MAXIMISING MEDIA RESULTS FOR BRAND PROMINENCE

THE BRIEF

REPL Group is a world-leading consultancy and technology group specialising in workforce management, supply chain, customer experience and enterprise systems. REPL’s services and solutions transform retail business operations. With its sights focused on international growth, REPL Group chose Whiteoaks to increase brand awareness in the UK and raise its profile as a technology advisor trusted by worldwide brands, such as Tesco, BP and Walmart. Consequently, Whiteoaks was tasked with establishing a thought leadership position for executive chairman Mike Callender. In recent years, REPL has begun to harness innovative new technologies with AI, automation and data science. As a result, the organisation needed a voice to showcase its industry-leading approach to modernising the retail industry through technology.

THE APPROACH

Whiteoaks began with a traditional media relations campaign, developing:

– A series of press releases about new office openings, the creation of new roles and investments

– Thought leadership articles on industry hot topics, alongside customer case studies to further enforce its position as a retail expert.

– Whiteoaks conducted research with an external partner into the current state of the high street from the perspective of retail workers and consumers. This study provided insight into their pain points and was pivotal in helping REPL identify how its solutions can best solve the issues.

– The research led to further media content, press releases and bylined articles plus an industry whitepaper on the ‘connected retailer’, which generated collateral for the sales team.

To support expansion into the US, Whiteoaks secured impactful trade media coverage from its UK headquarters, establishing a foothold for the executive chairman and the company, breaking into this lucrative new market.

Now in its second year, REPL’s relationship with Whiteoaks is continuing to develop. Working with a  wider variety of spokespeople, thought leadership articles cover a broader spectrum of topics, such as supply chain and customer experience in the changing retail landscape. REPL is now regularly asked to comment on breaking news stories.

THE RESULTS

In the first year of the campaign, REPL received 33 pieces of UK press coverage, including BBC national news. To achieve this coverage, as well as distributing thought leadership pieces and news releases, Whiteoaks facilitated media briefings to build executive profile and establish REPL in the media, including A1 Retail and Retail Systems.

Thanks to its increased industry profile, REPL has received several awards, including the Real IT Awards following its work with BP and the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category. With such a positive brand perception in the UK, REPL is looking to strengthen its profile in international markets, in particular the US. As a result, Whiteoaks has engaged a partner agency in the US from the WIN PR Group to fully mirror the strategy and success of the UK campaign.

We’ve really enjoyed working with Whiteoaks over the last two years, particularly as the company’s approach to PR is so refreshing and outlines exactly what we can expect to achieve from the start of each campaign. Whiteoaks has been in integral in raising our profile in the UK and has come to feel like an extension of our marketing team. Our team has been really impressed with the results of the UK campaign and I’m confident these results will be replicated through activities in new markets.

Rachel Price, Marketing Director at REPL Group