The Problem
When Access began working with Anaplan, the company enjoyed limited coverage beyond earnings and trades, along with low brand awareness, which made it difficult to attract great talent. We were tasked with building Anaplan’s reputation as a great place to work, with DEI being integral to the company’s culture.
Our Solution
Access helped Anaplan move away from outdated comms approaches, which mostly consisted of insignificant press releases and technology updates, focusing on strategic thought leadership platforms and meaningful campaigns. When Anaplan hired a new DEI leader, the team saw an opportunity.
Through story mining sessions we uncovered key insights to shape a compelling new narrative leaning into the concept of belonging. While building this out, we were brought in on a new report in development with Haas School of Business, and we turned the report findings into advice and recommendations other companies could adopt to be more inclusive and drive belonging. This became the foundation for earned media efforts, bylines, social and speaking opps.
Impact
Through targeted pitching, the team secured a flurry of coverage featuring Anaplan and its DEI efforts in key business and trade publications that put the company back on the map. Access crafted and placed bylines in Forbes and the Business Journal, secured inclusion in Protocol’s Braintrust, and secured commentary opportunities on trending topics, which all culminated in a featured speaking opportunity at the SHRM Inclusion 2022 conference, which increased Anaplan’s employer brand profile and drove interest in Anaplan’s solutions geared towards Chief Human Resource Officers.
