Telstra Productivity Indicator 2012
April 30, 2012 by AdamClatworthy
Filed under Case studies, Featured Content, Technology
Providing strategic insight into Australia’s declining productivity
With challenging economic times ahead, improving productivity is now more important than ever as Australian organisations focus on optimising their investments to stay one step ahead. This issue has been at the forefront of Telstra Enterprise and Government’s annual thought leadership campaign: the Telstra Productivity Indicator.
Now in its fourth year, the 2012 Telstra Productivity Indicator surveyed over 700 senior decision makers from enterprise and government organisations across Australia, looking at their attitudes and behaviours towards productivity. The research this year found that productivity in Australia has continued to decline, following a ten year trend in the region as outlined by a recent report from the Grattan institute (Productivity – the Lost Decade, August 2011).
Consistent with last year’s report, there are a number of organisations bucking that trend. Referred to as ‘Productivity Leaders’, they are organisations that use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or other metrics to measure productivity, and have reported a significant productivity gain in the last 12 months.
The campaign was completely integrated into Telstra’s internal sales and marketing initiatives, meaning that besides media relations activity, Howorth and Impact played an integral role in developing an internal communication campaign consisting of launch messages from leadership, targeted sales presentations, GM briefings and printed TPI sales conversation starters. An end to end integrated internal rollout was dovetailed with the external launch of the campaign and included enlisting the support and expertise of industry executives to support sales conversations and provide a wider business perspective for the relevant sectors.
The main challenges facing this year’s campaign were maintaining relevance to Telstra’s traditional technology audiences while extending into the business and economic spheres, as well as ensuring that Telstra’s voice was heard in a crowded productivity space, with several media outlets having already covered productivity extensively in the weeks leading up to the campaign.
By raising the level of Telstra’s discourse, Howorth worked with Telstra’s media relations team to secure interviews with tier one business and economics media, including The Economist, ABC World Today, AFR, The Australian, AAP, The Global Mail, News.com.au, Canberra Times, and Business Spectator. Within a month of launch, the Telstra Productivity Indicator secured 45 media clips, surpassing the annual KPI of 35 within one week. Through media alone, the campaign has a reach of approximately 29,000,000 people through coverage in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
These results have been reflected in Telstra Enterprise & Government’s Cubit measurement, as the company recorded its highest share of voice figure since its current analysis began two years ago – registering 40% share of voice for the most recent quarter.
Key highlights
• Senior TE&G spokespeople were interviewed under embargo by 11 national newspapers, news wires and business publications including The Australian, AAP, AFR, Business Spectator, ABC World Today, The Canberra Times, The Economist and Global Mail;
• 45 pieces of coverage were generated across a variety of publications, including The Australian, AFR, Business Spectator, Daily Telegraph, Sun Herald, Adelaide Advertiser and ABC World Today.
• Paul Geason and Antony De Jong were both widely referenced in news articles, with over 20 quotes appearing; and
• Cubit analysis noted that TPI was the leading topic of TE&G coverage for the most recent quarter, during which the company saw a 40% share of voice compared to its main competitors.
Telstra Productivity Indicator 2011
May 6, 2011 by AdamClatworthy
Filed under Case studies, Featured Content, Technology
In 2009, Telstra Enterprise & Government (Telstra’s largest sales and service division, which provides services to more than 1,500 large organisations) launched a three-year thought leadership campaign to re-position the brand from transactional supplier to trusted advisor and differentiate it from its competitors.
For the third year, Howorth worked with Telstra Enterprise & Government to launch the “Telstra Productivity Indicator” – a commissioned research report surveying more than 300 directors, senior executives and managers around their attitudes and behaviours to productivity. This year, the research focused on traits that successful businesses had in realising productivity improvements, a group Telstra labeled ‘Productivity Leaders’. Over the last three years the campaign has successfully been integrated into TEG’s sales and marketing initiatives, meaning that besides media relations activity, Howorth has been integral in developing internal collateral including sales materials, customer brochures and website copy.
The challenge in 2011 was in launching findings that would still continue to be relevant and interesting to Telstra’s target audiences and the media. As has worked well in previous years, embargoed media briefings were conducted with tier one business and technology media to maximise the amount of quality media coverage. Following the briefings, a general news release was distributed.
PR drove positive results with more than 40 pieces of traditional print and online media coverage achieved, with 31 articles appearing on launch day.
Key highlights so far this year have included:
- Paul Geason, TE&G Group Managing Director, was interviewed under embargo by eight national newspapers, news wires and business television programs including The Australian, AAP, Business Spectator, Sky Business News and ABC Lateline Business;
- 23 articles appeared in Telstra’s core media list (The Australian, iTWire, Business Spectator, BNET, Communications Day, Exchange, Sky Business News, BRW), doubling 2010’s day-one coverage;
- The Telstra Productivity Indicator continues its influence and reach to TEG’s key audiences – in April, the 2010 report was referenced in the Federal Government’s draft paper on its information and communications technology (ICT) strategy. Previous reports have also been referenced by Australian public policy think tank The Grattan Institute and in a speech by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Howorth works with Telstra Enterprise & Government for ‘best brand’ win at World Communications Awards
Howorth scored further award accolades last Wednesday, with Telstra Enterprise & Government taking out the 2010 Best Brand gong at the World Communications Awards ceremony in London.
The award recognises the more than two years of research and consultancy work for the ‘Telstra Productivity Indicator’, which is now an integrated program incorporating marketing, advertising, media relations and sales tools to provide productivity consultancy to Australia’s largest organisations.
Now in its 12th year, the World Communications Awards recognises the best telecommunications companies across every sector. The best brand award recognises a carrier or service provider that has been the most effective in creating a compelling brand for its products or services in one or more branches of the media.
