The Telstra Productivity Indicator

What are the opportunities and gaps in business productivity? The Telstra Productivity Indicator sought to provide insights into this question. Howorth’s strategy of selected top tier media pre-briefs under embargo paid off in nearly 30 pieces of quality coverage for the launch of Telstra’s groundbreaking research on business productivity in Australia.

Coverage highlights included:

•    An interview on Sky News
•    A fifteen minute podcast on BNet
•    Full page article in the Australian Financial Review
•    The Australian IT section
•    iTNews
•    The Age
•    The Sydney Morning Herald online
•    Business Spectator
•    Communications Day
•    CIO

The successful strategy

Howorth’s strategic approach involved inviting senior, key media to interview lead Telstra spokespeople under embargo, one week prior to the launch:
•    David Thodey, group managing director of Telstra Enterprise and Government
•    Geoffrey Sims, chief economist.

Importantly, this helped journalists gain a deeper understanding of key Productivity Indicator drivers and implications before results were revealed to all media.

This approach facilitated Telstra’s priority journalists taking ownership of the report and covering it.

Bridging the productivity gap to reach your productivity potential

Telstra commissioned an independent study that was conducted by Sweeney Research, in an effort to find out more about business productivity in Australia. The report surveyed 300 Australian directors, senior executives and managers of medium to large organisations. It found that while 78 per cent of Australia’s largest organisations say improving productivity is a high priority, only half have any systems in place to measure improvements or set targets.

Addressing this ‘productivity gap’ and understanding Australian organisations’ productivity potential involves accurately measuring and managing productivity, as well as leveraging ICT tools to deliver benefits, according to Telstra’s report.

Summary

Howorth successfully bridged the ‘media gap’ by securing superior coverage of a landmark study into business productivity through a strategically planned campaign.

Shrinking holiday leads to growth in brand presence – Citrix Online

To lift Citrix Online’s brand recognition amongst businesses and consumers, Howorth raised Citrix Online’s profile, and that of its GoToMyPC software, by showing thought leadership on the issue of work/life balance. The initiative generated over 130 media placements.

Media coverage appeared across a number of television programs including Channel Nine’s Nightline, National Nine News, Channel Seven’s Today Tonight, as well as featuring on prominent drive time radio programs on 3AW, 2UE and ABC radio.

Additional coverage highlights include:

• The Australian
• Courier Mail
• Daily Telegraph
• The Age
• Herald Sun

An effective approach
Howorth helped Citrix Online gain the coverage by, initially, commissioning research with an independent firm to examine the number of interruptions employees experience in their jobs whilst out of the office. This occurred in the run up to the summer holiday season, when most Australian employees take personal leave.

Called Shrinking Holiday Syndrome, the research found that nearly three out of four Australian full-time workers were interrupted or called back to office during their holidays.

Taking this insight, Howorth then launched the research, with a key message to organisations being to ‘get with the times’ and provide employees with remote working technology to alleviate Shrinking Holiday Syndrome.

Howorth coined the term Shrinking-Holiday Syndrome, defined as the encroachment of work into people’s personal life, the stress of not being able to take care of work issues remotely and the physical act of travelling into the office during holidays.