
PR Success Story: Elevating ARC From Copycat to Cloud Tech Leader
ARC Document Solutions was at a crossroads and wanted to reinvent itself.
Known as a reprographics company, it saw the future of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry shifting to the cloud – and it wanted to help lead the way.
The B2B business was searching for a public relations agency partner that would help it to:
- Introduce its new SkySite product and the company’s vision for the AEC industry
- Utilize the product launch to create visibility of the company’s brand as a leader in document management technology and the overall AEC arena
- Create product visibility and awareness among key technology and AEC influencers
- Craft a story about the need for an industry cloud solution in the AEC marketplace
- Educate key audiences about the product’s core functionality and key differentiators
- Highlight the offering as an all-in-one, end-to-end solution
- Continue to build ongoing, consistent visibility for the product and company
Challenge
But the company faced an uphill battle.
It knew it wouldn’t be easy getting its story out in a market in which tech darlings like Box and Newforma were already monopolizing the media spotlight, making it nearly impossible for a company best known for reprographics to grab attention.
While niche construction publications might cover its new product launch, the company’s ambitions were bigger. It wanted to win credibility as a cloud technology leader and earn headlines in mainstream business and technology press. Its PR push wasn’t just about visibility, it was about rewriting perceptions in a market crowded with louder, better-known players.
Strategy
The company selected and collaborated with some of our public relations experts to create and bring to media and the market targeted messaging and positioning and a layered PR approach.
Our PR messaging and positioning strategy emphasized the company as a leading industry cloud technology provider and the B2B organization’s newly launched offering as:
- The first technology solution that was built specifically with the AEC industry in mind
- A cloud-based suite to maximize proficiency and minimize redundancy and cost
- An all-in-one solution delivering seamless experience vs competing, siloed offerings
The layered PR strategy focused on three primary pillars: launching the product, spotlighting thought leadership and showcasing company momentum. To break through the noise, the public relations team designed a strategy as ambitious as the company’s reinvention. At its core was a layered approach built to shift perception, generate credibility and fuel momentum.
- Launch with impact: We turned the client’s solution debut into more than a product announcement – it became proof that the company was evolving into a true technology leader. By weaving the launch into broader industry conversations and securing visibility at major trade shows, we positioned the company as a category pioneer.
- Lead the conversation: We established the company as the voice of authority in the AEC cloud space. The survey questions that the public relations team crafted and research that the PR professionals commissioned validated the need for an industry-specific solution, while awards, speaking opportunities and the contributed content the team wrote and placed elevated the client’s executives as thought leaders shaping the future.
- Build unstoppable momentum: The strategic PR program kept the company in the headlines with a steady drumbeat of company milestones, executive profiles and analyst relations, ensuring the narrative didn’t just launch – it kept on growing.
The public relations campaign was a success!
We achieved the goal of getting covered by key vertical publications such as Constructech and Construction Specifier (Dilo Wijesuriya reporting). We generated coverage in local business media outlets such as the San Francisco Business Times (Patrick Hoge reporting).
Even more exciting, our PR led to top-tier media coverage in Forbes (Ben Kepes reporting).
This positioned the client and its groundbreaking new product as category leaders.