Media Coverage

Winner: Porter Novelli and King & Spalding LLP

Campaign: King & Spalding's PR Program--2008

Wanting to position its law firm as a forward-thinking source on a variety of topics relevant to its practice, such as corporate finance and government relations, King & Spalding enlisted its agency, Porter Novelli, to increase its media profile within the legal community.

King & Spalding professionals also wanted to boost its share of voice and buzz in the marketplace while surpassing the coverage generated by rival firms.

A Global Undertaking

Because King & Spalding has offices around the country (including New York, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Houston) and in London, Porter Novelli created a global team that would be responsible for overseeing and driving media relations.

Also, to set the firm apart from its competitors, the agency focused on achieving coverage through a proactive and reactive media program. Additional tactics employed by the agency included:

• Setting up media briefings between the firm's attorneys and influential reporters;

• Having the lawyers write bylined or op-ed articles on timely issues and/or trends;

• Identifying trends and developments to pitch stories for a variety of media; and,

• Using rapid response to position the firm as commentators to relevant breaking news.

Mediapalooza

From Jan. 1, 2008, to Nov. 1, 2008, Porter Novelli secured 446 media placements for King & Spalding. Not only did this number boost the firm's share of voice in the marketplace, it also surpassed its rivals in terms of coverage. Among the media outlets that gave the firm coverage were Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNET, Crain's New York, Dow Jones, The Hill, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Honorable Mention

Company: MWW Group

Campaign: MWW Group Secures National Media Spotlight for Ohio-Based Law Firm Baker Hostetler LLP

MWW Group was hired by the Midwest law firm Baker Hostetler to elevate its presence in top-tier national media outlets. Positioning the attorneys as go-to experts in areas such as white collar crime and bankruptcy, while leveraging its preexisting relationships with broadcast programs, MWW garnered extensive media coverage for Baker Hostetler.

Honorable Mention

Company: Furia Rubel Communications

Campaign: Feldman Shepherd Death of Diane Glynn Media Coverage

Seeking justice in a case that involved the 2005 death of a single mother by a drunken driver who did not have charges filed against him due to nepotism, the lawyer that handled the civil suit turned to his firm's agency, Furia Rubel Communications, for help. Launching a media outreach effort to put pressure on the state to reopen the case, the agency secured coverage in a number of outlets that included TV's Inside Edition. Following the airing, the motorist responsible for the woman's death was charged with criminal and vehicular homicide.

Honorable Mention

Company: Shughart Thomson & Kilroy PC

Campaign: Think Like a Report: How we made our firm the "go-to" law firm for media in our market

When Heather McMichael, the PR coordinator of Shughart, Thomson & Kilroy, joined the firm in 2007, her mission was to make it the go-to law firm for media outlets in its six key markets. Working with the marketing director, she wanted the attorneys to get to know the media while establishing the firm as a valuable resource for stories on myriad issues. The result: 309 media placements at the end of Q3 '08 as opposed to 290 for the entire year of 2007 and 60 for 2006.