Case Study 1

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WHO: Control4 and Cisco Smart+Connected Communities

WHAT: Control4 delivers intelligent control over consumer electronics products, appliances and networking systems through an easy-to-use and intuitive software interface. Control4 also has an energy-specific platform dedicated to offering home area network (HAN) solutions for utilities, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) service providers and retailers. After leading an investment round, Cisco signed a strategic agreement with Control4 to power their Smart+Connected Communities worldwide and utility energy management programs with Control4's home energy solutions.

WHY: Control4 signed a strategic agreement with Cisco to deliver a network-enabled automation platform for connected smart communities and home energy deployments around the world. Control4 needed to introduce this strategic partnership to the media cautiously due to other recent utility agreements and without disclosing the Cisco name during press brief scheduling due to potential impact on financial markets and other forthcoming Cisco news.

HOW: The campaign was executed in a tiered engagement, targeting top level press who were qualified as channel "influencers" in tech, energy, and business media. Caster secured 21 press pre-briefings with Tier 1 media outlets in a SINGLE day including The New York Times, Bloomberg News, GigaOm, Silicon Valley Business Journal, along with top analysts, CE and utility trade media all without using the Cisco name the day before the announcement. Caster coordinated pre-briefs throughout the day with Control4's CEO and other top Control4 executives, as well as the EVP of Cisco. The announcement was made publicly on February 15, 2011 through Caster's proprietary media list as well as BusinessWire. Caster also continued to manage follow-up inquires in the days and weeks following the announcement and leading into the SFO-based Global Green Cities event.

ROI: Within 4 days Caster had garnered 42 total articles/30 unique articles for Control4. The Newstrack report for BusinessWire had 272 US placements with more than 2,000 views. Top features included the national business press and news sites such as CNET Green Tech, Smart Grid Today, Smart Grid News, Salt Lake Tribune, Venture Beat, and WSJ.com's Market Watch. Translated into four languages, Control4 had 52 international article placements. Control4 also had more than 400 tweets and 30-plus Facebook shares from the stories in the first day. Control4 gained awareness worldwide from this launch as well as recognition by high-level press as leading brand in the Smart Grid. In 2011 to date, Control4 has averaged 185 energy related stories and 434 stories total.