Exponent PR broke away from traditional agency website convention to stand out from local and national competition. The result was an interactive and modern website to help fuel the growth and reputation of the agency.
Through a simple user experience and powerful visuals, ExponentPR.com demonstrated the agency is definitely not a traditional PR shop. The color palette was refreshed to be optimistic and forward-looking. The Exponent red logo evolved subtly from muted pomegranate to cheerful tangerine to set the tone for the agency’s friendly culture.
The new palette also aligned with Colle+McVoy’s bright cerulean blue logo, creating a closer visual connection to the sister brands.
A bold manifesto, followed by the five tenets of modern PR, leads the home page. Each tenet is linked to case studies that show exactly how the agency’s capabilities and achievements mirror its beliefs. Rather than weighing down the case studies with heavy copy, Exponent chose key photos and instantly scannable numbers and quotes, along with bite-sized pieces of information.
Beyond the agency’s work, the website showcases its culture, which is defined by the modern, creative space it occupies as part of a fully integrated marketing firm. A looping video prominently showcases the agency’s space and culture as the homepage feature.
Because the agency is always engaging — and its clients are, too — it created a fully functional, fully designed mobile version of the web site and refreshed the design, photography and content strategy on all its social channels, as well.
“The cobbler’s children have no shoes” is a fitting analogy for many agency’s marketing efforts. Like many agencies, Exponent PR had pushed their own online properties to the bottom of the to-do list, superseded by client needs and new business prospects. The agency’s website, launched in 2008, no longer reflected its own modern approach to PR.
In 2013, Exponent PR needed a bold and unexpected online presence that would differentiate it from other agencies and, at the same time, introduce its modern approach to PR to new audiences. The agency wanted to reach both prospective clients who were seeking a true partner that understands public relations and prospective employees who were seeking an inspiring culture and opportunities to do great work.
The journey to an inspiring, modern website began with a comprehensive analysis of online ecosystems for ten local and national competitors, as well as an audit of Exponent’s own site and social media. This research showed that most PR websites rely heavily on written content, with very little imagery or innovative design. None of the competitors had a mobile site. It also showed that traffic to www.ExponentPR.com had been stagnant for more than a year.
Exponent decided to restructure its digital presence to demonstrate how its practice of public relations continually adapts to the changing media landscape — an on-the-go, digitally connected world.
As the basis for its website and social channels, Exponent chose its newly articulated Modern PR approach, based on five central tenets: We turn influencers into belief builders, not just buyers. We cultivate peers as trusted resources, not just media. We inspire story sharing, not just story angles. We bring brand values to life, not just product features. We’re always engaging, not just planning and reacting.
The new website experience has helped transform the agency’s reputation and engagement with key audiences. Traffic increased dramatically, as did new business inquiries and clients.
Within the first five months, there were 40,616 visits to the site. This represents 900 percent growth compared to site performance six months prior to the launch. The website is attracting new, national visitors. Out-of-state visits have increased by nearly 4,000 percent (nearly 40 percent of total traffic) when compared to the same time period prior to launch.
Visitors who scrolled down the home page to view the modern PR tenets were extremely engaged, spending an average of 7:39 minutes on site. Nearly half of all visitors (41 percent) have viewed one or more case studies on the site. The case studies are highly engaging, with visitors spending 4:19 minutes on site and visiting 3.75 pages. Exponent’s Facebook page also increased likes by 20 percent in the five months following relaunch.
On Twitter, “social media,” “public relations” and “jobs” are three of the top keywords associated with Exponent PR, indicating key conversations are happening with target audiences.
It’s clear that key visitors are finding what they see at ExponentPR.com compelling. Since the update Exponent has received an influx of new business inquiries and clients. The agency’s revenue is at an all-time high after a 29 percent increase in business growth over 2012. Exponent added seven national clients to their roster in 2013 and received three times as many job applications as during the same period in 2012.
Senior leadership has heard from several prospective clients that how the website reflects their own desire for fresh, creative thinking from a prospective agency partner.
