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New relationships underscore increasing demand in agency’s services across earned media, research, content and digital.

CHICAGO, December 13, 2018— Greentarget Global Group, a leading business-to-business public relations firm, today announced the addition of several new clients in the third quarter of 2018. Greentarget will be providing PR services ranging from research projects, thought leadership initiatives, and media relations programs.

Greentarget’s new clients include:

  • Brown Rudnick, a law firm with offices in the United States and Europe that represents clients from around the world in high-stakes litigation and business transactions.
  • Carbon Black (NASDAQ: CBLK) is a leading provider of next-generation endpoint security delivered via the cloud.
  • TransMed Systems, a leading provider of intelligence, technology, and expertise to dramatically improve the process of developing, identifying and matching eligible patients to clinical trials.

About Greentarget

Greentarget is a strategic public relations firm focused exclusively on the communications needs of highly competitive business-to-business organizations. The firm was founded in 2005 to focus on the specific communications issues facing sophisticated organizations that compete on expertise, service and reputation. Today, Greentarget delivers a unique mix of earned media, content, research, digital, analytics and special situations counsel to help clients communicate and influence through normal business cycles and in times of crisis. The agency’s success is due to carefully cultivated talent, specialized capabilities and strict adherence to a client service process called The Greentarget Way. Greentarget’s team of 60+ employees, located in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London, offer the entrepreneurial spirit, geographic breadth and depth of experience required to serve leading business-to-business organizations. For more information, visit www.greentarget.com.

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The declaration came in a room full of marketers at the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) Summit a few weeks ago in Portland, Oregon. And it drew nods from the crowd. “The audit, as we know it, will be gone in five years,” said Ed Kless of Sage, a business management solutions provider. Kless was talking about the impact of technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence, which are already reshaping the industry. Against this backdrop of surging disruption, the AAM Summit’s theme was fresh thinking – with a focus on trends, tools and best practices to make accounting firms stand out regionally and nationally. Here are a few of the conversations and topics that stuck with me after I left Portland:
  • Make Accounting Marketing Personal. In the opening keynote session, comedian and former CPA John Garrett discussed how accounting firms can differentiate themselves by letting their personalities shine through in their marketing. For an industry constantly focused on numbers, audits and processes, this makes sense. By humanizing their organizations (and talent) through networking, community relationships and creative thought leadership, firms can rise above the noise.
  • Evaluate and Optimize Your Marketing Technology Stack. No matter the size of the firm, investing in the right marketing technology can yield incredible benefits. In the “Building Your Marketing Technology Stack” session, two firms (one with an annual revenue of $250 million, the other $5 million) shared how they invest in technology to optimize their marketing. These firms understand how syncing brand awareness, customer nurturing, conversions and analytics are critical to growth.
  • Online Reputation Matters in the Accounting Buyer Journey. The session “Online Reputation for Accounting Firms” introduced some powerful research. For example, 33 percent of prospective accounting firm clients will read online ratings, said Kat Kocurek from Inavero, a satisfaction survey provider, and more than half of prospects referred to a firm will research it online. This reaffirms that the days of relying on relationships and handshakes in the buying process are long gone.
  • Hyperlocal Marketing Matters. However, when I spoke to marketers from smaller accounting firms in Michigan and Virginia, they told me that building local relationships is still critical. Incentivizing accountants to network and build community relationships remains a key part of the hyperlocal marketing strategy.
  • Business Development Is Everyone’s Responsibility. For many smaller firms, getting the partners and accountants to support marketing activities can be critical to growth. One session covered how gamification and simple incentives like branded giveaway items could encourage accountants to network with prospects in the community.
  • Diversify Content. I also spoke with many marketers looking at developing new thought leadership content to engage their audiences. There were a few firms even exploring the notion of podcasts. In one session, the speaker described how podcasts provide engaging information for target audiences hungry for insights.
  • Long-Term Thought Leadership. If your marketing team is thinking of building a thought leadership platform, it’s worth the effort to think ahead — how will that platform evolve in three to five years? In “Winning in the Market for Ideas,” a former Big Four marketing chief emphasized the importance of building a thought leadership campaign over the course of several years to keep up with evolving preferences in the marketplace.
The accounting business, like so many others, is subject to the same disruptions and evolutions buffeting the rest of the business world. Firms that will win out are the ones that will build aligned sales and marketing approaches and ultimately apply fresh thinking to the changes that are rushing through the industry.

