It seemed to be an impossible situation for a financial services company owed significant money by a bank in the Middle East. Collecting payment might be a challenge under any circumstances. But a merger between the debtor bank and another bank in the Gulf would have made for insurmountable odds.

PROBLEM 

LEVICK well understood that direct pressure on regional media to block this disastrous merger was impracticable. What was needed was an alternative strategy that would maximize awareness of the event and force the hand, both of Gulf-based media and regional power brokers. Only the Internet and digital communications could fill that bill.

APPROACH 

An online global media strategy was deployed, building country-to-country coverage until the Gulf media had little choice but to cover the merger and focus on its controversial aspects. LEVICK optimized a website that allowed our client to marshal potent data on why the transaction should not happen. This full immersion strategy was so effective that an unnamed source provided access to compromising documents hidden on another continent. Meanwhile, we targeted a former C-Suite executive who was a deserving subject for negative coverage.

RESULTS 

The story took on a life of its own until local regulators had no choice but to prohibit the merger.