Client Success Stories

By Henry Stimpson

Aon Management Institute

Rebecca Shafer Bruce, president of this management-consulting firm, approached us with a problem. She was doing most of the firm's marketing by speaking before industry groups. She wanted to limit speaking to a few premier engagements a year because preparation was so time-consuming. Instead, she wanted to market through the media. Rebecca already had some success in obtaining media coverage, but she wanted a lot more ongoing "ink."

We followed several paths.

We ghostwrote, edited and placed many articles for Rebecca and other executives at Aon. This goes to the heart of our first task: helping our clients convey their ideas as powerfully as possible. Articles by Rebecca and other Aon executives appeared in The New York Times, Corporate Cashflow, National Underwriter, Risk Management, Risk & Insurance, Best's Review and many other trade and professional magazines.

We also conducted an extensive, ongoing media relations campaign by personally contacting key reporters and issuing news releases. This resulted in extensive media coverage for AMI's consulting services, publications and "Comp Camp."

A case history detailing work with AMI's prize client, Continental Airlines, was very fruitful. We interviewed Continental's risk manager and Aon specialists to get the full story of how AMI and Continental teamed up to reduce on-the-ground accidents and cut workers' comp claims. The article ran in full in Risk & Insurance and gained in feature coverage in several other leading publications, including Industry Week.

Extensive news media coverage brought recognition for Rebecca Bruce and Aon as the leading consultants for reengineering the workplace. Its thick sheaf of media clippings became AMI's primary credibility-builder when presenting to new clients.

Allenbrook

When this provider of insurance software retained us, it had little visibility in the industry, and its marketing materials were rudimentary. Working closely with the company's new marketing director, Massood Abolfazli, Stimpson Communications ran a full-fledged PR and marketing communications program.

Besides boosting the firm's recognition with extensive publicity in the insurance trades, we also wrote the copy for the information-packed corporate brochure and created many customer case histories, which were used extensively in direct marketing. Today, we're working with Massood at his new company, AscendantOne.

Atlantic Capital Management

William C. Newell, Certified Financial Planner and president, attracted new clients by holding free investment seminars evenings and weekends. The seminars worked, but were a huge drain on his time. He wanted to deploy more time-effective marketing strategies and also reach a wider audience.

We targeted investors both locally and nationally. To reach the latter, we presented Bill and his ideas to personal-finance writers at leading national publications. As a result, Bill has been quoted extensively as a financial expert in media like Forbes, Associated Press, Financial Planning, USA Today, Mutual Funds magazine and more.

We also arranged from Bill to have a monthly column in both his local newspaper and a medium-sized regional newspaper. This regular, monthly exposure has proved invaluable for him, giving him visibility and credibility. We also wrote direct mail-letters for Bill's firm and wrote and designed an attractive one-page profile that has become part of Atlantic's marketing kit. The firm has experienced steady growth, and Bill now has more time for his personal interests.

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

Guardian, a Fortune 500 member and one of America's largest life and health insurers, had no media relations program when we started working with it. We developed basic press materials and started an outreach program to both the consumer and trade media, stressing the financial issues facing families and small businesses.

This resulted in major, feature news coverage highlighting the company's financial strength at a time when most other insurers were struggling. During the nine years it was our client (1990-98), Guardian received ongoing coverage in all the major print media plus trade publications serving insurance agents and financial professionals. These years were also a period of major sales growth for the company.

North Bridge Advisors, Inc.

Jerry Vigneron, managing director of this consulting firm, which helps banks acquire and manage insurance agencies, wanted to ramp up his marketing fast. He needed both exposure in the trade press and basic marketing materials.

We interviewed Jerry and ghostwrote articles for him on the challenges bankers face in insurance. We then used the ideas in the articles as the basis for Jerry's capabilities pamphlet, Web site and slide presentation at bankers' conferences.

Jerry's articles have appeared in U.S. Banker, Banker & Tradesman and other leading trades, bringing him new several clients. His presentation at bankers' conferences has produced substantial new-business opportunities.

Most recently, we created a new logo for North Bridge Advisors and redesigned its Web site.

The fledgling company is on its way to growth and success.


Henry Stimpson is president of Stimpson Communications in Wayland, Mass., a public relations firm specializing in professional services. Contact him at 508-647-0705 or Henry [at] StimpsonCommunications.com