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Greentarget and Duff & Phelps, the global advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients, won The Holmes Report’s 2018 Diamond SABRE award for Superior Achievement in Research and Planning. The SABRE Awards recognize campaigns that demonstrate the highest levels of strategic planning, creativity and business results. Greentarget and Duff & Phelps were recognized for their campaign, “In Defense of Fairness Opinions.” As the industry leader, Duff & Phelps felt a responsibility to elevate the conversation around fairness opinions, an important industry practice relied upon by corporate boards. While Duff & Phelps could speak to its own client work, the firm needed empirical evidence to demonstrate the utility of fairness opinions as an industry practice. The solution required analyzing thousands of pages of data filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (which could only be done using artificial intelligence). The result was a report entitled, “In Defense of Fairness Opinions: An Empirical Review of Ten Years of Data.” Greentarget partnered on the thought leadership campaign, including the research program, content development and media outreach. “Boards of directors seeking fairness opinions have long been left to rely on their own intuition and experience in scrutinizing valuation estimates. The report provides directors with new data and empowers them to ask more informed questions,” said Chris Janssen, Global Head of Transaction Opinions at Duff & Phelps. “It’s an honor to be recognized for our efforts and commitment to providing clients with cutting-edge thinking on a long-standing and valued business practice.” “This program demonstrates how data-driven storytelling can address the most complex questions in technical industries,” said John Corey, Founding Partner, Greentarget. “Data-driven storytelling provides a powerful complement to the quantitative research programs we’ve delivered for years. Leaders in business services that can integrate big data, machine learning and predictive analytics into their marketing programs can add tremendous value to their clients. We were honored to work with Duff & Phelps on this ground-breaking campaign, and we are thrilled to see Duff & Phelps and Greentarget recognized for this prestigious award.”

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The comment came at the 2018 Legal Marketers Association National Conference in New Orleans — and it says a lot about the state of play in a hypercompetitive industry.

“You can be the best lawyer in the world,” one general counsel said. “But it’s worthless if you can’t communicate with me in a timely way.”

The GC was talking specifically about outside counsel responsiveness. But he could have just as easily been talking about the effectiveness of communicating through law firm-generated content. It’s a topic that weighs heavily on law firm marketers, one we hear about every day — and the focus of Greentarget’s State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey.

Of course, content was far from the only topic of conversation among the 1,500 attendees at LMA two weeks ago. In my first time attending an LMA national conference, I got a virtual crash course in the hottest issues facing Greentarget’s law firm clients and the industry itself. Here are the ones that stood out to me:

  • Relationships Matter for Legal Buyers. From the opening keynote on “The Science of Happiness” to the general counsel panel I referenced above, one message came through loud and clear: building strong relationships between attorneys and in-house counsel is critical. One in-house executive noted that attendees weren’t taking advantage of the opportunity at hand. “I recently attended a legal event with several attorney speakers. I was shocked when, after the panel, all the attorneys were standoff-ish, and rushed out to head back to their billable work instead of speaking with me. It was a major missed opportunity.”
  • Marketing Is Evolving. At the LMA Northeast Cocktail Event sponsored by Greentarget, I spoke with a marketing leader from a firm in Boston. She was starting to take on more of an operational role simply because she had been with the firm for an extended period of time, was intellectually curious and organized, and had built up a lot of internal support. The next day, the Marketing 3.0 session illustrated how many marketers with these traits have transitioned into a practice-group manager role — a great fit for marketers looking to grow within their firms and take on new responsibilities.
  • “Snackable Content.” While many legal marketers are focused on creating sophisticated content with the depth to engage in-house attorneys, one GC at a large consumer goods retailer took a different perspective. “I’m all about reading snackable content,” she said. “It’s how our consumer marketers engage, and internally, it’s how we’ve been trained as a company. This is how we digest information best — short, memorable emails and pieces of content with relevant information.”
  • Importance of Diversity, for GCs and Marketers. The session titled Making the Business Case for Diversity was popular, and I spoke with a few marketers who were glad the topic was on the agenda. One GC from a top retailer shared how diversity is a critical part of their agency selection: “It’s important for our firms to understand our diverse culture and reflect that in their attorneys.” Another in-house attorney agreed: “If we are looking at two similar law firms with the same skill set, a diverse attorney team can make a difference in the selection process.”
  • AI and Machine Learning. The AI session was one of the most well-attended breakouts at the conference. Whether AI is being used to sift through data or assist with digital marketing plans, it’s top of mind for many marketers in the legal space. We’ve implemented AI for research for several of our clients at Greentarget, and we’re excited to see how this trend grows in the future.
  • “Misalignment Between Budget and Ambition.” In the Website Deep Dive breakout session, one legal marketer shared her challenges in overhauling her firm’s website. Planning and objective setting are critical to a successful marketing initiative, but some marketers or executives might not be realistic about what is achievable. As a new business lead, I see this issue time and time again — it’s important to understand what is achievable with limited resources.
  • “Substantive Subject Matter Expertise.” Several sessions featured breakout speakers who shared tips for improving website navigation, layout and content. But I think one GC said it best: “When I’m looking at a firm’s website, I’m looking for substantive subject-matter expertise. It’s not just surface level knowledge — I’m looking for people who understand my business.”

