Cimcorp Case Study

Re-establishing Brand Leader with New Name in North America

OVERVIEW

Cimcorp Group is a leading global supplier of turnkey automation for intralogistics, using advanced robotics and software technologies in the tire, food & beverage, retail, e-commerce, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and postal services industries.

With locations in Finland, Canada and the United States, the group has approximately 400 employees and has delivered over 2,500 logistics automation solutions around the world. Cimcorp’s systems are used within manufacturing and distribution centers in 40 countries across five continents. Cimcorp Group – comprising Cimcorp Oy in Finland, Cimcorp Automation Ltd. in Canada and Cimcorp USA, Inc. in the United States – is part of Murata Machinery, Ltd., the fourth biggest logistics automation supplier in the world with more than 1.6 billion euros in annual sales.

CHALLENGE

On Jan. 1, 2015, Cimcorp Automated Ltd. was created to represent the recently acquired Grimsby, Ontario, Canada–based RMT Robotics. The veteran, industry-recognized innovator in robotics materials handling was faced with an uphill battle to maintain its reputation as RMT Robotics through a complete rebrand in the final phase of the acquisition by Cimcorp Oy.

The respected, but comparatively much smaller-profile Canadian entity was concerned that the great gains of embracing the Cimcorp brand would be utterly offset by the loss of the firm’s most valued commodity – the trusted brand of RMT Robotics. Specifically, Cimcorp executives feared a lack of name recognition among North American industry players would result in lost deals and missed opportunities.

The company needed help to build the Cimcorp brand on this side of the Atlantic, both in Canada and as it eyed a significant expansion into the United States. Company executives retained DPR Group based on our in-depth expertise, experience and proven track record in supply chain and logistics public relations and marketing.

Key Goals

  • Position RMT Robotics for a successful rebranding as Cimcorp Automated Ltd.
  • Introduce Cimcorp to the North American market.
  • Increase media coverage with warehouse automation and supply chain trade, business and technology media.
  • Build additional credibility for Cimcorp by developing and pitching high-quality customer success stories to targeted media outlets.

EXECUTION

In order to establish and elevate awareness of Cimcorp’s brand, DPR Group coordinated public relations campaigns for significant company events: the unveiling of Cimcorp to North America, the roll out of Cimcorp’s 3D shuttle (a goods-to-man automatic storage and retrieval solution) at ProMat 2015 and the opening of Cimcorp’s first U.S. office (Cimcorp USA) during the 2016 MODEX trade show. Further, DPR Group maintained a steady distribution of news releases to notify key media of new product launches, new hires and promotions, event attendance, and speaking sessions by Cimcorp executives.

To establish Cimcorp’s credibility as a thought leader in the area of robotic gantry systems, DPR Group placed a series of bylined articles by Cimcorp executives in publications such as Modern Materials Handling, Target Magazine, Plant Engineering, New Equipment Digest, Robotic Magazine, Beverage World, Manufacturing Business Technology, Tire Technology International, IndustryWeek, Industry Today and Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

DPR Group also developed case studies about Kroger, L’Oréal and Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc. to promote Cimcorp’s successes. Specifically, the L’Oréal case study generated media coverage in Logistics Manager, inspired a presentation with L’Oréal at ProMat 2017 and spurred Cimcorp’s selection as a Modern Materials Handling 2017 Productivity Achievement Award Winner for the Warehousing/Distribution category.

Since Cimcorp’s successful North American brand roll out in 2015, the company continues to achieve significant revenue and employee growth and boasts a number of successful client implementations in target markets. As the company has grown, so has DPR Group’s role and level of service to Cimcorp.

While DPR Group sought to inform the firm’s North American target audience – via the business, trade and technology media – about RMT Robotics’ transition to the Cimcorp brand, DPR staffers also worked inside the company to help bridge the gap between North American and Finnish language nuances. This has allowed a united Cimcorp to harmonize the strengths of each individual branch into a single, global marketing entity.

Notably, Cimcorp has engaged DPR Group to implement an inbound marketing campaign designed to generate additional leads and further Cimcorp’s impressive growth both within North America and globally. Working in close cooperation with Cimcorp’s North American and Finnish divisions, DPR Group is developing a full range of content – articles, blogs, white papers, tip sheets – as part of an inbound marketing campaign offensive.

