Don't make baseline programs an afterthought.
Even the most forward-thinking communications strategies include classic PR fundamentals. Horn Group applies fresh thinking to these baseline programs, whether it's to generate exposure outside the US, court the industry analysts, cultivate customer advocates, or build visibility through speaking and events.
Global PR – The Oriella PR Network
Horn Group founded theOriella PR Networkwith our partnerBrands2Lifein 2006 to provide global PR support to international companies. Oriella is an alliance of 15 communications agencies in 20 countries around the world. Our partnership was built upona set of best practicesand close working relationships not offered by other global networks. Partners in the Oriella PR Network have worked successfully on dozens ofclient projects- in some case for many years.Oriella partnersexist in major and secondary markets throughout The Americas, Europe and Asia/Pacific.
Many companies recognize the benefits of working with the best local agencies and prefer not to be tied to the limitations of a multi-national firm. But local boutique agencies often have difficulty scaling to provide clients a common standard of service and results on a multi-national basis. The Oriella PR Network was built to preserve the agile and responsive trademarks of boutique agencies while still providing the infrastructure of a larger network when the need arises.
Customer Programs
The only way to truly substantiate product claims is through the voice of real customer. A customer reference can make or break a company's ability to take their results to the next level. As references are more difficult than ever to secure for small and large companies alike, we draw on experience running dozens of programs to provide counsel to our clients. We work together to develop a customer program that will support marketing objectives, but that will also be effective within the limitations of a client's organization. This can mean leveraging our contacts and expertise with Fortune 500 PR departments to secure a home-run quote for a press release; developing incentive programs and supporting materials to entice and educate customers on the reference process; identifying a handful of smaller customers with a good story that will be on-call for the media; or pairing a one-time media reference with the right publication for maximum impact.
Analyst Relations
We have a long history with the analyst community – we’ve run analyst programs for almost all of our clients, represented some of the top analyst firms themselves, and subscribed to the services of the top influencers. Being on "both sides of the fence" has given us a deep understanding of each firm's focus and direction. Consistent communication is important for maintaining a healthy relationship with the analysts. As such, we handle programs in three ways: managing the entire program, sharing the program with client contacts, or providing counsel on internally-run programs.
Speakers Bureau
Industry visibility, product awareness, networking and sales leads, executive thought-leadership: these are just a few outcomes of an executive speaker bureau. But an invitation to speak at an event is not an opportunity for a one-way presentation. This is the age of Conference 2.0 where the audience has influence equal to the presenters and moderators. Horn Group coaches clients on developing a commanding presence, preparing for panel moderation or participation, and what to expect from audience participation and immediate feedback (even microblogging).
In addition to the most current event databases and in-house research, we bring a wealth of contacts with conference coordinators and event managers to secure high-profile placements for both large public and small private companies.
After building a targeted list, Horn Group works with event contacts to develop original presentation topics with the best chance of fitting into each event's agenda. More and more often, we prepare video abstracts in our video production studio that stand out from the masses. We draw on relationships with executives, customers, board members and other industry influencers to increase visibility with event decision-makers. Once a speaking slot has been secured, we act as a liaison to manage deadlines and logistics. We work closely with speakers to shape and refine presentation materials, prep speakers, and manage onsite follow-up.
Events & Trade Shows
While Horn Group often discourages clients from conducting events just for "sizzle," there are several events that have a time and a place in a company's lifecycle. Events are often included as part of a larger thought leadership campaign. We have experience managing events from multi-country product launches and high profile press conferences to more intimate round table dinners and trade show hospitality receptions. The agency also hosts its own series of industry dinners to provide clients direct access to our powerful network of contacts. Once per quarter we invite client executives to mingle with business press, potential partners and industry influencers.
