360º Communications

Weaving PR Value Into Social Media, Internal Communications, Marketing Communications, and Web Design

Sterling takes a unique, holistic approach to integrated communications that we call 360º Communications. Rather than operate in silos, we infuse public relations into everything we do — from newsworthy press tours to SEO-enabled web design to social media marketing campaigns to employee programs and shareholder engagement activities.

Our high-tech and cleantech clients don’t believe in traditional agency silos or internal fiefdoms. We have shown them how to gain real business value by intelligently leveraging their communications resources across the various stakeholder communities they must engage: reporters, analysts, bloggers, investors, customers, partners and employees. The campaigns we create and drive for our clients in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Seattle, and beyond are both holistic and effective. They communicate value, command attention, and compel action. In other words, they build brand, buzz and bucks for our clients.

Our approach begins by doing a baseline audit of where the client is, what the client wants to achieve, who the client needs to influence to accomplish key strategic business objectives, what resources are already in place to get the job done, and where any difficult obstacles may lie. The Sterling team then puts together a 360º communications process map, noting any gaps exist in the organization and citing any issues that could hinder communications alignment. Next, we work with the client to develop an integrated communications campaign designed to show immediate benefits from the new process.

The vast majority of companies in business today could be more effective at communicating with and engaging their respective “publics.” Common underlying causes of misalignment on the communications side are:

• Rapid corporate growth
• M&A integration issues
• Business strategy retooling that isn’t well understood
• Strategy disagreement at the senior executive level
• Territorial attitudes in regions or functional areas

Whatever the cause, misalignment must not be allowed to continue. Why? Because it hurts business results. Of course, you can’t force people to work together well or trust one another. Rather, you must influence, engage and encourage them to be part of a bigger team and do things in new and better ways. That’s where Sterling comes in. We utilize our PR experience and leverage our expertise across all relevant channels to raise awareness, engage people, and drive the business decisions that raise clients’ top lines, fatten their bottom lines, increase their customer satisfaction scores and reduce their involuntary turnover rate. The ROI is amazing.