Environics Communications suffered a case of truly bad timing when it launched client ttools, LLC's security hardware accessory product one hour before the terrorist attacks
began on Sept. 11. Despite the disastrous timing of the release, the product launch managed to score ink in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Dallas Morning News, The
San Diego Union Tribune and Smart Computing and got airtime on CNN "Headline News."
Environics attributes the success of the media relations program to careful planning before the fact: "Environics conducted extensive research on the handheld industry,
ttools' competitors and the media covering the market," says Samantha Fiedler, account coordinator.
When the attacks began, Environics naturally pulled back on the launch and began carefully monitoring the news and the media the team had researched in advance to determine
when and how to resume pitching. Once reporters began covering non-national news, Environics contacted a select group of those reporters to find out what was happening in their
newsrooms. "Sending out feelers to a select number served to strengthen relationships between [reporters] and ttools," Fiedler says. "Environics' combination of good prep work,
flexibility and instincts paid off with results such as the New York Times placement just nine days after the attacks."
(Fiedler, sfiedler@environics-usa.com)