2020 has been unprecedented (in fact this was one of the most commonly used words to describe 2020 according to Thesaurus.com and Dictionary.com). While we collectively gathered and adapted, The Harbinger Group (THG) continued providing top-tier executive counsel in marketing and communications to our clients.
Our greatest talents lie in helping our clients tell their stories. Many were affected this year by the larger issues and trends playing out across the globe – the pandemic, economic impacts and/or politics – but we drew on our thought leadership expertise to differentiate and accentuate each client’s authentic message.
It is the highlight of our year to look at the extraordinary client stories we shared in 2020:
Executive leadership and transition
We’re honored to have had the opportunity to help First Command plan for and navigate the communications side of a successful leadership transition. Working closely with their executive leadership team, THG architected a strategy and plan to raise the external visibility of newly appointed CEO Mark Steffe. Our approach identified Steffe’s personal brand pillars and defined his leadership story, including the qualities that set him apart as a leader in the financial services sector. As we head into 2021, we’re excited to continue to build upon our work and activate on the very best opportunities that will elevate this exceptional new leader!
Supporting safe return to work and generating leads
We focused our advocacy work with Powering Chicago, a partnership between IBEW Local 134 and ECA Chicago which provides better construction, careers and communities in the City of Chicago and suburban Cook County, on generating awareness of resources about safely returning to work. We developed a multi-dimensional campaign for Powering Chicago called The Contactless Office that included a variety of content to drive interest and engagement, including an anchor piece – an eBook – as well as a landing page, animated video, infographic, blog posts and bylined articles. We supported lead generation through an online ad campaign and a series of sponsored webinars geared toward building owners and managers. An earned media push accompanied all of this, resulting in coverage in trade publications and the Chicago Sun-Times. The result? More than 40 quality leads at a time when the construction industry has slowed down considerably due to the pandemic.
Sharing extraordinary stories of excellence in education
Helping to share the stories of the annual Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership has been a highlight for us over the past five years. Due to COVID-19 and school building closures across the state, we were faced with the difficult challenge of pulling off the Golden Apple Awards surprise visits in a very different way this year. We quickly pivoted from the standard in-person surprises for educators at their schools to coordinating socially distant parades and video “meeting” surprises. While the presentation was different, the results were our best yet. We secured 208 earned media placements (a 100% increase over 2019) and more than 75,000 engagements on social media (a 50%+ increase over 2019).
Our work on behalf of Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Leadership was honored in PR Daily’s Nonprofit PR Awards, celebrating THG’s long-term commitment to giving back and helping cultivate leadership in the not-for-profit sector.
Increasing Brand Exposure
For more than a decade, we’ve provided strategic communications and media relations counsel to private equity firm GTCR. By highlighting the firm’s success in pioneering The Leaders Strategy(TM) – partnering with exceptional management leaders to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth – we shared GTCR’s story through media relations, speaking opportunities, leadership events and award recognition. As GTCR continued aggressive deal making in 2020, the THG team excelled by securing an average of 17 media hits per announcement, maintained an impressive share of voice among key competitors, and showcased the firm’s expertise through award recognition.
Building on client referrals in the healthcare sector
As part of our work with GTCR, the team has announced multiple deals involving one of the private equity firm’s portfolio companies, RevSpring, a leading provider of healthcare financial engagement and payment solutions. As a result of THG’s track record of good work with GTCR and the success of these announcements, this summer RevSpring developed a comprehensive earned media strategy. THG conducted an in-depth research and planning process to gain more insights about RevSpring’s target healthcare and fintech/payments industries and recommended messaging and positioning for the company. This work included a competitive analysis of traditional media, websites and social media, conversations with RevSpring leadership, and identification of key differentiators. As a result of solid research and strategic planning, within a few short months we’ve secured exposure for their brand in 10 key media outlets, with a combined readership of more than two million. Three more media opportunities are pending and the team is optimistic about building on these results in 2021.
We’ve had a memorable year in more ways than one, but helping clients with communication challenges and solutions is our top accomplishment. Here’s to finding a new word that defines 2021!