Our
Work
Virtustream
C8 worked with Virtusteam spokespeople to build a consistent and powerful voice
Virtustream, a Dell Technologies business, was founded to lead businesses on the path to transformation. They are redefining cloud computing and are known as the cloud services provider of choice for the world’s leading IT organisations.
The Challenge
In 2019, Virtustream is looking to extend its EMEA PR activity to support its communication strategy and to engage a greater breadth of press within its market territory. With many regions to take into account, namely United Kingdom, Nordics, Eastern and Southern Europe, the priority is to prepare and empower local level key spokespeople with rigorous media training and crisis communication to deliver a clear, consistent, corporate message that supports commercial business objectives, and for Virtustream executives to become the ‘go to’ source for the media.
The Campaign
With a strong, long-established reputation for building relationships with the media, understanding how the media works and the daily pressures journalists are under, C8 was invited to facilitate a comprehensive media training workshop that focused on new corporate communications guidelines, as well as strategic and tactical media training. Designed to engage and educate Virtustream’s key senior level EMEA spokespeople, the workshop empowered attendees to feel better equipped to manage interviews, focused on best practice in preparation, media training, broadcast opportunities, the shape of the media landscape, and rules of engagement. They learned how to succinctly and impactfully tell the Virtustream story, whilst ensuring message and brand consistency throughout target territories.
It’s imperative during these comprehensive media training sessions for attendees to understand the importance of the media and how to influence it; the different types of publications and what journalists are looking for; their role in building trusted relationships with the media; and the key do’s and don’ts whilst in dialogue.
The Results
A team of eight stakeholders representing five regions participated in a three hour media training session. Feedback from attendees demonstrated that they now feel better equipped to deliver aligned business messages to respected journalists and analysts in influential publications. The session gave the spokespeople the tactical knowledge to engage successfully with the media in different scenarios. The spokespeople were also introduced to the different types of journalists and a breakdown of their roles within their respective publications. The main aim of this training was to highlight how increased engagement with journalists and understanding how the media works can really pay dividends for Virtustream and its key spokespeople.
“With Virtustream’s new business alignment and messaging, C8 undertook a media training session with our senior EMEA team on corporate messaging and tactical media engagement. The session provided our spokespeople with key understanding of the media layout and a “how to” session on effective messaging engagement. The session was great and helped our spokespeople understand media behaviours and best practice as well as discussions on the regional perspectives.”
