Thought leadership during crisis

ServiceChannel is a facilities management platform that helps brands manage the repair and maintenance of their physical locations. More than 500 global brands like CVS Health, Nordstrom, Shake Shack and Soul Cycle trust ServiceChannel's automation software, cloud applications, analytics, intelligence and marketplace of over 50,000 service providers to help lower their multi-billion dollar annual repair and maintenance cost.

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Challenge

Late 2020 was a particularly challenging time for brick-and-mortar retailers. Still reeling from the pandemic’s devastating impact on their business, they faced new concerns around the presidential election, as many feared widespread protests. Retailers rely on ServiceChannel to help them manage their facilities and connect them with contractors, so the challenge was how to demonstrate the critical role ServiceChannel plays in the economy. 

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Strategy

ServiceChannel works with major brands across retail, grocery, restaurant and fitness, and we leveraged their unique insights into how these brands manage their facilities and interact with service providers to demonstrate the impact of the election on their business. We learned that many retailers planned to board up their stores in the days leading up to the election, and we recommended ServiceChannel analyze platform data that showed the cost of that work. We then developed an integrated communications strategy that showcased ServiceChannel’s data, customer stories and executive perspective to place the company at the center of this national story. 

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Insights

Mission North secured dozens of stories in the highest profile national business publications, including a feature in The New York Times. ServiceChannel customers, data and CEO were also included in features in Bloomberg, NBC News, AP, Business Insider, Quartz and Forbes.  CNN and The Wall Street Journal and key trade outlets like Retail Dive also picked up on the trend. The New Yorker proclaimed about ServiceChannel’s CEO: "This made Tom Buiocchi an important figure." By expanding the conversation through owned channels, the campaign positioned ServiceChannel as critical infrastructure to the retail economy. This campaign catapulted the company into a new orbit, ultimately leading to its acquisition by Fortive for $1.2 billion.