Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that seeks to transform conflict into cooperative action. Operating primarily in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia and employing approximately 700 people, SFCG uses Meltwater for press outreach, email blasts, and analytics that help measure the effectiveness of their efforts.
Meltwater Enables SFCG to
Build lists of qualified media contacts
Streamline and personalize the pitch process
Measure their impact via media mentions and news features
Challenge
Manual Processes Impede Progress
As the world's largest peace-building NGO, SFCG employees and program experts provide valuable hands-on insight into conflicts occurring on the ground. These insights are shared at events around the world. In order to generate awareness around these events, SFCG monitors media interest and continually expands its global network of media contacts.
Prior to Meltwater, identifying press contacts to cover these events required scouring news outlet websites to find the names and emails of relevant journalists or editors. With little insight into locations and topics covered by journalists, outreach was frustrating and time-intensive. Suspect contact information resulted in few replies to news releases along with disappointing pickup. Coverage was manually entered into spreadsheets and did not include any data.
Solution
Measurable Increases in Productivity
SFCG leverages Meltwater's media database to facilitate better coverage with a keyword-driven search that quickly narrows down relevant journalists based on content written in their recent articles. This allows the team to easily zero-in on story tie-ins that will get journalists interested in promoting SFCG's expertise in resolving regional conflicts. Meltwater's press outreach tool streamlines the process around emailing news releases, with the branded email editor allowing quick edits to
add a personal touch.
Meltwater's dashboard analytics provide visibility into the impact of SFCG's outreach. In a recent reporting period, Meltwater contributed to a 50-70% increase in the number of SFCG news features across smaller press outlets and larger, well-known names like The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Summary
Meltwater Helps SFCG
Build up-to-date media contact lists through keyword-driven search
"For our recent interview with a Tunisian expert, we leveraged the Meltwater keyword search to find editors in the Middle East who had previously written on the topic. This cut our research time in half and drove outstanding attendance for the event."
Significantly increase news features in both small and large outlets
"Since we started using Meltwater our message is resonating more. Monthly press mentions continue to climb. Press features increase 50 - 70% each trimester and we're attracting big names like the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press. "
Engage a global audience in unique programming
"We co-produced a reality show in Palestine that was the talk of the town, yet generated little interest elsewhere. After we started using Meltwater for press outreach, we placed stories in major outlets including the Washington Post, ABC News, Yahoo News, and the Boston Globe. The Meltwater platform enabled us to be featured in these outlets and eventually 260+ others."
— Massimiliano Colonna, Communications Coordinator
