Overview

ICR helped HARMAN expand their message, reputation and position in the market, creating measurable valuable and an enduring communications partnership for continued growth.

Headphones on top of a sound mixing board

The goalS


Expand HARMAN’s reputation

In 2011, HARMAN was a $3B company and a leader in its field. In an effort to best position the company for future growth, HARMAN recognized the need to be viewed as a connected technology leader, breaking away from the narrow association as a manufacturer of great speakers for home and car.


Establish a foundational PR program

HARMAN had never implemented a corporate PR program, and turned to ICR to help establish it as a company focused on reinventing consumer connectivity and the way they experience sound between the home, car, and on the go.

Highlights

NASDAQ:

HAR


Market Cap:

$7.79 billion


Company Size:

26,000 employees


Headquarters:

Stamford, Connecticut


Founded:

1980


Our Solution


Mult-pronged strategy

Developed a strategic realignment of the business through a multi-pronged plan that included CEO visibility, thought leadership, brand elevation, and innovation leadership.


Proactive media outreach

Focused on targeted, proactive media outreach to engage with reporters who hadn’t previously covered HARMAN.


Positioning backed by evidence

Leverage the company’s impressive financial results to position it as a leader in connected technology, leading an $8B acquisition by Samsung.


Executive visibility

Built the profile of the second CEO in company history as an innovative leader breathing new life into the company and ultimately expanded the thought leadership platform for other senior executives including CMO, CTO/CIO, and CFO as well as future leaders.


Outcome

Over the course of the 10+ year program, ICR helped transform HARMAN into a widely-known and highly-respected business that is now recognized more broadly as a genuine technology company driving innovation.

The company’s stock price and market capitalization appreciated significantly over the years, culminating in its 2018 acquisition by Samsung for $8B. ICR continues to serve as corporate agency of record and manages strategy and content across corporate and C-suite channels.