Many PR executives behind the technology companies that made it onto Forbes ASAP's recently published "Dynamic 100" list demur that this estimable recognition came from any deft PR tactics.
But companies were selected by reporters who looked at industry analysts' scores for six factors: creating change in its marketplace, potential opportunities for its product or service, how talented its people are, how good it is at marketing, the quality and quantity of its partnerships, and how fast indicators predict it will grow.
Several conceded to take partial credit, however, including Michelle Rowley, PR manager at Melita International (38th in Software), which was unheard of until last year when it skyrocketed from fourth to first in the $800 million outbound call center management software market.
According to Rowley, that was no coincidence. "We started a few years ago revamping PR from the ground up. We wanted to make sure that PR and marketing were reflecting the message we wanted to convey - that Melita is enhancing the call center industry, helping companies communicate better with their customers using our technology."
Melita wooed local (Atlanta) media, the industry press and finally top-tier outlets with creative pitching ideas.
"We were known as a business-to-business application, but we decided to develop a new strategy to get more consumer recognition," she says. (They figured consumers work in companies and might recommend Melita at their place of work.) The press has been receptive to this strategy, with New York Times recently placing Melita in a feature about technology and collections.
Getting his CEO on a recent cover of Business Week was a big coup for Mark Fredrickson, director of global PR for EMC (3rd in Peripherals), the leading maker of disk storage systems for mainframes. But he denies the Forbes ASAP recognition came from "PR people planting ideas."
He would allow that EMC has a different approach to PR than most: "We rely on a strong internal team of senior people who are close to the senior executives and speak fluently about our business and products. We aren't facilitators." He also says EMC redefined "storage," making it into a category all its own, with some help from his department. Customers are heavily used to demonstrate the company's strategic value in testimonials, news releases and exclusives.
Roy Clausen, VP worldwide of corporate communication for Dell Computer (1st in Hardware), says product reviews in computer trade publications have been an essential strategy for Dell. And it seems a fruitful one, as well: In the last year alone, Dell won over 350 product and service awards, reports Clausen.
On the other hand, ebay's success depends entirely on its users, says Kevin Pursglove, senior director for communications. "Our users are the heart and soul of Ebay. Many companies may claim that, but we don't have a commodity or product rolling off an assembly line."
ebay (4th in Internet), which invented and seized the market for consumer-to-consumer Internet auctions, requires its members to interact for anyone to profit. Thus, getting users to participate in promotion is a cinch: "We work closely with our customer support department, incorporating success stories into our media pitches."
For example, a senior executive was speaking at a National Press Club luncheon in Washington, D.C., and had several ebay users from the area there (and flew in several others) to have on hand for reporters to interview.
"These are the basic building blocks of good outreach," he says.
(Roy Clausen 512/723-6282; Mark Fredrickson 508/435-1000; Kevin Pursglove, 408/558-7458; Michelle Rowley 770/239-4484)
The Dynamic 100 list can be found at http://www.forbes.com/asap/