From Fast Co. to Nasdaq, The “Make Work Better” Book Launch Outperforms Expectations

Led by serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur and CEO Doug Dennerline, Betterworks helps HR leaders adapt to the evolving workforce. Informed by organizational psychology and partnerships with top companies, its SaaS goal-setting platform aligns individuals and teams with company objectives for substantial growth.

Betterworks’ integrated approach includes feedback, recognition and engagement surveys, fostering a culture of trust and connection known as “performance enablement.” By empowering leaders to create collaborative workplaces where employees feel respected and engaged, Betterworks aims to make work better for everyone.

Challenge

“Make Work Better” – The Book Launch

Coauthored by Doug Dennerline and Jamie Aitken, VP of transformation at Betterworks, the book “Make Work Better” highlights the need for modern solutions, as relying on outdated performance review processes hampers productivity and engagement, especially among millennial and Gen-Z employees, leading to lowered transparency and increased turnover.

Bospar was tasked with promoting “Make Work Better” as the go-to resource for HR leaders, performance managers, CEOs and HR practitioners at every level who want to improve employee performance, amplify engagement and company culture and empower people.

Strategy

We implemented a multi-faceted approach to maximize coverage and offset the challenge of a field crowded with competitors with a far greater share of voice (SOV) to pave the way for the book’s publication. Our approach proved successful – within just six months of partnering with Betterworks, we successfully elevated its SOV to the top position among all its competitors.

Campaign Results

156 K Total Impressions on LinkedIn Ads
1.5 K Total Clicks on LinkedIn Ads
19.40 USD CPM (cost per 1K impressions) | Compared to LinkedIn Average of $33.80
1.98 USD CPC (cost per click)|Compared to LinkedIn Average of $5.58

Success

EXECUTION

With an emphasis on media relations and thought leadership, Bospar played a pivotal role in spreading the book’s message and generating significant buzz in the business world.

 

Thought Leader Positioning

We positioned Dennerline and Aitken as thought leaders in the field of performance enablement, crafting compelling bylined articles and op-eds showcasing their expertise and insights to maximize the book’s reach and influence in the HR industry.

These pieces were strategically placed in influential publications to establish thought leadership.

Leveraging Aitken’s Forbes Council membership, we kept up a steady stream of commentary contributions, leading to her inclusion in several roundups, including Here’s How To Create A More Inclusive Remote Work Culture, engaging a whole new audience of up to 100 million business leaders and readers.

Along with promoting co-authors Aitken and Dennerline for podcasts, media interviews and newsjacking commentary, we broadened the spokesperson bench to showcase other Betterworks thought leaders. One example is Caitlin Collins, an organizational psychologist and the program strategy director at Betterworks. Our approach yielded an impactful byline placement for Collins in Fast Company: A psychologist explains how this particular factor skews performance reviews

Following the book’s publication, we continued to strive for tier-one exposure leading back to the key themes of “Make Work Better” and Betterworks’ overall mission. This Newsweek article spoke to the core tenets of Betterworks’ performance enablement philosophy Bouncing Back from a Negative Performance Review. The article syndicated widely, reaching 42.2 million readers.

 

Targeted Media Outreach
Bospar conducted comprehensive research to identify key media outlets and journalists specializing in business, HR and leadership. We personalized pitches highlighting the unique aspects of “Make Work Better” and its potential impact on organizations.

 

Media Coaching
Bospar provided media training to Aitken and Dennerline, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed for interviews to ensure consistent messaging and effective communication.

 

Social Media Amplification

Bospar launched a customized, multi-part social media ad program focused on building broad brand awareness among Betterworks’ target audience and leveraged the established visibility within the audience to drive interested and qualified traffic to the preorder of “Make Work Better.”

In part one, Bospar launched an awareness ad on LinkedIn, strategically targeted to its key audience. The team developed several customized copy sets paired with branded graphics to familiarize the target audience with Betterworks and spread general branded messaging. In part two, Bospar launched a conversion ad — retargeting those that saw and engaged with the awareness ad — with copy and graphics focused on “Make Work Better.” The two-pronged approach enabled Betterworks to optimize its reach, creating two meaningful touchpoints between its target audience and the brand.

 

RESULT

Thanks to PR, Betterworks’ shot to number one among competitors in its SOV, positioned its authors as thought leaders and secured a steady cadence of trade and tier-one media coverage in publications, like Forbes (Bryan Robinson), Fast Company (Stephanie Vozza), Built In (Margo Steines), Spiceworks (Marc Coleman), Substack (Hung Lee) and TechCrunch (Frederic Lardinois).

The team even organized a memorable Nasdaq photo op in Times Square, maximizing the book’s impact and helping it gain recognition as a go-to resource in the field of performance enablement.

With a $3,000 LinkedIn ad investment and a quick turnaround time, the Bospar social team achieved stellar campaign results, achieving both increased brand visibility and clicks to the “Make Work Better” download.

 

Coverage

Between January 1, 2023, and July 31, 2023, Bospar secured 110 pieces of coverage on behalf of Betterworks, amounting to 1.3 billion combined total of publication-wide audience.

 

Business Impact

Betterworks’ media traction served two important client categories. It reinforced the company’s credibility with current clients and served as an essential touchpoint for potential customers, providing legitimacy and buzz that set Betterworks apart from its competitors in the HR tech industry.

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