Seagate Technology: Adding local flavour to international PR strategies

The Task: Global companies have to unify their communication strategies and activities worldwide, managing and monitoring them on a global level to ensure that they speak as one company with one voice. But for these companies' public relations efforts, it is often equally important to develop and implement activities that are precisely tailored to the local market yet still in line with the international strategy. For Seagate Technology, the world's leading manufacturer of hard disk drives and a Dr. Haffa & Partner client for more than 14 years, tests and the opinions of trade journalists are crucial and can have a strong influence on sales. That's why one of Seagate's PR goals is to keep in close contact with these key journalists and provide them with all the information they need, when and how they need it. In the PR world, it's important to build positive interpersonal relationships proactively because they can help one identify and counteract PR crises, like problems with tests, early on.

The Implementation: In collaboration with Seagate's German subsidiary, Dr. Haffa & Partner analysed the needs of German trade journalists and determined that these are, first and foremost, good access to test devices, information about the latest developments, and background information about the hard disk market and technologies. To complement the Seagate's globally managed press activities, we developed a local program specifically for the German trade press. Seagate representatives now meet regularly with key journalists in Munich to exchange ideas in the relaxed, informal setting of a Stammtisch get-together. In addition, workshops, round table discussions, and factory tours take place several times each year, in which Seagate presents and explains its latest technologies, research results, and products. These are often supported by leading scientists from Seagate's research laboratories in the US.

The Result: The social activities for Seagate have been very well received among the trade journalists and contacts with Seagate representatives have intensified. In addition, Seagate has become established as an opinion leader for new hard disk technologies and often plays a key role in initiating press coverage of certain topics-and this also has an impact on the amount of media coverage Seagate enjoys. In this regard, Dr. Haffa & Partner has always far surpassed the requirements in the last several years.