Winner: Siemens Corporation and Weber Shandwick
Campaign: "Raising the Profile of a Quiet German Giant"
Globalization, coupled with the rising cost of labor in the United States, has kick-started a trend of outsourcing businesses to two up-and-coming economic powerhouses: China
and India. As a result, some domestic business has begun to stutter, prompting many to fear for the viability of the U.S. marketplace. It's a debate that has grown louder in
recent years and, in response to this worry - and the financial downturn spawned by it - Siemens Corporation set out to reinvigorate the American business landscape by proving its
commitment to bringing jobs home instead of sending them overseas.
To live up to this lofty goal, the manufacturer and technology provider's communications executives teamed up with Weber Shandwick, first to re-brand Siemens as a "U.S."
company - not as a subsidiary of its German "mothership" - and second to enhance the corporation's credibility as an industry leader. Doing so required a deep understanding of
the complex business environment, as well as a brand presence that would excite the media and jumpstart the flagging industry. Siemens achieved both, through aggressive media
outreach backed by solid proof that the company was a stronghold of American business. CEO George Nolan played a leading role in the latter initiative, acting as a steward for the
cause in interviews and speaking engagements.
Through the PR team's re-branding efforts, Siemens Corporation effectively redefined itself as a business that had Americans' best interests in mind. Success was measured in
national magazine lead stories that chronicled Siemens' new American spirit, from U.S. News and World Report's piece "Siemens Shows Its U.S. Face," to The New York Times profile
of Nolan. Perhaps CNBC economics commentator Larry Kudlow sums up the campaign's success best: "Siemens Corporation is heavily invested in the United States ... Folks, there's a
lesson here. It's called insourcing. Don't be afraid of free trade or free capital movements. It's going to work out just fine."