Client & Case Studies

The diversity of Weber Shandwick’s experience and expertise is reflected in the diversity of our client base. From aviation to automotive and travel and tourism to telco, we apply the same level of rigour, discipline and insight to every one of our client engagements – with a healthy dose of creative dust sprinkled in for good measure.

Each month, we provide a snapshot of a new client assignment that has helped to capture the imagination of those they seek to influence. And whilst modesty and confidentiality may mean that much of our work often stays under wraps, we are no less proud of what our team has done to bring great client stories to life.

Photo credit: Atilla1000

NAVTEQ: Drive with confidence

NAVTEQ / Technology

The challenge for many B2B technology companies is how to generate mainstream consumer and news media coverage that will in turn influence their target business audience. The premise is simple: if the end user prefers my brand then so too will my target audience who leverages my offering.

NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions. To continue to grow its local brand presence and create excitement for its newest innovation, Natural Guidance, Weber Shandwick worked with NAVTEQ to commission Galaxy Research to assess how stressed Australian drivers are on the road. The Australian Driver Stress Survey yielded compelling findings which allowed for the creation of provocative content in the form of The NAVTEQ Drive with Confidence campaign and created opportunities for NAVTEQ to discuss how it plays a crucial role in helping Aussies on the road.

Weber Shandwick developed a multi-pronged media strategy to maximise traction with tailored pitches across a number of key sectors a...

Hendrick's Gin: Refined Courtship Clinics

Hendrick’s Gin: Refined Courtship Clinics

William Grant & Sons / Consumer and Lifestyle

Wooing consumers

Objective:
To promote the arrival of the “delightfully peculiar” Hendrick’s Gin, singletons and couples were invited to attend Refined Courtship Clinics in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide. The Clinics offered etiquette tips on how to attract, or in Hendrick’s terms “woo” potential suitors. The campaign aimed to drive footfall to the Refined Courtship Clinics.

Opportunity:
To engage media and create public awareness, Weber Shandwick profiled the Hendrick’s Gin Brand Ambassador, who helped promote the unusual Clinics as a must-go-to destination, across print, broadcast and online outlets. Furthermore, to capture the attention of the typical Hendrick’s Gin drinker, the Sydney team created a wider story around the decline of etiquette and manners.

Outcome:
Weber Shandwick secured 61 pieces of media coverage, reaching over 3.1 million Australians, including a full page feature in Australia’s premier commuter newspaper in three st...

International Table Tennis Federation

International Table Tennis Federation / Consumer and Lifestyle

Background:
The Liebherr 2011 ITTF-Oceania Cup in Adelaide is the biggest event on the table tennis calendar in the Asia Pacific region, providing competitors with a route to the lucrative Liebherr World Cup.

Weber Shandwick was briefed by the International Table Tennis Federation to drive ticket sales for the Liebherr 2011 ITTF-Oceania Cup, extending the reach of table tennis beyond its traditional audience by driving positive coverage and ticket messaging across key print, online, radio and TV outlets.

Action:
Weber Shandwick created a two-week media programme that included the announcement of new sponsorship partners and leveraging key personalities involved in the event – the tournament ambassador, the players and coaches.

Business outcome:
Media coverage reached over 2.2 million Australians, highlights included a ‘live’ cross on a national TV station, two major interviews in local print media and several TV interviews on local news channels.

The team also coordinate...

Forbes Global CEO Conference

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The key objective was to manage the media profile of the world’s most prestigious conference for business leaders, hosted by Forbes Magazine.

Held in Sydney in September 2010 over three days, the Forbes Global CEO Conference brought together more than 400 CEOs, business owners, entrepreneurs and thought leaders to discuss the future of the global economy. Attracting national and global media attention, this large-scale event required two months of meticulous planning to ensure the smooth management of one of the most notable gatherings of corporate and government leaders. Central to Weber Shandwick's strategic approach was the definition of a clear set of industry and economic messages designed to cut through the multitude of concerns dominating the media environment in late 2010. Forbes tasked Weber Shandwick with ensuring these messages were clearly heard during a time of international uncertainty and risk.

Working closely with Forbes, the New South Wales Premier's office and other leading organisations, Weber Shandwick manage...

Eliminate Dengue

University of QLD / Health and Wellness

University of Queensland’s ‘Eliminate Dengue’ Project
Background
The ‘Eliminate Dengue’ project is responsible for the development of a new biological approach for the control of dengue fever. The approach involves introducing strains of a bacterium called Wolbachia into the mosquito population, effectively blocking virus transmission. The project is funded by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health as part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s ‘Grand Challenges in Global Health’ initiative.
In January 2010, Weber Shandwick was engaged by the University of Queensland to prepare the media, Cairns community and key national stakeholders for the first field trial in two Cairns suburbs in January 2011. Community support was vital for the groundbreaking trial as infected mosquitoes would be released into backyards and around community buildings.

Implementation
Stakeholder Mapping

Coupled with comprehensive desktop research, Weber Shandwick hosted a stakeholder mapping s...

Netgear

NETGEAR / Technology

Increasing brand visibility
NETGEAR’s solutions spanned a wide range of customers and end users, requiring the company to communicate its “Smart IT” value proposition to multiple audiences. Channel and retail partners were becoming increasingly important and needed to be communicated to directly alongside end-users. In addition to demonstrating its solutions capabilities, NETGEAR needed to showcase that its products were indeed best-in-class and could stand out in a saturated marketplace that was driven by price and not necessarily value.

NETGEAR recognised that a diverse end user audience meant a diverse public relations program that showcased products and company expertise with the underlying “Smart IT” message. Weber Shandwick worked with NETGEAR to develop a targeted PR program that would reach the wide range of their customer base including general consumers, small-medium businesses, mid-enterprise IT managers and retail and channel partners. Instead of relying solely on new products and company news, the team developed a strat...