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.
Howorth receives Highly Commended award for “Telstra Productivity Indicator” campaign
October 29, 2010 by AdamClatworthy
Filed under Blog
At last Monday night’s national PRIA Golden Target Awards in Darwin, Howorth received more recognition for its excellent public relations work.
This time, hot on the heels of the its Commended Award in PRIA’s New South Wales state awards, the Telstra Productivity Indicator campaign went one better and received a Highly Commended award in the Business-to-Business marketing category. This campaign, which was in its second year, reinforces Telstra’s Enterprise & Government position as a thought leader in technology, business and productivity. The campaign has successfully positioned the company as a trusted advisor, offering strategic advice, industry insights and world-class technology to enterprise and government.
This campaign has been Howorth’s most awarded, having previously scooped PRIA awards when first launched in early 2009, and going on to get international recognition.
Major global award for Howorth & more nominations
Hot on the heels of the PRIA NSW award for the Telstra Productivity Indicator campaign, Howorth won the coveted worldwide WPP Public Relations WPPed Cream Crème de la Crème award, for the same campaign. According to Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO WPP: “Every year WPP companies succeed in producing the exceptional with greater and greater consistency: and that, to me, is the real test of professional excellence. The one-off masterpiece is to be welcomed and rewarded – but permanently high standards deserve our highest praise.”
Marcia Silverman, the public relations jury chairman, said: “The competition has grown tremendously as we enter the fourth year of the WPPED Cream awards. The entries, which came in from all over the world, were of the highest calibre of work. This year we had an astounding 28 submissions for consideration from more than ten different agencies in the Public Relations/Public Affairs categories of: business-to-business, consumer marketing, and corporate & public affairs. After careful consideration, I’m happy to announce that the PR Crème de la Crème winner for 2010 has been awarded to Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide/Howorth out of Sydney, Australia. Their superior efforts for the Telstra Corporation allowed their client to have a marked increase in sales while outperforming competitors. We all agreed that their efforts to innovate their clients reputation and business-to-business offerings merited this highest of distinctions.”
Given the competition for these awards, this is an outstanding achievement for Howorth.
And the news just gets better.
Yesterday, the shortlisted finalists for the PR Week awards Asia Pacific were announced, and Howorth is shortlisted for four awards. In total, Ogilvy Public Relations Australia has been shortlisted for 12 awards in 11 categories. The winners will be announced on Monday 22 November in Hong Kong.
The campaigns shortlisted are:
Category: Technology Campaign of the Year
Campaign: Citizen Mayors of Sydney Unite
Client: Microsoft Australia
Category: Best Use of Digital
Campaign: Citizen Mayors of Sydney Unite
Client: Microsoft Australia
Category: Business-to-Business Campaign of the Year
Campaign: TP12 Powerful PR addresses the productivity gap
Client: Telstra
Category: Product Brand Development Campaign of the Year
Campaign: Australia – Who do you think you really are?
Client: Ancestry.com.au
Finally, Howorth will discover on October 5 whether it has won an award at the 2010 Platinum PR Awards. The nomination is for Howorth’s Microsoft Australia Windows 7 Launch: “Windows 7 Was My Idea”, in the product category.
Telstra Productivity Indicator scoops another award for Howorth
September 24, 2010 by AdamClatworthy
Filed under Blog
Last night at the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s (PRIA) annual NSW State Awards for Excellence event, Howorth was the proud recipient of another award.
This time, we received a Highly Commended award in the Business-to-Business marketing category for the “Telstra Productivity Indicator” campaign, launched for the second consecutive year in February 2010. The goals of the campaign are to demonstrate Telstra Enterprise & Government as a leader in technology, business and productivity , as well as successfully position the company from a transactional leader to a trusted advisor offering strategic advice, industry insights and world-class technology to the C-Suite across public and private enterprises in Australia.
Highlighting how tough it is to win a PRIA Award, Howorth was the only winner in the Business-to-Business category. As a result of this award, the campaign is now in the running for PRIA’s Golden Target national awards, which will be unveiled at the national conference in Darwin on 25 October.
Congratulations team and fingers crossed for more recognition!
Micro business customer satisfaction in the banking sector
August 5, 2010 by AdamClatworthy
Filed under Case studies, Featured Content
Customer service from financial institutions has been a major topic of discussion over the past few months. While the big banks are apparently prioritising customer service, are their business customers really happy?
