• "I’ve worked with McGrath/Power for more than 10 years at companies in the enterprise and consumer technology markets – all with the same excellent results – driving awareness and delivering new customers – and bottom-line impact. The agency has been a trusted strategic partner at each of my companies and their value add cannot be overstated."

    - Phil Underwood

    Vice President, IPLocks

  • "PR is a very important function for our company as we operate in a crowded market with several aggressive competitors. Since we’ve worked with McGrath/Power, the change in our overall visibility has been significant and has helped move our business forward."

    - Jim Pante

    CEO, Tablus

  • "McGrath/Power has played in instrumental role in launching TiVo, helping us create the DVR product category and establishing the TiVo brand as synonymous with personal TV. The agency has great experience in both consumer and technology, which helped bring our story to life and influence our target audiences. I’ve worked with numerous agencies during my career and the TiVo launch with McGrath/Power was one of the most powerful public relations campaigns I’ve been involved with."

    - Ed MacBeth

    VP Marketing, TiVo

  • "I would recommend Jonathan and McGrath/Power to anyone wanting an exceptional, intelligent PR and Communications partner. I’ve worked directly with Jonathan for several years and at two start-ups – his quality of work is extraordinary and unique in his industry."

    - Shaun Coleman

    Co-Founder, Reconnex

  • "I’ve been impressed with McGrath/Power each time I’ve brought the agency on board as my strategic public relations partner. The agency’s ability to align the PR function with the goals of our company was key in driving business success factors, whether an acquisition or a major corporate repositioning. Beyond that, knowing that I have both the agency’s management team and skilled tacticians each playing an active role on my program enables me to have the perfect balance of strategic planning and successful program implementation."

    - Ed Murrer

    VP Marketing, Xcert
    (acquired by RSA Security)

  • "Your work exceeded my wildest expectations, and I thank you. We met with virtually every major business, consumer and tech publication that mattered and I made a dozen significant VC and carrier contacts through your efforts. From a messaging point of view, our story is crisp, clean, simple and above all, easy to relate to and clearly understood by our target audiences and the press that writes for them – a far cry from when I first approached you. I know that on this day I am your happiest client and most enthusiastic supporter. In fact, I don’t feel like a client at all. I feel like McGrath/Power is an integral part of the EasyReach team."

    - John Stossel

    CEO, EasyReach

  • "McGrath/Power played a critical role in establishing our MailStation email appliance as an important consumer electronics offering for those without a personal computer. The MailStation public relations effort helped reposition our company in the CE space and was a key driver in our acquisition by EarthLink. I was just as pleased to refer McGrath/Power to EarthLink to provide that company with PR activities surrounding the MailStation as I was to work alongside their team."

    - Tim Dooley

    Senior Vice President, CIDCO

  • "McGrath/Power is our strategic communications partner for technology issues in the United States and the agency has demonstrated its ability to get our message heard in that very noisy market."

    - Jon Earl

    Senior Group Media Relations Manager, Vodafone Group Plc

  • "McGrath/Power provided essential strategic PR counsel and consistently solid results over the nine years we partnered with them at Intellisync. They took us from start-up through IPO and beyond while always providing fresh perspective and proactive input."

    - Brad Rowe

    Founder,
    Intellisync Corporation

EarthLink

Challenge

Illustrating the Impact of Email on Interpersonal Communication

  • Various socioeconomic issues have prevented certain demographic groups in the U.S. from taking advantage of personal computers to use such tools as email
  • Low-income families often could not afford a PC while mature adults were often daunted by technology
  • EarthLink acquired McGrath/Power client CIDCO, the developer of the low-cost, email-only MailStation device
  • Earthlink, impressed by the significant McGrath/Power-driven MailStation program on behalf of CIDCO, retained agency
  • EarthLink wanted to extend its email service to broader demographic groups using the MailStation as an easy-to-use platform for non-technical consumers


Approach

  • Illustrate impact of email communication on lives of people who were previously without the medium via “Microcosm” program
  • Develop multiple “Microcosms” of users in select cities across U.S. that ranked low on the “connected” scale (number of homes online)
  • Develop microcosms at natural gathering spots including YMCAs, churches, etc.
  • Provide microcosm participants with a MailStation and EarthLink connectivity access
  • Request participants to keep a diary of communication activity
  • Enlist nationally recognized Internet behavior researcher from the University of Chicago to analyze diary date for themes in user family/friend interaction, impact of interaction driven by email communication
  • Package results to local and national media as “virtual reality story” with participant involvement in the media interview process


Results

  • Valuable business intelligence for EarthLink on user behavior and prospects for MailStation sales with new target audiences
  • Diverse feedback on usability and email demand further enabling EarthLink to plan for future marketing efforts
  • Ease of use validation for MailStation by participants who rapidly took email usage and increased interpersonal communication
  • Ongoing media coverage in all user markets highlighting the MailStation and positioning EarthLink as the provider of this unique device
  • Ongoing coverage from all the local daily papers in Microcosm cities highlighting status of study and positioning EarthLink/MailStation
  • Major, syndicated national coverage from the Associated Press, The Los Angeles Times and Miami Herald discussed big-picture aspects of study and positioning of EarthLink/MailStation