Software quality specialist selected Vitis PR to increase international profile
Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Germany, SQS is the world’s leading specialist in software quality, employing approximately 3,900 staff worldwide. SQS’ client base includes half of the DAX 30, nearly a third of the STOXX 50 and one-fifth of the FTSE 100 companies, including BP, Centrica, Daimler, Deutsche Post, JP Morgan, Reuters and Volkswagen, to name but a few. Alongside its strong presence in Germany and the UK, SQS has offices in Australia, Austria, Egypt, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the US and the United Arab Emirates.
Challenges
Although the company had a high profile in Germany, it was less well known in the UK, Ireland and South Africa. With a small marketing team, SQS needed expert resource to manage media and analyst relations to target those countries, while providing writing help on an ad-hoc basis.
Solution
SQS hired Vitis PR to provide public relations services after inviting the PR agency to pitch against two other agencies. Vitis was selected as a result of its previous work for a software testing consultancy, knowledge of enterprise media and proposed PR strategy.
As a specialist technology PR agency, Vitis PR knows and understands the enterprise technology market well. This helped the Vitis PR team develop pitch ideas and story angles for SQS. As well as PR writing releases and articles, Vitis PR also provided writing support for marketing materials, including case studies, award entries, flyers and whitepapers.
Vitis PR’s team members also speak German so could react quickly to requests from SQS’ Group team in Germany.
Vitis PR worked on set themes including a focus on SQS Managed Services. This specialist offering combines best practice in testing, on- and off-shoring with lean manufacturing to offer a cost-effective, simple and reliable way of testing large, business-critical systems. Further themes for PR included cloud, mobile and manufacturing.
For South African PR, Vitis PR co-ordinated projects on an ad-hoc basis with the support of a Johannesburg based partner.
Finally, Vitis PR identified and approached a number of specialist industry analysts on behalf of SQS and secured several briefings with these analysts.
Results
Each year, Vitis PR focused on a new overriding theme for SQS’ PR. This ensured a healthy range of coverage within key enterprise technology titles as well as national press. Regionally focused stories, including appointments and training releases, also secured local and business press coverage.
At the end of each year, Vitis PR liaised with SQS consultants on what they thought were the biggest and most damaging software glitches, bugs and failures. This story always achieved good coverage because it touches on common software glitches that have cost companies millions and adversely affected customers and product launches across the world. Coverage of SQS’ annual bugs report has appeared in a wide variety of media including Business Computing World, Test magazine, Test Online, Channel Biz, Test News Online, Gizmodo and Business Quarter.
In 2013, Vitis PR conducted a successful mobile payments campaign, tied to a series of white papers, which resulted in coverage that had the potential to reach over 315,000 people and achieved an 8 – 14 per cent open rate. 259 people visited SQS’ website to view the white paper in the first four days alone and this campaign received 9,914 social media shares and views.
In 2014, Vitis PR went on to secure 23 articles (IT and trade) from one pitch for SQS’ connected devices in the utility sector campaign, which resulted in 7.9 million opportunities to see articles.
Vitis PR also supported SQS with award entries, with the company gaining finalist status in the services category at the Develop Awards and as ‘Outsourcing Service Provider of the Year’ at the National Outsourcing Awards.
Over the course of 2011 alone, Vitis PR secured fifteen briefings with software-focused analysts, ensuring SQS and its messages were being mentioned by major analyst firms each month. Vitis PR continued this success in 2012 and 2013, with twelve and sixteen analyst briefings respectively.
SQS has been covered in a wide range of publications; to name a few: The Financial Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times, Silicon India, International Business Times, Information Age, Computer Business Review, Computer Weekly, ComputerWorld, Computing, IT Pro Portal, Evertiq, Cloud Pro, Real Business, Developer Tech and the testing and outsourcing press: Test magazine, Professional Tester, Test Online and Sourcingfocus.
Client reference
“I would thoroughly recommend Vitis PR. Their in-depth knowledge, experience of the IT industry and media contacts list are excellent. What particularly appeals is their guidance and personal advice in making sure that the message delivered is right for our business.”
Simona Franciosi, Marketing Manager, SQS UK