Quicksilva Ltd came on board with Rainier PR in March 2006. An independent supplier of software and services to the healthcare IT industry, Quicksilva was keen to increase brand awareness among organisations impacted by the NHS Connecting for Health Programme (CfH). A key part of Rainier PR’s remit was to raise the profile of the Wiltshire-based company and that of its Spinal Tap product at a time when the healthcare sector is not only alive with new and exciting technology, but also highly competitive.

Campaign

Quicksilva is not an average run of the mill IT company; its approach to both staff and business are unique in that they offer creative benefits to clients and staff. The company offers garden patches for employees who don’t have gardens at home, and a Tibetan Yurt was installed in the summertime so that staff could work wirelessly in the garden during the hot weather. As its PR representative, Rainier PR needed to develop a unique PR programme that would be able to leverage Quicksilva’s assets to its best advantage. This meant pursuing opportunities within the health care trade press, but also thinking outside the box to spot other opportunities that would support Quicksilva’s business objectives.

 

First out of the blocks was the development of an issues-based news release around the launch of its flagship product Spinal Tap. This is an integration tool that will enable organisations impacted by the CfH to seamlessly and quickly plug into the Spine, the corporate back bone of the NHS. Rainier PR ’s campaign showcased how Spinal Tap addresses the pain points organisations face when integrating their IT with the Spine as part of the CfH programme.

 

Following the successful Spinal Tap release, Rainier PR looked to leverage a customer story with high street retailer Boots, focusing on how Spinal Tap’s functionalities were bringing significant business benefits in Boots’ drive towards CfH compliance. Rainier PR secured priceless customer interviews with leading titles Computing, Silicon and EHealth Insider.

 

Coverage-generating activity has been supported by profile raising, through a comprehensive awards programme focusing on Quicksilva’s unique working culture. Local and national awards have been targeted that recognise its commitment and innovative business approach.

Results
The results speak for themselves and after just one year, Quicksilva’s profile has increased significantly. The Spinal Tap release generated eight business leads out of 63 pieces of press coverage in total. Rainier PR’s ability to widen the PR programme and spot relevant opportunities outside of the healthcare press also lead to managing director Gayna Hart securing a cover for Director magazine. A strong 2006 was capped off in December when Quicksilva won Growing Business’ Award for Innovative Company of the Year, an accolade quickly followed by the Virgin Mobile Award for Best Business Culture in March 2007 at the Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards.