Company: ACCPAC International
Company Description: Based in Pleasanton, Calif., USA, with offices in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, the Middle East, the Netherlands, South Africa, Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom, ACCPAC has more than 500,000 customers and more than 7,000 channel partners in more than 130 countries worldwide.
Nomination Category: Team Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Communications Team

Nomination Title: ACCPAC Press and Analyst Relations Team

Tell the story about what this nominated team achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

In 2002, ACCPAC was rapidly evolving from it roots as a developer of small
business and mid-size business accounting software, to a provider of end-to-end
business management applications where accounting was one element, albeit a
foundational one.  The ACCPAC brand was in transition, and the PR effort needed
to reinforce the change as quickly as possible through direct contact with media
and analysts. At the same time, cost control was critical as the company
prepared for an IPO. 

To both reduce costs and forge direct relationships with media and analysts, the
company decided to hire a PR director and sever its agency relationship.  The
transition occurred over a 30 day period in June/July 2002.

The new team’s first tasks involved setting up the infrastructure to build and track
contacts and coverage. Contracts were negotiated for editorial calendar and
contact services, as well as coverage tracking services. A tracking mechanism
was developed in house for logging and evaluating coverage.

Next, the team identified a core set of publications, writers, and editors in North
America that focused on the company’s renewed areas of interest:  accounting,
CRM, HR, warehousing/logistics, small business, and the reseller channel through
which the company sells all of its products.  Within those contacts, editorial
calendar opportunities for the next 12 months were identified and prioritized, and
the team began contacting editors with the goal of generating significant coverage
and establishing ACCPAC as a reliable and responsive source for stories in those
markets. 

At the same time, the team developed a program for consistent outbound
messaging, planning 3 to 4 press releases per month.  These would generate
basic news about new developments and client successes that could be
developed into stories.  They also forged a core of information flow that could be
shared with the company’s reseller partner channel and with industry analysts to
show new momentum from ACCPAC.

A core set of influential industry analysts was also identified and a
communications program was set up to introduce them to the company, its
strategies, and new products. The program aimed to establish ACCPAC’s
credibility with these sources, and in turn leverage them for enhanced awareness
in press releases, news articles, and research documentation on the industry. 

ACCPAC spokespersons were identified and made available even on very short
notice to speak with journalists and analysts.  

Industry awards programs were also identified, and applications regularly
submitted.

While the total program was not unique, offered no unusual approaches, and
attempted no high profile PR events, the elemental strategy of diligent homework,
direct responsiveness to journalist and analyst requests, and clear internal and
external communications processes created significant impact. ACCPAC is now
known as an aggressive competitor in the accounting and CRM markets in
particular.

Year over year (fiscal 2002 & 2003):
· Press release output increased 91%
· Recorded press hits increased 99%
· Awards and reviews increased 125%
· Expenditures decreased 49%

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

Press releases: http://www.accpac.com/media/default.asp
Awards generated: http://www.accpac.com/media/awards.asp
Selected coverage generated: http://www.accpac.com/media/articles.asp

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of this nominated team:

John Schoutsen, Vice President, Press and Analyst Relations, is responsible for
the company's PR and analyst strategy and works hands on for execution. 
Previously, he was Vice President, Distribution Sales, and Vice President North
American Sales, for ACCPAC and Director of Marketing, Computer Associates
Canada.

Mark Priscaro, Director of Public Relations, is responsible for PR and analyst
relations. Working closely with Mr. Schoutsen, Mr. Priscaro is responsible for
executing the PR program at ACCPAC.  He was previously a PR Director with HP, held senior agency positions, taught journalism, and is an experienced radio news reporter.