The Win
When Duffey Communications in Atlanta won the Caredata.com account in late-May, it only had a week to make a convincing new business presentation. Duffey's selection hinged on its healthcare /high-tech track record and staffing approach.
Duffey is developing a re-branding campaign for Caredata.com, which was previously known as Medirisk, for about $10,000 a month. The assignment includes media relations, direct marketing, advertising, collateral support and Web content development.
Main Competition
Duffey competed against two other local agencies for Caredata's business.
Pitch Team
Duffey Communications: Lee Duffey, president; Mickey Long, VP of technology and marketing; Mike Neumeier, group director of technology; Matt Wright, account executive.
Assignment
Caredata.com, formerly known as Medirisk, immediately needed to develop a more comprehensive brand presence among its internal audiences, the analyst community and media that highlighted its recent foray onto the Internet as an online content provider of multiple healthcare services. Caredata provides proprietary database products, decision-support software and analytical services to the healthcare industry.
The assignment required:
- media relations;
- market research;
- corporate identity strategies; and
- Web content development.
The agencies pitching the account had less than a week to make presentations.
Homework
With only a few days to pull together a new business presentation, Duffey took a divide-and-conquer staffing approach that involved assigning key staffers to do Internet research, a competitive analysis and other prep work that could be turned around quickly. During this stage, the agency also selected the team that would pitch the Caredata account. If Duffey were selected, this team would continue to work on the account.
This approach is one of Duffey's key staffing philosophies. "We don't have a new-business pitch team, we send the people [to pitch new business] who will ultimately work on the account," says Long.
Presentation
Duffey's pitch focused on positioning Caredata as an Internet company that brings real value to its customers via specialized content and software applications. Duffey recommended that Caredata immediately develop message points to the media and analyst communiy that addressed:
- why Caredata.com changed its name;
- Caredata's online acquisition strategies; and
- Caredata's plans to become a digital leader in the healthcare industry.
Duffey also suggested launching media and analyst tours involving Caredata's CEO right away.
The team demonstrated its ability to execute a strategic media relations plan quickly and respond to Caredata's online marketing challenges, says Kathleen Houseman, Caredata's VP of corporate marketing.
Pitch Tips
Although Duffey had extensive experience with healthcare and high-tech clients, what gave the agency its winning edge was its staffing and operational capabilities for handling last-minute assignments and the immediate chemistry developed with Caredata.
Striking the right chemistry is critical in situations where the agency has to hit the ground running with a new branding campaign, says Long. Duffey developed a solid up-front relationship with Caredata by:
- understanding Caredata's internal marketing structure as soon as possible;
- uommitting the financial, staffing and operational resources to support Caredata's marketing needs;
- establishing realistic PR and marketing expectations for the branding campaigns Duffey suggested; and
- asking several questions about Caredata's business model and its overall marketing/PR philosophies.
(Duffey Communications, Mickey Long, 404/266-2600; Caredata.com, Kathleen Houseman, 404/946-6257)
Duffey Communications
Founded: 1984
Headquarters: Atlanta
Revenues: $5 million
Employees: 40
Healthcare Clients: Henry Medical Center, Genzyme Corp., American Medical Response
Web site: www.duffey.com