I Act On

Fenton partnered with PwC to advance the firm’s CEO Action efforts through a top-tier positioning and media strategy.

Challenge

PwC has been spearheading multiple internal programs to upskill its workforce and make the company more inclusive for all employees. These include digital accelerator programs, student loan paydown, and other benefits that allow parents more flexibility to thrive at work and at home. Externally, PwC had been running a $320 million initiative to help teachers prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow. They came to Fenton seeking a firm to help tie these various initiatives together into a coherent narrative that could be communicated externally in a way that inspired people to act. PwC was also looking for a strategic partner who could come to the table with new, bold ideas that would distinguish the company from competitors.

Our Approach

Fenton began by structuring the strategy around four core territories that tied communications objectives with larger business goals: workforce of the future, inclusivity in the workplace, evolving workplace expectations and purpose as a business driver. This helped Fenton position different initiatives as part of a larger narrative and connected separate verticals in a way that allowed for programmatic and timely media outreach as well as long-term thought leadership building for key PwC executives. In addition, this allowed us to identify gaps in PwC’s programs and gave us the opportunity to recommend strategic additions that aligned with the firm’s business goals.

Next, Fenton created an editorial calendar that tracked key milestones of core initiatives to ensure we are taking advantage of major news moments to generate press coverage. At the same time, we tapped into our network of media contacts at major publications to provide background information for evergreen trend pieces and to make sure PwC is top of mind when a relevant story arises in the news cycle. While elevating core initiatives, we also focused on promoting the thought leadership profile of several PwC executives spearheading the company’s corporate responsibility, diversity and inclusion and talent acquisition efforts. We set up desksides with journalists, pitched the executives as speakers for high-profile events, and pushed op-ed placements in targeted publications that reach PwC’s desired audiences.

Success

Fenton conducted media outreach that resulted in a steady cadence of coverage from top-tier publications including Wall Street Journal, Forbes, MIT Technology Review, HR Dive, Squawk Box and Essence for a total 23,854,233 impressions. We are also in the process of placing multiple op-eds with trade publications and have garnered numerous opportunities for PwC executives to meet with leading business reporters in the field. The team also secured a main stage paid-speaking opportunity for Shannon Schuyler, PwC’s Chief Purpose Officer, at MAKERS.