Company: Application Security, Inc. (www.appsecinc.com) is the leading global provider of database security solutions for the enterprise. Application Security, Inc.'s products – the industry's only complete database security solution – proactively secure databases in the most demanding environments around the world.
Challenge: AppSecInc retained CHEN PR in 2004 to help the company define and own the critical emerging requirements for database security. The agency was tasked with driving the press agenda as pertained to the business and technology imperatives for securing sensitive databases. Deliverables included outpacing competitor visibility and fueling consistent coverage highlighting AppSecInc.'s insights into data security and compliance issues. Concurrently, key product differentiation had to be defined.
Strategy: CHEN PR complemented minimal "hard" news available from AppSecInc. with an aggressive program of proactive pitching, thought leadership/issues commentary and breaking news response. When mass data theft issues leaped to the forefront in early 2005, CHEN PR worked with AppSecInc. to maximize breaking news commentary among top tier media, balancing "hack of the day" reaction with thoughtful and informed discussion of the underlying business and technology issues. The targeted approach was not only successful in achieving high visibility, but creating strong and differentiated media relationships.
Results: The results exceeded goals for the program, achieving 25+% more coverage than the company's closest competitor and 65+% more than its next closest competitor for 2006 and 2007. AppSecInc. executives were established as "go to" expert sources for breaking news commentary with outlets that include the Wall Street Journal, NPR, Fox25 News, USAToday, The Boston Globe and CNET. Notably, CHEN PR spearheaded a key research initiative with the Ponemon Institute that was leveraged when news of the now-infamous TJX breach came to light, fueling inclusion in 40+ stories in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, USAToday and on Fox News (national) and New England Cable News. Most recently, proactive effort on a broad range of topics resulted in a Fox25 News interview on Holiday Identity Theft, coverage on MSNBC and USA Today regarding government security in the wake of the UK HMRC loss, and a Wall Street Journal feature on insider threats.
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