The need

Members of the Metis team started working with EqualLogic in 2003 as it was launching into the competitive storage system market. Originally, the goal of the program was to position EqualLogic as a compelling option in a space already occupied by three well-established providers, in addition to vendors that offered storage as part of broader product portfolios. Based on the team’s initial success with traditional PR tactics, that need evolved into an aggressive push for lead generation, and later, for ongoing reputation management after EqualLogic was acquired in one of the largest deals ever involving a venture-backed, high-tech start-up.
 

Getting the job done

Metis team members accomplished the first goal – establishing market presence – with media and analyst relations programs that netted 10 positive product reviews in publications including Network Computing, Network Magazine, eWeek and others. EqualLogic also earned award recognitions top-tier trade publications, including Network Computing’s Well-Connected Award, Computerworld’s Excellence Award and Storage Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award.

As the company evolved, so did its goals for the PR campaign. Customers were already telling EqualLogic that the coverage Metis team members had garnered prompted their awareness of the company’s products. It was time to put those customer relationships to work as the primary driver for expanded lead generation.
 

The power of public relations

EqualLogic and Metis team members embarked on a full-scale awareness campaign to make sure a wider swath of prospects knew about the company’s offerings and value before the sales process began. As part of that effort, Metis qualified approximately 300 existing customers and wrote more than 100 customer success stories for use in PR and marketing activities.

During the time of the initial and secondary PR campaign phases, EqualLogic’s customer base grew from 100 to more than 3,000. Prospects took notice, and so did Dell. The latter acquired EqualLogic in 2008 for $1.4 billion -- at the time one of the most successful venture-backed acquisitions in high-tech history

“Our work with Metis Communications spans over six years. That partnership helped to drive some of the storage industry’s greatest awareness of a fast growing, highly successful companies in the market. When Dell acquired the company in February of 2008, they were amazed at the amount of industry buzz we had created in our PR efforts. I owe a lot of this to the solid relationships the Metis team built with the press and analysts that covered this segment of the market. A truly outstanding effort…”  

John Joseph – former vice president of marketing, Dell EqualLogic