Osborn Barr (O+B) had a strong reputation in the St. Louis and Kansas City markets and within the agri-business industry as one of the top marketing communications agencies in the country. As they prepared to merge with Paramore, a Nashville-based digital agency, they faced the challenge of introducing their brand in Nashville while enhancing their national presence––particularly within target client industries such as agriculture and tourism.
While O+B had an in-house PR team, they called on REED to pilot the acquisition announcement on both a local and national level. In order to strategically announce the merger to clients, employees and prospects, REED developed a tailored media relations and internal communications plan. This plan included coordinating an exclusive opportunity for the business journals in the company’s three primary markets––Nashville, St. Louis and Kansas City––to jointly break the story, followed by coverage in national, trade and secondary local media outlets.
As a result, O+B and Paramore’s announcement received a total of 99.4 million media impressions. REED was then retained to continue media outreach and social media management for the joint company, which included crafting key messaging and internal communications strategies for its rebranding as O+B | P. Additionally, O+B | P’s executive team worked closely with REED to message a major agency campaign known as “The Rural Spirit” while writing and placing articles in local newspapers and ag-related and tourism publications––including Agrimarketing and Delta Farm Press––to reinforce O+B | P’s position as a thought and industry leader.