Client: McKinstry
BUILDING STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT THROUGH HYPERLOCAL MEDIA RELATIONS
Seattle-based McKinstry is a full-service, design-build-operate-maintain firm specializing in energy and facility services. With 23 offices throughout the country and operations in 13 states, McKinstry advocates collaborative, sustainable solutions designed to ensure occupant comfort, improve systems efficiency, reduce facility operational costs and optimize profitability. McKinstry has three offices in Texas, focused on projects for a wide range of governments, hospitals, schools and other public, nonprofit and commercial clients.
Like other regions in the U.S., the south has a unique business – and media – persona. McKinstry needed strategic communication counsel and media relations support to tell the company’s story to regional stakeholders and industry leaders, and Three Box was up for the job.
LISTEN
Working with regional leadership to identify specific projects either underway or recently completed, Three Box and McKinstry collaborated on what made each project differentiated and relevant to the local community, seeking to highlight aspects that underscored the company’s unique value propositions. Recognizing that in all but the smallest rural markets, media likely would only cover most projects once or twice, Three Box worked with the regional team to understand the intersection of construction, business and client cycles to best position each project story and, more broadly, the McKinstry brand. In addition, Three Box consulted with national leadership on major corporate announcements and thought leadership opportunities that would further position McKinstry as an industry pioneer.
BUILD
Three Box developed robust media materials and engagement strategies with both hyperlocal news outlets and leading trade publications within the engineering and retrofitting industries. A mix of reporter and editor contacts were built, based on previous relationships with Three Box and McKinstry, as well as contacts new to the team. Timing and tailored messages used in engaging with media professionals were varied, depending on the nature and location of the project, as well as the type of media being addressed.
In addition to proactive media engagement on project starts and completions, we assisted the client in addressing coincidental, typically one-off questions asked by local reporters about project status and other topics.
Three Box also collaborated with regional leadership on a media toolkit that consisted of news release templates for various project phases, pitch samples, event recommendations and more, with a goal of making public relations activities more turnkey and less intimidating for project managers and client contacts.
Lastly, Three Box partnered with national leadership on strategy and messaging surrounding several high-profile corporate announcements, including innovative brand partnerships, executive personnel updates and the company’s emergence into new business sectors.
IMPACT
Earning significant local, regional and trade media coverage for McKinstry served to expand recognition for the company among industry leaders, as well as with present, past and prospective clients. Keeping the company name visible to these audiences ensures top-of-mind awareness that contributes to McKinstry being proactively invited to participate in bids for new assignments.
Additionally, many McKinstry clients do not have internal, professional communication resources to tell the story of their new or retrofitted facilities to taxpayers, consumers and other key stakeholders. Through the use of Three Box capabilities and expertise as an extension of their own marketing communications team, McKinstry delivered an additional value-add to clients wanting to stay connected with their own key audiences.