is designed to help our clients’ value propositions ascend in the minds of their target customers.
Launches
From press conferences to big events to media tours – we’ve managed hundreds of launches. Launching new products, new categories, new companies, and new concepts has been at the core of this agency for more than 25 years. Our launch process begins with setting specific launch objectives, supported by market research and positioning to determine launch significance and the scale and scope of our program. Next comes the creative element; deciding how and why a launch will be covered. This is followed by a detailed project management process that ensures all launch elements, players and partners are on board, on schedule, and on budget. Then comes a game day – the launch itself. Once launched, we evaluate and review results against our objectives.
Reviews & Awards
When you’re selling a product or service, there is nothing better than a great review of that product or service in a medium that’s important to your target customer. Conversely, there’s nothing worse than a bad review in that same place. This is why we take reviews extremely seriously. We don’t have an exact count, but we are confident that we’ve generated more than two thousand reviews for our clients. We understand the process, know many of the tech reviewers very well, and know how to manage the review process. Maybe that’s why our clients get so many awards?
Events & Activations
At some point, we work with most of our clients to develop and manage events designed to attract attention and generate awareness. From large to small, and from calm to crazy, pulling off a successful event requires an experienced team of professionals – often augmented by a range of outside specialists – who get things done on time, on budget. Key event skillsets we provide include:
Project management
Celebrity participation
Broadcasting and streaming
Intra-agency coordination
Trade show integration
Press conference management
Media Relations
Walt & Company’s ability to consistently generate impressive results rests in large part on our strong relationships with journalists, bloggers, analysts, and influencers that cover and impact our clients’ businesses. At the core of this capability is a strong technical base combined with an in-depth understanding of news media and social media operations and priorities. Our teams of responsive, intelligent, deadline-sensitive professionals take great pride in the positive awareness generated for our clients. We employ a variety of proven strategies to reach and influence these individuals on behalf of our clients that include:
Multi-Level Media Relations
Industry Analyst Relations
Financial Analyst Relations
Blogger Relations
Product Review Programs
Media Briefings/Tours
Special Events
Analyst Relations
Tech companies often engage Walt & Company because of our experience working with industry analysts. We tailor programs that ensure key analysts understand our clients’ offerings and market strategies, and that they are accurately covered and positioned in important reports, grids and benchmark industry research. Industry analyst relations activities include:
arranging individual and group analyst briefing
developing analyst presentations and talking points
providing executive training for analyst presentations
integrating analyst insight in client press materials
leveraging analyst participation in client media relations
securing analyst involvement in internal client meetings
generating customer research and market analysis
identifying and building relationships with new analysts and firms
Branding
Over time, little is more important to a business than the reputation of its brand. Strategically aligned, high-impact PR and engaging social media are powerful channels to build brand awareness and reinforce brand attributes. Walt & Company works closely with many of its clients to develop brand strategies and integrate brand messaging into a wide range of programs. We help our clients:
Articulate brand messaging
Train spokespersons on brand message delivery
Generate brand-focused media coverage
Develop brand usage guidelines
Drive integrated marketing brand activities
Executive Speaking
All of our clients want to speak directly to gatherings of potential customers and market influencers, and we make that happen. We do it by understanding who’s in the audience and what they want to hear. The job begins with identifying relevant, timely and interesting topics; crafting compelling abstracts; and targeting the right forums at the right time. Once secured, we work with clients to develop content, craft presentations and rehearse.
Media Training
Some execs and product spokespeople are naturals. They’re comfortable, confident, articulate and charismatic. And some…actually most…are not. And that’s why we train them. We provide media training that simulates interview situations, helps spokespeople deliver key messages, and most importantly, gives them the tools to ensure that the result, whether broadcast, online or print, will be accurate. Our media training focuses on:
What motivates the media
How the media works
Message delivery techniques
How to be quotable
What’s “off the record” – Nothing
Interview Do’s and Don’ts
How to handle difficult questions
How to handle difficult journalists
