Beyond the Bottom Line

In the aftermath of 911, contributions spilled in from individuals, organizations and a multitude of corporations. The recent devastation caused by hurricane Katrina, has once again spurred an outpouring of in kind and monetary support to help rebuild destroyed areas and to assist those in need. It's no secret that the paradigm that once governed the responsibility of social problems has shifted dramatically over the course of history. Corporations are now expected to step up to the plate to improve the quality of life for individuals, their local communities and society at large. In PR, this is often referred to as corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Today, a company's brand and reputation have grown intrinsically linked to corporate social responsibility. Corporations must now look beyond the financial bottom line and consider the social, political, and environmental impact of their business decisions. Corporations that fail to do so (the Enron's of the world) become media targets and struggle to build credibility with customers, investors, and employees.

In short, a CSR program that was once a "nice to have" is now a "must-have" for corporations. Companies that benefit others, in turn, benefit themselves.

- K.S.

ardell case study of the month:
“Analyst Day in the Big Apple: Dot Hill Taking a Bite of Storage"

Situation
Dot Hill, a longtime player in the storage industry, sought an opportunity to introduce its new messaging and product architecture to a group of industry and financial analysts and select press.  The company had never staged an event like this, but knew it was time to take a more aggressive approach to its marketing and PR activities in order to gain more credibility in the marketplace, build stronger relationships with key industry influencers and tout its recent successes. 

Solution

Ardell organized an “Analyst Day” event in early October in New York City.  The event was designed to bridge the gap between Dot Hill and key industry influencers both in the financial and industry analyst community.  At this venue, Dot Hill would unveil its new messaging and product architecture, talk about what the company has accomplished in 2005 and set the stage for what was to come in 2006. 

The goal of the event was not only to walk away with “news value” items about Dot Hill, but rather a real sense of who the company is, its position in the market and the overall personality and strengths of the executive team.  Analyst Day was an exercise in building relationships for Dot Hill and providing a face and voice to a company that had long been known as a fairly silent leader in the storage industry.

Additionally, Dot Hill invited Sun Microsystems, the company’s largest partner, to the event to speak about the long-standing relationship the two companies have fostered.  Sun provided color around Dot Hill’s engineering leadership, flexible business model and the return on investment it has received as a result of the strong partnership.  This session provided exclusive access to an industry leader and raw insight into how effective Dot Hill’s approach with OEM partners has been in the overall success of the company.

Results

• More than 35 attendees from leading industry and financial analyst firms and press outlets;
• Positive response from attendees saying they now have a greater understanding of who Dot Hill is;
• Pending standalone feature article in leading industry publication;
• Creation of solid relationships between industry influencers and Dot Hill executives;
• Increased visibility for Dot Hill amongst industry influencers, especially as it pertains to its OEM business model.