Situation/Objective:
When Pravin Rao joined the law firm Perkins Coie, he brought a wealth of government experience. His young career already included stints as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Enforcement Branch Chief, and Assistant State’s Attorney in Illinois, all of which made him a promising white-collar attorney. But while impressive, Rao’s experience alone did not make him stand out in the crowded field of white-collar legal practice, a glamorous and profitable area of legal work full of “star” attorneys. Perkins Coie, intent on making its new partner a success, wanted to position Rao as a thought leader in his field. The firm asked HC to position him as a leading, national source for white-collar crime issues, particularly financial fraud.
HC gets the ball rolling for a white-collar attorney.
Analysis/Strategy:
HC’s primary goal was to establish Rao as a go-to source for reporters covering white-collar crime and investigations, specifically on financial-fraud topics. Toward that end, HC developed a two-pronged approach to the campaign. It would: (i) seek opportunities for Rao to contribute long-form articles demonstrating his thoughtful analysis on financial fraud topics; and (ii) obtain opportunities for Rao to provide third-party commentary to media outlets covering day-to-day financial-fraud stories.
HC’s experience has shown that these two activities complement each other: thoughtful articles on a topic assure reporters that the source is worth talking to, while frequent quotation in new stories often leads to article requests. Executed together, the two prongs can create a powerful snowball effect. To support its approach, HC worked with Rao to identify a number of developing news stories likely to be covered by reporters, as well as emerging issues to serve as subject matter for articles.
Throughout the engagement, HC placed a priority on generating media opportunities in the most respected publications—those that would speak most powerfully to Perkins Coie’s client prospects, the true audience of the campaign.
Results/Execution:
HC’s dual-pronged strategy showed results from the start. Early in the year, Pravin secured a byline article in Law360, one of the legal industry’s best-read publications, focusing on the SEC’s newfound willingness to settle with those charged with fraud. Simultaneously, HC’s strategy of using breaking news stories to generate interest in Rao’s commentary saw results as the fallout from the financial collapse and the discovery of widespread financial fraud created a number of media opportunities.
This heightened media interest, however, was not entirely positive. The uptick in financial fraud investigations and cases stemming from the financial collapse also led to a spike “expert” voices, all competing for attention in a shrinking media environment. To break through this noise, HC altered its strategy slightly. Our team chose to focus on key reporters and editors at the most prominent publications—those who would recognize the significance of Rao’s background, and the quality of the commentary he had already provided.
Building strong relationships between Rao and these journalists became the foundation of HC’s ongoing campaign. HC prepared Pravin for this media outreach by developing talking points and analysis with him. Once he was fully prepped, HC began connecting him with the key reporters and editors our team had identified.
The adjusted, two-pronged strategy succeeded beyond any expectations. Pravin’s written articles—in which he retained control over his message and had the space to analyze a complex issue—gained notice in the field. As with all of his media placements, they were repurposed as a business development tool for use as marketing collateral. And they reinforced reporters’ choice of Pravin for high-level interviews concerning breaking news on financial fraud cases.
The results have been impressive, with more than 30 high-level media placements for Rao in a short time. One example typifies the success of the campaign. When the SEC announced a $550 million settlement with Goldman Sachs over allegations of fraud, Rao earlier Law360 article on SEC settlement practices positioned him a highly qualified commentator. Reaching out to reporters on the story immediately, HC secured interviews for Rao with many of the top-level financial-fraud reporters that had become the focus of the campaign. Rao was quoted in outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Reuters, Law360, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times.
Today, due to the relationships HC facilitated with its campaign, many reporters now call Pravin directly for his thoughts on breaking news. HC was recently told that at one prominent publication, there is even some competition on certain days to see which reporter can get to Pravin first for an interview. “Everyone loves Pravin,” a reporter has remarked. The snowball effect has indeed taken place.