mccarthy building companies
Increased Business Referrals
THE SITUATION
McCarthy Building Cos., one of the nation’s largest domestic general contractors with a Texas presence for more than 35 years, was looking for a way to increase its business referrals. Founded in 1864, McCarthy is backed by a strong presence throughout the United States with projects in numerous industries including the healthcare, federal, civil, office and education markets to name a few. However, McCarthy’s Texas Division wanted to remind its current clients why it is best-in-class as well as to introduce the firm to new clients and a new audience.
DALA’S SOLUTION
Dala Communications focused on a multi-tiered public relations and community campaign to remind current clients why McCarthy is the best in the business while also building awareness with new and prospective clients. Dala started by identifying the Texas Division’s most challenging projects - including the AT&T Performing Arts Center Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in Dallas, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Alkek Hospital Expansion in Houston – and building campaigns around these projects to help drive awareness for McCarthy’s innovative, results-oriented approach to challenging projects. Dala devised strategic messaging surrounding each project and focused its media relations tactics not only on business and trade media, but also devised angles that would be of interest to community and lifestyle publications. Coordinating community and media tours as well as one-on-one exclusives with media to tout specific challenges, project milestones and other innovative building processes yielded multiple interviews in local, regional and national media as well as increased awareness in consumer and business communities.
Building upon the increased media coverage, Dala pursued industry awards for both of these challenging projects and won the premier industry award from the Associated General Contractors of America/Aon Build America Award two consecutive years in both 2010 and 2011. This was the first time in McCarthy’s history that one of its divisions won this coveted industry award two years in a row. Since media interest had started to dwindle after project completion, Dala capitalized upon these award wins to catapult McCarthy and its innovative building solutions back in to the spotlight as well as pursued multiple other awards for both the division and individual employees. Dala used this award momentum as an opportunity to highlight McCarthy’s key message of its expertise in constructing the most challenging project imaginable.
A self-publishing component was also used to communicate McCarthy’s leadership role on these demanding projects. Articles, photo stories and news briefs were created for the national communications team to utilize in its newsletter, direct mail campaigns and social media pages.
THE RESULTS
McCarthy’s firm and its employees were regularly mentioned in all forms of local, regional and national media including traditional and non-traditional outlets such as Engineering News Record, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. McCarthy’s solid performance , increased media placements and numerous industry awards served as a reminder and provided third-party endorsement of McCarthy’s client-oriented approach to challenging projects.
Utilizing tough projects and building mini-campaigns around each project served as the catalyst to increase business referrals. Benefiting from a multi-tiered approach to push out McCarthy’s key message of performing above and beyond client expectations is one of the reasons McCarthy’s business thrived during the economic crisis, even launching into a new service line that has grown into one of its main lines of business in the Texas market.