This last point really stuck with me. The ultimate goal of much of the work we do at Greentarget is to position clients as substantive subject-matter experts, to differentiate them for prospective buyers and decision-makers. Clearly, meaningful and substantive points of view are critical to elevating brand awareness and driving smarter conversations.

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Greentarget, since its earliest days, has endeavored to give back to the community by working with a variety of pro bono clients. In 2016, we contributed hundreds of hours to worthy organizations across the country. And we’re on track to do the same this year. Now, with 2018 just around the corner, we want to expand our list of possible pro bono clients with the first ever GT Cares Grant. Throughout January, we’ll be collecting applications from U.S.-based organizations. We’ll evaluate and pick one client to work with as part of a 90-day engagement in early 2018 – and we’ll announce the winner in March. Organizations submitting applications must have a 501(c)3 designation and a communications goal that can be achieved in 90 days. They also should be new to Greentarget and not have a religious or political affiliation. Greentarget can offer pro bono clients services in media relations, content production, social media, digital strategy and/or public relations training. But we don’t want to limit potential efforts to those buckets. Organizations submitting applications can also suggest other related types of work. Still, it’s important to keep in mind that we’ll judge applications based on the likelihood of a fit – that is, how well we could serve your organization. Here’s a sampling of organizations we’ve worked with in 2017:
  • Barrel of Monkeys: The Chicago-based arts education organization focuses on teaching creative writing to grade schoolers and turning their stories into performances for the public. The organization celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2017, and Greentarget helped create messaging that resulted in coverage in several local media outlets.
  • Cameron Kravitt Foundation: CKF teaches future doctors, particularly pediatricians, how to tell parents their child has died. With a primary goal of increasing awareness of and engagement with CKF, Greentarget leveraged earned media as a channel to articulate the CKF story. We also provided a social media framework for the Junior Board to consider implementing in the second half of the year.
  • Culinary Care: The organization provides made-to-order meals from a network of quality restaurants for families facing cancer. In September, the nonprofit held its 3rd Annual Corporate Cook-Off with a Chopped-inspired affair. Leading up to the event, Greentarget provided traditional media relations counsel, and post-event we developed follow-up material to help Culinary Care reconnect with sponsors, patients and families in need, as well as social media messaging.
  • Heartland Alliance: Each year, Heartland Alliance hosts a Home & Garden Tour in Southwest Michigan offering a glimpse into homes and gardens with interesting architecture and interior design. Because all proceeds go to the Heartland Alliance Fund, ticket sales are of utmost importance. To increase awareness of the event, Greentarget secured media coverage in numerous event calendars, as well as articles in Road Trips for Gardeners and Harbor Country News that promoted the tour.
  • Humble Design: The Detroit-based nonprofit helps families transitioning out of homeless shelters by furnishing their new homes soup to nuts (furniture, curtains, towels, dishes, art, books, etc.). The nonprofit opened a Chicago chapter in March 2017 and wanted to get the word out locally. Greentarget secured broadcast coverage on ABC, NBC and CBS.
  • Kids in Need of Defense: KIND strives to ensure that no child appears in immigration court without legal representation while continuously educating lawmakers and the general public about what the kids are fleeing and who they are. Greentarget helped get the word out by leveraging traditional and social media to promote two reports on sexual and gender-based violence in Central America, and we produced two Q&As with legal volunteers.
  • United Way of Metro Chicago: Greentarget facilitated planning discussions about the organization’s new neighborhood network program, developed an executive positioning plan and engaged in story development conversations with the organization’s CEO and SVP of Community Impact. We also instituted a twice-weekly news monitoring notification newsletter to flag stories that United Way can be positioned to comment on.
We’ve also worked extensively with the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, which we wrote about in September. We’ll be accepting applications from January 2 through January 31, 2018. If you’re interested in submitting, please answer the following questions in a Word document and send your submission to probono@greentarget.com. ABOUT YOU ORGANIZATION NAME: ADDRESS: PHONE NUMBER: WEBSITE: MAIN CONTACT NAME: TITLE: PHONE NUMBER: EMAIL ADDRESS: Is your organization a 501(c)3 nonprofit? Yes/No What is your annual marketing and public relations budget? How did you hear about this program? COMMUNICATIONS NEEDS
  • Describe your organization. (200 words or less)
  • Give us your best pitch about why we should work with you. (200 words or less)
  • What specific communications challenge can Greentarget help you solve starting in early 2018? (200 words or less)
  • How do you envision Greentarget helping you meet that challenge in 2018? (200 words or less)
  • What is your ideal outcome of the work associated with this challenge – e.g., improved overall messaging, media coverage or increased social media presence? (200 words or less)
  • Describe your organization and staff, particularly your communications/public relations personnel. (200 words or less)
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