Case Studies
Xerox
Success designed to be duplicated
Situation
Xerox Corporation, a recognized leader in document technology, created a new division to focus on e-government solutions. Its Xerox Citizen Service Center division developed a solution enabling citizens to complete transactions with their local government using the convenience of the Internet.
The first Xerox Citizen Service Center application was completed in Rochester, New York, but the city faced a challenge in announcing and promoting their new web functionality without the appearance of a Xerox-sponsored event. City officials were hesitant to provide a specific company endorsement, but busy city employees needed support to launch the service.
Objectives
- Develop key messages and press materials for Xerox Citizen Service Center.
- Announce the new service to local media and citizens.
- Create easy-to-use templates for all materials and activities (for use in future launches in cities and states across the country).
- Provide a liaison to Xerox Corporation’s corporate public relations department and to the public relations staff in the Rochester mayor’s office.
Tactics
Boscobel met extensively with the Xerox Citizen Service Center team and with Rochester city officials to determine the needs of all parties. The team then developed key messages, press materials, Rochester-specific collateral materials, and general brochures and presentations for Xerox Citizen Service Center.
In order to ensure that the Rochester launch event met the criteria of a city announcement focused on Xerox Citizen Service Center, Boscobel spearheaded the behind-the-scenes management of the event. The PR team set up regular meetings with the mayor’s office to secure buy-in for every step in the process and worked hand-in-hand with the mayor’s public relations staff to plan the event and write the city’s press release. The result was a press conference event at city hall that featured the mayor, the city’s chief information officer and the head of Xerox Citizen Service Center. Boscobel also masterminded a live demonstration of the Rochester Citizen Service Center application at the launch event.
Results
The launch received excellent coverage in the local media: the event was featured on every Rochester TV station, two top news radio broadcasts, and appeared on the front page of the local paper the next day. The positive coverage continued for several days as the launch was rerun in local news updates, and the story was picked up by national trade magazines.