Hitting a Home Run with the Most Unlikely Story and Scoring Big (Leads)

In PR, not every story walks in gift-wrapped and ready for prime time. Some start with roadblocks, hesitation, and a customer unsure about sharing their experience. But with the right strategy, even the toughest situations can become powerful campaigns. In this case, we transformed a challenging scenario into a major opportunity, ultimately delivering one of our client's most successful campaigns to date. Spoiler alert: it ends with a home run.

The client had provided a key piece of equipment to a growing company aiming to improve their operations and lower expenses. The rollout encountered some initial challenges that required teamwork and adjustments from everyone involved. As an early adopter of a new product, this customer represented an important opportunity. To share a meaningful success story, we knew it would require careful handling and collaboration.

The trouble was, no one knew the scope of the challenges until we connected with the customer.

After a few attempts to schedule a call, the customer indicated they might not be the ideal candidate for a case study. Their hesitation was understandable, and the interview helped clarify the reasons behind it. They also shared a positive outcome: the equipment paid for itself in about 60 days, and they were interested in purchasing additional units. We shared this information with our client to equip their sales team with useful insights.

Patience Is a PR Strategy

Building trust takes time, so we approached the situation with patience. We paused the case study and returned to the conversation a few months later, hoping to obtain a short statement capturing the measurable results. During the second interview, the conversation flowed, and we gathered enough information for a full case study. The customer promptly approved the write-up.

From Case Study to Chain Reaction

That’s when the momentum started building: a press release followed. The story attracted interest from industry media, and leads began to come in.

Then came the really big ask: our client’s target trade publication wanted end-users for an upcoming webinar. This was a huge opportunity. 

The problem? Only one of the three customers fit the bill, and this customer already taken part. It was no surprise that he didn't respond to further invitations.

Our client asked. The trade magazine asked. Still, nothing.

The editor was ready to move on without our client’s voice on the panel. That’s when we stepped back in. We coached, facilitated, and made participation as frictionless as possible. He said yes.

Major win.

The webinar was a hit. The customer spoke with clarity and authenticity. One of the other panelists even remarked that he wished he’d heard the customer's success story sooner. 

As for our client? They walked away with over 145 qualified leads. 

The customer? They’re scaling with confidence.

Turning a Hurdle Into a Home Run

What began as a challenging situation became one of our client’s most effective campaigns, driven by patience, strategy, and a commitment to authentic storytelling. The effort led to a compelling case study, media impact, a well-received webinar, and measurable results: increased visibility, over 145 qualified leads, and stronger sales conversations.

It’s a reminder that even challenging moments can become powerful narratives.

See how strategic PR can help your success story shine. Book a discovery meeting with our team.