Keas
Corporate Health & Wellness
First launch
When Keas engaged Brazer Communications to launch the company, rumors had already been swirling around the blogosphere about the nature of the company that CEO and Co-founder Adam Bosworth was starting. As the person who had launched and led Google Health for two years, and prior to that, had played significant roles in the development of Microsoft Access and IE and XML, Adam was buzz-worthy. We wanted to capitalize on that and keep the buzz going.
To create a solid platform, we conducted competitive and SWOT analyses and developed the brand positioning and messaging. Our public launch strategy was to invite one influential publication to "pull back the cover" on Adam's new venture. By offering an exclusive to the New York Times, building off a trend story relating to EHRs, the launch news was deep and thorough and set the stage for all subsequent traditional and online publication and conversation about Keas and its influence on healthcare reform.
To create a solid platform, we conducted competitive and SWOT analyses and developed the brand positioning and messaging. Our public launch strategy was to invite one influential publication to "pull back the cover" on Adam's new venture. By offering an exclusive to the New York Times, building off a trend story relating to EHRs, the launch news was deep and thorough and set the stage for all subsequent traditional and online publication and conversation about Keas and its influence on healthcare reform.
Results
The New York Times ran an extensive story focusing on Keas with the headline, "A New Web Tool to Take Control of Your Health" – capturing the essence of Keas to inspire consumers to sign up for Keas’s free beta.
We worked with the journalist to have the story land the first day of the Health 2.0 conference at which Adam was a keynote speaker to share the first public details about Keas. These two events tripped the switch for significant buzz in major media and throughout the blogosphere. Keas was successfully launched, 10,000 new beta users signed on, and we generated millions of media impressions.
Adam wrote to Brazer, "Good job!!! Now that's what I call PR :)”
We worked with the journalist to have the story land the first day of the Health 2.0 conference at which Adam was a keynote speaker to share the first public details about Keas. These two events tripped the switch for significant buzz in major media and throughout the blogosphere. Keas was successfully launched, 10,000 new beta users signed on, and we generated millions of media impressions.
Adam wrote to Brazer, "Good job!!! Now that's what I call PR :)”
Launch Coverage Highlights
- Full-length feature in New York Times, with several photographs. The Times proved its reputation as the media's “assignment desk,” igniting tremendous interest from the blogosphere and other media outlets.
- Broadcast coverage from national networks followed: CNBC Prime Time Special, CBS The Early Show and FOX Business News broadcast.
- All Things D Web video with Wall Street Journal reporter Kara Swisher prior to Adam's presentation at Health 2.0.
- Public Radio: National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, KQED technology news, and American Public Radio newscast.
- There were numerous other trade, health and consumer publications and blogs that picked up information from the New York Times.
Re-Launch
Over the course of the 18 months following its launch, Keas determined that its business model as a consumer-facing company was not viable, and it started developing a new model. In short, Keas pivoted. It planned to relaunch as a business-to-business company offering an employee wellness program that leveraged the phenomena of social media and gamification to engage employees in their health.
Challenge:
To maintain the goodwill developed in the first launch while introducing an entirely new and different business model and product.
Solution:
To position the product entirely independently from any reference to the original Keas, yet still leverage the story of the company’s pivot in order to secure media interest. We knew it was inevitable that the media would want to know the reasons behind the change. Adam’s honest assessment was greatly appreciated by journalists who then quickly moved beyond it to focus on the new product.
Relaunch Coverage Highlights
Two in-depth online video interviews with TechCrunch’s Erick Schonfeld and The Scobleizer’s Robert Scoble, who also wrote a piece for The Business Insider. The headlines were Adam Bosworth Unveils Keas, The Game That Keeps You Healthy and How To Lose Weight By Competing With Your Co-Workers.
Print and Online Coverage
- The Wall Street Journal, Beyond FarmVille: Social Games To Improve Health
- San Francisco Chronicle, The Only Way to Get People to Care About their Health
- INC. Technology, Keas Lets Users Play for Their Health
- BNET.com - The CBS Interactive Business Network, Lessons from Zynga and Facebook: Inspire Work With Play
- Efforts to reach directly one of Keas’ key target audiences, human resources professionals, included securing a speaking slot for Keas at the big annual SHRM conference (Society for Human Resource Management).