DPR Group Achievements

  • Established the brand’s reputation in North America as a leading provider of automated warehouse systems for food & beverage, tire distribution, and goods-to-person manufacturers by disseminating a steady stream of positive news stories about Cimcorp.
  • Positioned and promoted company executives as thought leaders in the areas of robotic gantry systems with the placement of ghostwritten articles in the trade media.
  • Secured high-value media coverage of Cimcorp and its executives through press releases, case studies and contributed articles.
  • Leveraged the L’Oréal customer success story to secure media coverage, inspire a presentation at ProMat 2017 and help Cimcorp win the Modern Materials Handling 2017 Productivity Achievement Award for the Warehousing/Distribution category.
  • Created compelling content for Cimcorp’s in-house publication: Flow Magazine.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW

“The key factor for Cimcorp when choosing a PR firm was finding representation that could create well-written, persuasive content and elevate brand recognition for the company in our industry. DPR exceeds our expectations and helps us beyond content creation. They have become a reliable resource for many of our global marketing initiatives.”

– Lori Vaughan, Marketing Communications Manager, Cimcorp North America

What People Are Saying

DPR has been an asset to Barcoding’s marketing department since 2010. Through their expert writing, advice, and connections, we’ve secured local and national media coverage, leveraged the power of search engine optimization (SEO) with a strategy of inbound content marketing, and strengthened our brand’s reputation as a leading systems integrator.

Jody Costa
Barcoding

DPR Group’s extensive knowledge and experience in PR and marketing have elevated the Cetrom brand, increased awareness of our services across the industry, and secured numerous award wins and media placements. We value the partnership that has developed and DPR’s contribution to our overall success.

Christopher Stark, President and CEO
Cetrom Information Technology, Inc.

At this point in time, Hermes has a well-established brand throughout Europe, but the company does not have the same level of name recognition in North America. So we decided to partner with DPR Group to let U.S. retailers know about the full range of e-commerce services Hermes offers for e-businesses and international expansion. DPR Group did a fantastic job for Hermes at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE), promoting attendance at our sessions and scheduling media interviews before and after. We’ve never had as much press coverage at any U.S. event before. I highly recommend DPR Group to foreign companies seeking to launch their products and services in U.S. markets.

Uwe Bald
Hermes

DPR Group has provided valuable public relations insight and helped us increase our marketplace visibility on a local and national level. Our partnership has enabled us to focus on growing our client base, while expanding our messaging and showcasing our unique services.

Kim Cubine

DPR Group has achieved results for DirectMail.com that have far exceeded our initial expectations. We look forward to a long-term relationship with DPR Group as an integral part of our corporate growth goals.

Robert Salta
DirectMail.com

Abatement Technologies is growing faster than ever, and, with this growth, we are focused on building brand awareness and educating experts on the solutions that are readily available to them. By leveraging DPR Group to secure high-level media placements, we’re able to better educate the public about the importance of indoor air quality and how to better protect themselves and others.

Lori Vaughan, Marketing Manager
Abatement Technologies

At Linortek, we specialize in designing and manufacturing controllers for the Internet of Things, a market involving connecting all type of equipment and devices to the Internet. We made the decision to partner with DPR Group because of the company’s proven track record of securing greater market visibility in the high-tech and manufacturing arenas. In addition, the DPR Group team is flexible enough to adapt their ongoing strategies and programs to help us meet our evolving needs and goals.

Liyu Nalven, Vice President
Linortek

Cimcorp utilizes DPR Group for its ability to create well-written, persuasive content and that elevates our brand recognition. DPR helps us beyond content creation — They have become a reliable resource for many of our global marketing initiatives and continue to help drive our brand to reach new heights.

Kristiner Taylor, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Cimcorp Automation Ltd.

DPR Group is a trusted adviser to both Quality Associates, Inc. and DocPoint Solutions. DPR’s wide range of PR services ensures that our most important news is what our industry views first.

Scott Swidersky
Quality Associates, Inc.

DPR Group’s PR campaigns have helped us increase the visibility of U-TECK’s products for the utility, telecom and construction industries, especially our WeedEnder® vegetation control mattings. Since working with DPR, we have noticed 30% and 50% increases in traffic to our U-TECK and WeedEnder websites, respectively.

Nan Jackson
U-TECK

DPR Group really understands our industry and the unique role InfinityQS plays in it. They provide both strategic guidance and tactical execution to deliver coverage in key trade publications and exposure with industry analysts and third-party influencers. The team is flexible and always willing to roll up their sleeves to assist us in a wide range of marketing activities beyond our traditional public relations initiatives. DPR Group is more than a vendor. They are a true, trusted and valued partner.

Greg Matranga
InfinityQS

Since 2007, DPR Group has been a trusted business partner providing expert public relations and marketing advice. DPR Group has secured tremendous positive media coverage for our firm, bringing visibility to our software and assisting our sales.

Felix Pekar

In less than six months, DPR Group has helped Protech develop and launch a new website and successfully introduce Protech Cloud Business Solutions to the market. We truly value the expertise and services that the DPR Group team brings to the table and look forward to a long, successful relationship together.

Brian Bruffey
Protech

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