Following a successful company "re-launch" and "new line of business launch" in 2003, Interland (now Web.com) underwent a corporate restructuring that streamlined the company and better allied it with selling premium offerings – web design and online sales and marketing solutions – through strategic partners. As part of the restructuring plan, Interland’s marketing organization was seeking to ensure PR efforts were carefully coordinated with other marketing tactics so the company benefited from the synergy of an integrated marketing team.
Solution
Charged with establishing a media footprint, cultivating customer champions and building credibility for Interland, Arketi architected and executed a PR program rich in tactics tied directly to each strategy.
To establish a media footprint for Interland, the team undertook a number of tactics, including: maintaining news flow, bylined article development, media outreach and editorial calendar pitching. The PR team remained in contact with the major industry analysts following the hosting and online services space and aggressively sought award opportunities. The PR team leveraged every opportunity possible to turn a happy customer into a "champion." To build thought leadership credibility, Arketi constructed a survey campaign that centered on the quarterly release of the Interland Business Barometer.
The PR team also worked very closely with the marketing department to
repurpose PR efforts to help support each other. Examples include a highly
successful educational webinar program, which was promoted through PR
efforts and used PR tactics such as customer case studies and Business
Barometer findings and customer stories the PR team pitched for media
placements that were developed into "site of the month" columns
for Interland’s customer newsletter, used in numerous marketing
vehicles to its current customers and through direct channels.
The result was an impressive PR program tightly integrated with and supporting
Interland’s marketing effort.
Results
Interland received extensive media coverage in its key publications. Through media placements in Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, USA Today, Investors Business Daily and others, the company reached an audience in excess of 95 million, earning a media ad equivalency value north of $1 million.
In addition, PR drove inbound sales calls, helped the company earn nine industry awards and succeeded in driving more attendance to educational webinars than the paid media promoting the events.
Kudos
Interland has won several awards for its marketing programs developed by Arketi Group:
 2005 |  2005 |
