PR & Social Media: Launches and Brand-building programs
CiRrus aircraft: Vision Jet Launch & Vision center grand opening
Cirrus Aircraft, manufacturer of the world’s best-selling aircraft over the past 13 consecutive years, the Cirrus SR-22, has officially named RockandSock’em Marketing as its PR agency of record.
Based in Duluth, MN, Cirrus selected Rock’em to help launch its new, revolutionary single-engine Vision Jet, projected by aviation industry experts to create both an all-new transportation category - the “personal jet” – and a new market, given its unprecedentedly-affordable $2 million purchase price, operating/maintenance costs and proprietary CAPS parachute safety system.
The firm will also support the 2017 grand opening of the Cirrus Vision Center, its service operations and customer training facility based in Knoxville, TN, and help build the brand.
Lovemygasprice.com
LoveMyGasPrice.com (LMGP) is essentially America’s first-ever “gas insurance” that gives drivers, for the cost of $3.99 per month, the best of both worlds: When gas prices stay low, drivers benefit with less costly fill-ups. When gas prices increase over a monthly period above the cap price they signed up at, drivers get cash back in their PayPal accounts immediately and automatically, and dollar for dollar, to help pay for more expensive fill-ups.
When LMGP first met with Rock’em, they had yet to complete their e-commerce website, or prepare a single media or collateral material document beyond the business plan.
So Rock’em was directed to develop and execute – on a two-week deadline -- a press kit, media key message points, Q&A’s, an LMGP executive media training session, a PR Launch Plan and a local test market media relations effort confined to the critical Southern California drivers market.
However, within that two week time period -- and on a budget of only $12,000 -- LMGP and Rock’em had managed to complete one of the most successful national business and new service offer launches in all of 2015. How?
After completing all the materials and executive media training session in week one, Rock’em began pitching SoCal media – when lightning struck: Matt Egan, a top online reporter for CNN Money, posted a column that claimed 3 out of 4 online searches that begin with the phrase “Why Are” end with “Gas and Oil Prices so High?” The column in essence independently substantiated LMGP’s claim: That America’s drivers are greatly concerned with rising gas prices. With the problem defined, LMPG offered the national solution.
With LMGP giving permission to take the local test market effort national Rock’em seized the opportunity, working with Egan to secure an national online CNN “Money” business feature story, as well as a national lifestyle media placement on CNN “Headline News” that ran more than 50 times that day on the national news cycle. The local test market launch effort had gone national – and viral – overnight, without spending an additional dollar.
Within days, Rock’em had secured a national Reuters newswire story that was picked up by most top 50 ADI newspapers, feature stories on 5 local Houston TV network affiliates, 75 network TV affiliates from top U.S. markets nationwide, live radio interviews from Anchorage to Honolulu to New York, and hundreds of online news columns and blogs.
The tidal wave of national news resulted in tremendous bottom line ROI impact for the newco: More than 75,000 website visits, 5,000 + customer sign-ups at $3.99 per month, Comcast called to sign up their national cable service fleet operations, and three separate investors called inquiring about investment opportunities.
the Brand AMp
In a move to further expand its services, social media and client service offers, RockandSock’em has teamed up with Orange County’s leading PR firm, The Brand Amp.
Renowned for award-winning work for such notable clients as TaylorMade-adidas Golf, DirecTV, Mattel and Mitsubishi Motors, The Brand Amp represents a natural fit with Rock’em in terms of both service offers and culture. Key members of both executive leadership teams have worked together extensively over 14 years while founding and managing Hill and Knowlton’s global sports marketing practice.
The joint collaboration is already making beautiful music on new client work for Animal Care Sanctuary, XBand Sports and LoveMyGasPrice.com, among others.
Marquette entertainment alumni mentor program
Rock’em’s Eckel teams up with fellow Marquette alums/top execs at Saban Capital, Dreamworks, Sony Pictures, Pixar and CBS News on new Marquette Entertainment & Communications Alumni Mentor Program to assist students, graduates and alumni with internships, job placement support and entertainment, sports and communications industry connections.
The Marquette Entertainment & Communications Alumni (MECA) provides networking and mentor support to MU alumni working in the entertainment, communications and new media business sectors of Southern California. In addition to social networking events, MECA also hosts a committee of engaged and established alumni who volunteer to serve as mentors to new Marquette grads looking to pursue their career goals in Los Angeles. Each mentor on the committee represents a specific job discipline and will serve as a resource for new grads in the following manner: by offering support, guidance and motivation when it comes time to take a giant step in a new direction after graduation, by helping grads decide what directions to pursue in a career and how to overcome obstacles, by sharing professional contacts & stories and building a personal relationships with fellow MU alum, by teaching what we've learned and share these lessons to better prepare young MU professionals for their own careers, and by becoming a point of connection between Marquette and the City of Los Angeles.
Click to find out more … http://diederich.marquette.edu/COC/los-angeles-alumni.aspx