The Challenge
A prominent publicly-traded tech company was under scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general for alleged securities violations and deceptive advertising practices and violating a previous FTC order. The company tapped SKDK to work with its in-house PR and legal teams to develop and execute a public affairs plan to navigate this dispute. One of the challenges SKDK faced was how to communicate under the unique pressures of representing a publicly traded company.
The Strategy
SKDKnickerbocker developed an overall campaign approach to the company’s regulatory and litigation battles. Our strategy included having senior executives tell the story of what consumers wanted from the company, coupled with insightful and scientific research for decisionmakers in D.C. We worked with the in-house PR team to develop internal and external strategies involving employee relations, government affairs, executive messaging, third parties and media relations. Alongside the legal teams, we crafted messaging to ensure the company’s story and product were not lost in the litigation fights. We were able to announce significant investments in people, process and systems to demonstrate the company’s commitment to continually improve its business model.
The Results
After an eventful year and a half, the litigation ended in a settlement. SKDK went on to help the company open a D.C. office, work on the company’s CSR program, and eventually, assist with communicating the sale of the company.