By Jim Foster,
President
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DesignSource
Technology develops product data management solutions for the SolidWorks
3D mechanical design environment. We launched PDM/Works in 1999
to help design engineers better manage their product design data
from within SolidWorks.
We decided to use public relations as a vehicle to promote PDM/Works
and to communicate its benefits. Since our competition consists
of more expensive and complex systems, we felt we needed to educate
the market that bigger and more costly product data management may
not be the best solution..
We used a PR company in the past but it was ugly and left us with
a negative reaction to PR. However, Xposure PR was working with
one of our resellers and we were impressed by how they were able
to raise that company's profile in its territory.
Xposure's first initiative was to set up a series of meetings with
key editors from the design and engineering press. The second phase
involved selecting customers that were willing to act as testimonials
for our product.
After completing our first year with Xposure, we feel that the company
has delivered consistent and ongoing press coverage, especially
in the magazines that were our highest priority in reaching out
prospective customer base. There have been a number of front page
articles in both the US and Canadian press.
A bylined article that Xposure placed for us in a magazine generated
increased sales leads, which exceeded our PR expectations. The editor
was so impressed, he sent us an e-mail thanking us for addressing
the topic.
The benefit that we receive from media coverage is the professional
image that DesignSource portrays in the industry. That professionalism
allows us to be placed on a higher level than other companies.
Recently we completed a PR campaign to promote our new product offering.
Two full days of media appointments were arranged by Xposure PR
at the annual SolidWorks conference. Xposure is now following up
with the media and have identified five requests for in-depth product
reviews plus another six requests for customers to interview for
case studies.
We are quite pleased with what Xposure has done in raising our profile
in the media. We look forward to having them take us to the next
stage - communicating with the senior decision-makers in the manufacturing
environment.
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