Goals and Strategy
This e-learning service provider needed a launch strategy that simultaneously reached business decision makers, small businesses and a targeted HR/Training audience. The financial strategy of Headlight was contingent on market awareness.
Tactics
- Target small business media and small businesses as prime opportunities
- Create branding, messaging and positioning for the company
- Position co-founders as experts on e-learning, a new and burgeoning Internet industry
- Formulate comprehensive launch plan including:
- Analyst press tour
- Pitches to top-tier business press
- Special attention for syndicated columnists
- Focus on HR and small biz press to support sales
Milestones
- LCI secured keynote speech for Headlight CEO Peter Mellen at London’s Creating and Launching Learning Portals
- Media placements in both top tier business press (Newsweek, Forbes) and more targeted small business pubs (Fortune Small Business, brandonhall.com)
- Audio News Release on attracting and retaining employees through online training yields over 2 million gross impressions
- Launch at Red Herring’s NDA conference was concurrent with syndicated features in the San Francisco Chronicle, CNNfn, and Jane Applegate’s syndicated column (more than 100 placements nationwide).
Results
- Newsweek
- Forbes
- The Los Angeles Times
- Fortune Small Business
- Small Business Computing and Communications
- Silicon Spin (TV)
- Audio News Release (2 million gross impressions)The Red Herring
- CNNfn
- The San Francisco Chronicle
- Access Magazine
- ITT Training
- Training Magazine
- InfoWorld
- Business 2.0
ROI
Although Headlight was late to market in relation to their crowded competitive field, they were consistently positioned along with the pioneers of the online training field. Headlight.com reached the right audience at each stage of its development. LCI was able to respond quickly to changes in corporate strategy with smart, strategic mini-campaigns that kept awareness levels high.