Summary
Man Bites Dog is a specialist professional services PR agency, focusing on creating compelling though leadership to inspire headlines, generate conversations and deliver sales. In the year 2010/11, he agency grew 94 per cent, won flagship accounts against much larger competitors, retained more than 90 per cent of its client business and its staff, and laid firm foundations for future success.
Client wins
The agency specialist delivered a 100 per cent conversion rate on competitive pitches generating flagship wins including Yell, KPMG and ABN AMRO. Its growing social media team also landed digital clients including digital agency Rufus Leonard and comparator MakeItCheaper.com.
Client retention
Last year all but one of Man Bites Dog’s clients renewed its contracts, with clients including the Institute of Customer Service and Capita increasing spend significantly. Founding client Hay Group UK appointed us to handle its Hay Group EMEA retainer (following a five way pitch) and its global thought leadership brief. The agency consistently scores 8.5 or above in client satisfaction surveys and recommendation remains our primary source of new business.
Financial performance
Despite tough economic conditions and a weak service sector, this year the agency achieved the following:
- Turnover increase of 94 per cent.
- Fee income increase of 63 per cent (compared with an industry average of nine per cent).
- Delivered profit on fee income of 36 per cent (margins have been above 36 per cent since 2005).
Staff and community engagement
Man Bites Dog aims to provide a London career with a Brighton lifestyle, working with big business brands a stone’s throw from the beach. Its staff development programme, Training Cats & Dogs, is understood to be a key reason why it was one of PR Week’s Top Five Best Places to Work.
The agency aspires to maintain a fun, achievement-driven culture supported by flexible working, family-friendly benefits, Pet Passports: its annual European weekender (2010 Dubrovnik) and a 10 per cent profit share scheme for all staff. It also devotes five per cent of our time to staff selected pro bono clients the National Literacy Trust and entrepreneurship charity WEConnect
Case Study: KPMG – ‘The cost boomerang’
Objectives
- Raise awareness of KPMG’s consultancy business.
- Create a differentiated proposition for its cost optimisation and revenue enhancement services.
The agency identified, quantified and branded key business threats aligned to KPMG’s propositions:
1. Price Lag: damage to profits due to unsustainable recession discounting.
2. Cost Boomerang: the return of costs cut by firms during recession.
Market research demonstrated that price lag was costing UK firms over £20 billion in lost revenues and warned £90 billion of costs cut were set to return to the bottom line. It also proved that firms intended to exploit the VAT rise to inflate prices, generating debate with the British Retail Consortium.
Man Bites Dog’s approach placed PR at the heart of KPMG’s consultancy division, delivering a clear call to action and generating demand by promoting the problems KPMG’s services solve. The campaign secured over 70 high profile coverage hits, leading share of voice among Big Four competitors. Coverage drove leads from major FMCG manufacturers, while the white papers prompted client discussions and informed sector sales campaigns. “You have made a tremendous difference to our business this year,” commented Scott Parker, managing partner, KPMG
Performance & technology
Case Study: Capita – ‘Learning to change’
Objectives
- Promote the strategic value of Capita’s Learning & Development (L&D) managed service.
- Overcome the perception that L&D is not business critical.
- Create a platform for media coverage and business development.
Strategy & implementation
Man Bites Dog put learning and development on the boardroom agenda by designing research to prove that:
- Inadequate skills are the greatest threat to economic and business recovery.
- Inhouse L&D functions are too slow to respond to business strategy.
Impact
Media coverage included a double FT exclusive, flagship broadcast interviews including BBC and CNBC and blanket key trade coverage including Personnel Today, HR Magazine, HR Review and Training Journal, all positioning our client’s expertise on the strategic impact of L&D in challenging times. The research is now widely quoted by authorities from the Chartered Institute of Management to the Centre for Learning & Development. The research-based white paper created informed a prospect engagement campaign, resulting in meetings with over 30 organisations and several commercial opportunities.
“Man Bites Dog live up to their mission to be the advisors to the advisors!I am impressed with the quality of the whole team, their strategic counsel and the great results they deliver," commented John Harris, director of sales, Capita, Development Solutions.
Case Study 3: Venture Finance – ‘Financing Britain’s growth’
Objectives
- Raise awareness of invoice finance and asset based lending (IABL) as an effective source of growth finance.
- Position Venture Finance as a finance thought leader and champion of SME growth.
Man Bites Dog positioned IABL as the ‘third way’ for cash strapped SMEs to raise growth finance, educating SMEs and influencers on this alternative to bank debt and investor equity.
Market research amongst UK accountants highlighted the extent of the finance gap facing the UK’s SMEs and the need for more flexible finance solutions. The campaign coordinated a series of influencer roundtable events – engaging participants including MPs, BIS, industry bodies and SMEs. It stimulated debate with a series of multimedia press releases based on roundtable footage and research findings.
Impact In addition to direct influencer engagement we generated on-message media coverage in titles including Financial Times, FT Advisor, Daily Telegraph and Accounting, with social media debates on Twitter and LinkedIn. Media coverage and campaign-based email marketing increased Venture’s web traffic by 30 per cent, with 400+ report downloads and 200+ video views to date.
“Man Bites Dog is an energetic, creative and highly strategic PR agency. Since working with them we
have been impressed with both their drive to push the boundaries in all our communications activities and with their constant focus on delivering the best results possible,” commented Kellie Marsh, brand communications manager, Venture Finance
