HYPERtext linking technology and communications

Text 100 helps Xerox moving from hardware vendor to trusted advisor

Situation Analysis

For six years Xerox Global Services has worked to raise awareness of its consulting services amidst Xerox’s legacy as “just a copier company.” To position Xerox Global Services as a trusted advisor in document management and consulting services, the company, along with PR partner Text 100, created a campaign to educate the media, industry analysts and customers around the world on its enhanced services offerings and thought leadership initiatives. The end result: proof that Xerox Global Services was a critical arm of the company.

Execution

The PR team evaluated the services space by reviewing analyst reports and industry intelligence, noting where Xerox Global Services fell in comparison to competitors, and developed messaging highlighting the company’s expertise in providing document consulting services globally to companies of all sizes. The strategy was to then leverage customer touch points – such as events, announcements, and the blogosphere – to showcase Xerox’s services-led solutions.

Key events and activities throughout the year included:

• The announcement of several services-led customer contracts at key tradeshow, AIIM/On Demand.
• The launch of a new blog to drive discussion in the IT space. Named “Big I, Little t” (www.bigilittletblog.com) the blog highlighted Xerox’s core belief that the focus of IT should be information, not just technology, and featured commentary from Xerox Global Services experts.
• An eight city North American Security Summit series positioning Xerox as a thought leader on data protection.
• Media outreach surrounding Xerox’s acquisition of the e-discovery company Amici, LLC.
• Xerox’s 2006 Industry Analyst Briefing in New York City, where the Xerox Global Services team announced the expansion of Xerox’s global imaging capabilities along with the signing of a new customer – AOL, LLC.

Evaluation

The PR campaign success was proven through the numerous media hits highlighting the advancement of Xerox Global Services, along with customer feedback and positive analyst reports. More than 500 pieces of coverage featured customer-centric, services-led messaging, including coverage in top IT and business publications such as Wall Street Journal, eWeek, Globe and Mail, USA Today and InfoWorld.

Xerox’s Security Summit series drew more than 400 attendees, directly resulted in additional revenue for the company and positioned Xerox as a leading expert in data security. Analyst feedback included the following quote from IDC analyst Kwon Chin: “Xerox is clearly performing a public service by educating firms on the pervasive threat of losing intellectual assets.”

Since its launch in May, the “Big I, Little t” blog has generated 5,328 unique visitors from all over the world, giving Xerox a voice in the IT discussion and a direct line of communication with current and potential customers and industry influencers.