Case Study | PR and Content Marketing

GEARSET

We helped this DevOps solutions company transition into the American marketplace while improving brand awareness.

Overview

Gearset is a UK-based company that offers DevOps solutions tools designed to simplify Salesforce technology. Gearset builds fast and reliable Salesforce releases using a specialized deployment engine designed to deliver value without complicated toolchains.

Gearset entered the American market earlier this year when it opened its first domestic office in Chicago, IL. The company’s technology is currently used by a number of notable companies including: Disney, IBM, Zillow and more.

Our Challenge

Gearset entered the US determined to establish organic growth and increase market share. With many US based competitors in the DevOps marketplace—Gearset sought to enhance their reputation and viability through increased brand awareness. The company was relatively new to the US market and desired heightened website traffic through both organic and direct searches. Overall, the company possessed an innate desire to improve brand reputation through web visibility and widespread media coverage.

Our Answer

To help Gearset achieve broadened visibility within the US market, Swyft began using robust PR strategies and thought provoking leadership pieces to help achieve their vision. Using company news pieces, surveys and other tools—we began helping Gearset establish a unique brand identity and voice making their products more relatable to the everyday user. After establishing initial goals and objectives, we performed the following actions:

Editorial Planning

We developed an editorial planning calendar that closely identified specialized topics Gearset could use to create content and increase media coverage. The content plan consisted of PR strategies that were both practical and effective. Using integrated strategies and various forms of media relations, content could be distributed amongst various channels as contributed articles and news outlet features. We also reviewed Gearset’s product roadmap in order to plan for robust media outreach campaigns in support of product launches and extensions.

Surveys

Advised that Gearset conduct surveys on industry relevant subject matters. One particular survey polled 521 attendees of an online Salesforce DevOps on the state of DevOps in the Salesforce ecosystem. The survey was published by DevOps.com.

News Announcements

To stay relevant and increase mindshare among its target audiences in the U.S., Swyft created a cadence of news announcements including product launches and the establishment of Gearset’s U.S. headquarters in Chicago. Using continuous media outreach and proactive strategies—Gearset successfully increased visibility amongst consumers using a robust PR approach.

Contributed Articles

Swyft held quarterly calls with key regional and country managers throughout the world to better align company communication objectives with actual media outreach. With the support of members of First PR Alliance, our worldwide partner agency network, we executed the media outreach across all key markets and managed media relations on behalf of Pelco’s in-country staff.

Media Coaching

Swyft assisted Gearset with media planning services by prepping, interviewing staff and taking care of necessary follow-up items as a means of maintaining consummate professionalism.

Proven Results

Swyft managed to help Gearset receive favorable media coverage among various tier-1 and tier-2 North American channel media outlets, helping it grow its brand awareness in its largest target market.

News outlets that featured Gearset included:

• CIO Review
• Built In Chicago / Chicago Business Journal
• InformationWeek
• ZDnet
• CIO Review
• DevOps
• CMSWire
• Dzone
• IT Pro Portal
• TechRadar

In addition to increasing media coverage, Swyft also increased Gearset’s website traffic and improved demand generation needs. The outcome led to improved digital performance metrics in a number of key areas.