What was the challenge?

U. S. Steel faced a pivotal moment with the anticipated sale one of its major international business units, a transaction that attracted intense scrutiny across news media, social channels, message boards, and forums. The challenge was to develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) that would drive communications strategy by analyzing reach, sentiment, and conversation themes in real-time.

The goal: evaluate stakeholder sentiment and predict potential opportunities or challenges during a highly politicized and closely watched deal.

What was the approach?

To meet this challenge, a bespoke ‘win/loss’ formula was developed, driven by KPIs that identified key stakeholders, influential voices, and the most relevant themes week-over-week. The approach incorporated:

-Weekly ‘Win/Loss’ Analysis Report: A recurring report analyzed mainstream headlines, message content, and highly engaged social and forum conversations to determine whether the company “won” the week. Criteria included mainstream impact, behind-the-news sentiment, and hard data on reach, engagement, and overall sentiment.

-Qualitative and Quantitative Metrics: The formula accounted for the frequency and engagement of both positive and negative coverage, simplifying the process of tracking KPIs to demonstrate the effectiveness of the communications strategy.

-Proactive Opportunity Identification: Proactive opportunities were surfaced through ongoing monitoring, with their value supported by hard data. This enabled the communications team to anticipate risks and adjust messaging as needed.

-Real-Time Strategy Adjustment: Insights from the analysis were actionized, allowing the team to adjust strategy from week to week and make progress towards the company’s goals and objectives.

What were the results?

The data-driven approach enabled the company to navigate a complex transaction environment with agility and precision. The weekly insights provided a clear understanding of the public and stakeholder discourse, allowing the communications team to proactively address risks and capitalize on opportunities. Strategy adjustments based on sentiment and reach metrics helped the company maintain a positive narrative and achieve its communications objectives during the sale process.

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