This was the focus of a Telstra Enterprise & Government white paper entitled ‘Servicing Micro
Businesses – What Financial Institutions Need to Know’. This comprehensive piece of research found that banks needed to improve customer service to the micro business segment (employing 1-5 employees) in order to better meet their needs.
Howorth worked with Telstra Enterprise & Government to develop a technology public relations campaign that would communicate this issue across ICT, financial services and small business media.
White paper key findings
Telstra engaged two research companies to develop the white paper, Roy Morgan Research and McCrindle Research. The results from Roy Morgan – one of Australia’s most respected and established market research companies – showed that micro businesses are the least satisfied business segments when it comes to customer service from banks.
Telstra also sourced a third party spokesperson, social commentator Mark McCrindle from McCrindle Research, who provided valuable insight into the changing profile of micro businesses in Australia so that banks could better serve this segment. Mark outlined two trends – micro business owners (the majority who are baby boomers/pre boomers) passing the leadership reins to Generation X and Y and the increasing mobility of micro businesses – and how this can influence the way banks provide customer service.
Equipped with these findings, Telstra aimed to go one step further than other research available, by understanding the reasons for the customer dissatisfaction gap whilst outlining the technologies available to better capture the micro business segment.
Media strategy and outcomes
To maximise media coverage about the paper’s findings, Howorth organised a white paper launch event at Telstra’s Experience Centre in Sydney. The one hour event included presentations by Telstra spokesperson and paper author Rocky Scopelliti and Mark McCrindle, as well as a demonstration of the technologies available to boost customer satisfaction levels.
The event was successfully attended by journalists from ICT, financial services and small business outlets, with additional highlights on the day including a podcast interview with BNET and a live studio interview on Sky Business News in the afternoon. Other significant coverage included pieces in the Australian Financial Review, mX, Communications Day, Dynamic Business, Exchange, iTWire and Banking Day.
Australia faces widening ‘productivity gap’
Australia’s productivity gap – the difference between productivity expectations and action – has widened from 29 per cent in 2009 to 34 per cent this year, according to new Telstra research.
Underlining the findings of the Government’s Intergenerational Report, the Telstra Productivity Indicator research found that improving customer service and productivity are the key priorities for Australian organisations, ranking 78 per cent and 76 per cent respectively
The Productivity Indicator also found that only 42% of decision makers measure productivity, have a target and know what that target is compared with 49% in last year’s report.
The Telstra Productivity Indicator was the brainchild of Howorth and sister agency Parker&Partners and is now in its second year. The report has already received widespread media coverage in Australia.
For more information please visit http://www.interactivemediarelease.com/back/productivity
Howorth shortlisted for Asia Pacific PR Awards
Howorth has been shortlisted for the 2009 Asia Pacific PR Week Awards for its work with Telstra.
The campaign, Identifying Australia’s Productivity Gap, positioned Telstra as a thought leader in the area of business challenges and the supporting role of IT and telecommunications. The PR driven idea led to an integrated campaign for the Telstra including events, above the line advertising and direct mail.
Winners will be announced in a presentation ceremony held on the 11th November in Hong Kong. Stay tuned for more.
Showcasing mission control – Telstra Enterprise and Government
May 22, 2009 by Derek Lau
Filed under Case studies, Featured Content, Technology
On behalf of Telstra Enterprise and Government, Howorth launched the Managed Network Operations Centre (MNOC), highlighting the customer benefits of its multi-million dollar world class networking facility in Sydney’s CBD. This led to significant top tier media coverage in:
- ITNews
- Two articles on Computerworld
- Sky Business News
- Communications Day
- Voice and Data
- ZDNet
The MNOC is a mission control style ‘flight deck’ that enables Telstra’s 42 network engineers to monitor their network’s ‘health’.
The media launch of the operations centre reinforced Telstra’s dedication to delivering network reliability to its customers.
To obtain positive media coverage of the MNOC launch, Howorth invited top tier technology and business journalists to attend the event. The trade publications targeted were the most relevant media to the C level executives and IT managers of companies that Telstra Enterprise and Government’s MNOC serves.
Key components of the media interaction
- Media were educated on the importance of network performance, the technical details of the MNOC and Telstra’s Next G and Next IP networks
- A tour of the centre and a live demo of how it functions in the incident room
- One-on-one interviews with Nerida Caesar, Mark Gehan and Michael Rocca – key leaders within Telstra responsible for the creation of the centre.
