The brief
US corporation CSC wanted to raise awareness of its healthcare solutions offering across the EMEA region, with a specific focus on the Nordics and Middle East. To increase the profile of its considerable healthcare credentials, CSC aimed to build on the company’s recognition as an industry authority and thought leader.
To achieve its objectives CSC EMEA appointed Highland Marketing, a specialist technology and healthcare communications agency to develop a new set of key messages to take to market, continue to profile the company’s key people and build a network of advocates, all of which supported CSC EMEA’s aim of growing its market share.
The campaign
Highland Marketing recommended an integrated communications strategy which combined PR, thought leadership, third party references, events, partner networking, and content generation for an EMEA website, all of which would generate maximum exposure for CSC EMEA and deliver return on investment for its marketing spend.
Before the campaign went live, work behind the scenes was being completed to help CSC demonstrate its awareness of key healthcare issues and challenges, in order to be seen as informed and relevant to each of its target markets across EMEA. Highland Marketing hosted an in-depth, hands-on workshop for key CSC EMEA personnel to provide insight for the development of key messages that would form the foundation of the campaign.
Highland Marketing’s next task was to ensure those key messages were promoted through multiple media channels. By managing CSC EMEA’s presence at two WoHIT events, Arab Health, HIMMS Europe, and HIMSS US, Highland Marketing was able to position the company as a world leader in providing interoperable, scalable IT healthcare solutions. Exhibition stands and marketing collateral were produced to attract delegates to discuss opportunities with the CSC EMEA sales team, whilst 23 media interviews were set up for key spokespeople. This helped build relationships with journalists, who were targeted for comment opportunities on major government or industry announcements later on in the campaign.
This type of proactive approach set the scene for the campaign. Angles for white papers and opinion articles were developed to drive CSC EMEA’s thought leadership effort, whilst creative thinking meant press releases with interesting and relevant angles for journalists could be fashioned, to compliment stories around contract wins, company appointments and product launches.
Results
Within the highly competitive health IT market, Highland Marketing delivered strategic recommendations which were executed with success across the course of the campaign. Results delivered included:
- development of messages and content generation (within corporate guidelines) for EMEA website
- media exposure across EMEA – 244 pieces of coverage over 16-month period
- 16 news releases drafted
- 23 media interviews set-up
- 8 thought leadership pieces drafted (including opinion articles, case studies and white papers)
- coverage achieved in eHealth Insider (now DigitalHealth.net), Healthcare IT Management, eHealth Europe, Budapest Business Journal, The Arab Hospital Magazine, ComputerWorld Norway, MedicExchange, Middle East Hospital, amongst others
- support at events including development of stands, collateral and PR support – for example HIMSS US, HIMSS Europe, HIMSS Middle East and Arab Health
- helping to establish the Client Advisory Council utilising HIMSS relationship.
CSC EMEA has always looked for an agency that specialises in healthcare IT but they are rare and typically not capable of following a global player geographically. Highland Marketing has an intimacy and understanding of the healthcare IT market, which is difficult to find and their willingness to expand territorial views beyond the UK really made them stand out.
Highland Marketing’s PR and marketing strategy for CSC EMEA has already resulted in more highly attended events, a better understanding of the media and improved feedback from our analysts about our market position. Highland Marketing’s results have matched and exceeded our expectations by improving awareness for our services on a continental scale,
including the Middle East.Dr Harald Deutsch, vice president, CSC Healthcare EMEA
