The media can make and break organisations, brands, products and persons. Nurturing a pro-active press policy is essential. The good news is that we work with all the important Dutch media. We provide them with reliable information, interesting angles and we put subjects in the right perspective. And – again – credibility, transparency and superior service are crucial and enable us to get an item on the agenda of the media. Or just the opposite.

It all starts with making the right strategic choices. But the right execution of the activities is another crucial success factor. From building up a data base to writing and issuing press releases, and organizing press conferences. For our lifestyle clients we often also work with stylists who visit our showroom to select items for their fashion or lifestyle publications.

You've got to find some way of saying it without saying it. Duke Ellington

Cases

Notaryship & the Free Market
In the fall of 2009 the Foundation for Advancement of Notarial Science (Stichting tot Bevordering der Notariële Wetenschap) organized a conference about the theme of "free market in the notaryship". Coebergh was asked to contribute to the public debate about this subject and to make sure that relevant journalists would attend. At the conference were representatives of Het Financeele Dagblad, Algemeen Dagblad and NRC Handelsblad. Publications appeared at nuzakelijk.nl, in Nederlands Dagblad and De Telegraaf, among other media.

De Bijenkorf
The leading department store in the Netherlands, part of Selfridges Group, joined our client base in 2006. Among the many projects undertaken by Coebergh is the yearly PR campaign for one of the most successful retail events in Europe: a three-day sale event known in the Netherlands as ‘Drie Dwaze Dagen’ (Three Days of Madness). In preparation for this event, we target the press from various angles, including the Grand Opening, a look behind the scenes, background stories, interviews with Dutch celebrities and readers' campaigns. The value of each media campaign was more than EUR 1 million.

Studentenwerk
With seventeen branches, over 250 employees and more than half a million students in its database, StudentenWerk is the biggest student recruitment agency in the Netherlands. The company also has offices in Germany and Belgium, operating under the name StudentJob. What’s more, these young, successful entrepreneurs already have a strategy in place to expand further into Europe. The primary PR objective is to help raise the public profile of StudentenWerk among students and potential clients. Coebergh ensures that the company is qualitatively and quantitatively represented in a wide range of media outlets, from trade publications and student magazines to newspapers and TV.

De Bosatlas van Nederland
“De Bosatlas van Nederland” was devised in 2007 by Wolters-Noordhoff, formerly a listed company. Unlike the famous "Grote Bosatlassen", this luxury atlas is not intended for classroom use, but as a stunning coffee table book. It is packed with all the information you might expect in an atlas about the Netherlands, and much more. From the most popular municipality to domestic abuse help centres and from the nation’s favourite sports to the most popular Carnival destinations. The first copy was sent to Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende and the subsequent launch of the atlas turned into a veritable media spectacle, addressing a highly topical theme: Dutch identity. As a result, the atlas reached the top of the bestsellers list in the Netherlands, and stayed there for weeks. Some of the themes explored in the atlas generated heated debates. The project was even nominated for a Sabre Award - the European equivalent of the ‘Oscar’ for PR projects.

Bernard Mandeville Foundation
Each year, the Bernard Mandeville Foundation institutes the Mandeville Lecture series, to express Academia's appreciation for the remarkable social merits of a specific individual. It is a fitting occasion for the Laureate to express his or her ideas. The distinction, together with honorary doctorates for services to academia, is the highest academic award bestowed by Erasmus University Rotterdam. In 2009, the honour fell to the former Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt. Former Laureates include Ben Bot, Lilian Gonçalves, Carla del Ponte and Frits Bolkestein. Since 2007, Coebergh has been actively involved in promoting this initiative, and the special collaboration between Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Rotterdam business community, to a wider audience.

Tetra Pak: openness brings its own rewards
Swedish multinational Tetra Pak is a global leader in cardboard liquid food packaging and has since 2005 been operating a pro-active press policy to familiarize consumers with the many advantages of cardboard. Tetra Pak realized that changes in society, coupled with the speed at which news travels, necessitated a more hands-on approach to the way news was distributed and also required more transparency. Their environmentally friendly packaging and countless inspiring business ventures have resulted in a range of beautiful publications in the national media and trade journals.

Louis Vuitton: many covers and extensive spreads
Coebergh has been responsible for Louis Vuitton’s PR activities in the Netherlands from 2001 until 2009. PR ventures include the spectacular store opening in 2002, an event that attracted almost 1,000 guests, and the launch of the LV brand in the Netherlands. Part of the French LVMH, the luxury brand has a slick, sophisticated PR strategy. In addition to top designer Marc Jacobs being linked to the brand since 1997, Louis Vuitton's rich heritage enables us to showcase the company from various angles. Even though the store, located in Amsterdam’s PC Hooftstraat, does not sell any clothing, magazines are crammed with articles about his shows and designs. Vuitton has graced the cover of countless Dutch fashion magazines.

Press journey Regus: useful insight into worldwide concept
In 2007 Regus Group, world's largest provider of flexible workplace solutions, invited several European journalists for a visit to one of the Regus business centres in London. The Netherlands was represented by the Financieele Dagblad and the ANP, and accompanied by somebody from our office. The ever so busy, but enthusiastic Regus-founder and CEO, Englishman Mark Dixon, extensively illustrated the Regus-proposition and took ample time for each individual journalist. This was well expressed in the quality publications which appeared as a result of this press journey. It is an impressive example of the many activities we have undertaken for Regus since 2004.