Case Studies

    • Challenge:  Salesforce.com held their successful annual trade show conferences (Dreamforce) at S.F.’s Moscone Center. Yet they had never broadcast Dreamforce, their signature 3-day event. This year they blew out the stops, having William.i.am and Stevie Wonder doing ‘sit downs’ to talk biz with CEO Marc Benioff, President Clinton as the keynote. And, they created a 18 hours of live streaming video from the tradeshow floor.I was hired ONLY 4 days before Conference, with little time to prepare.
    • Solution:  Salesforce.com hired Rebel Unit to construct a TV studio at epicenter of trade show and stream video over the 3 day mega-conference. Rebel Unit hired me as producer of the 3 day broadcast.  We broadcast live from this “studio” and did man-on-the-street interviews from trade show floor.  As producer I was on headsets w/ director, camera, & audio crew , timing and pacing the LIVE show. I also coached our multiple on-air hosts IN REAL TIME by speaking into hidden earpieces—as well as coaching our “green” Salesforce staff reporters-for-a-day, who interviewed clients/guestson the trade floor. This was a textbook” keep cool under fire” career moment for all our multiple hosts.
    • Outcome:  Nearly flawless 18 hours of live TV — wildly popular, streaming online. Air traffic controllers couldn’t have done better than our joined-at-the-hip TV crew. One on-air SVP guest sought me afterwards and joked, “Could you stay in my ear, giving me play-by-play advice as I walk through life?”  Also, when it was a wrap, client threw down his headsets in joyous triumph, grabbed me first for a bear hug and exclaimed, “I want to work with you again.”

Apple Computer  Many consulting projects for Apple over 4 years.  Here is one:

    • Challenge:  Apple was launching a LIVE satellite broadcast for its many developers & user groups
    • Solutions:  We built a stage set (Replica of famous Steve Jobs-Steve Wozniak 1st garage office), brought in a LIVE studio audience, and created, short humorous video packages of the Apple team. Our satellite broadcast went out without a hitch to Apple user groups. I did media training with seven of the on-camera guests + on-air host.
    • Outcome:  Huge kudos from Steve Jobs and developer community for content, community and — and humor.  User groups unanimously requested more live feed future broadcasts.

Sony

    • Challenge:  Engage hearts & minds of tough, sales staff at national annual meeting (1000 employees and President of Sony, USA in audience)
    • Solutions:  Creative Flow & High Audience Engagement

Wrote speeches & did speech coaching for 7 executive speakers. Worked closely with designers and AV production team at Production Resources of New York City and San Francisco.  Hired keynote (popular physics futurist, Dr. Michio Kaku and introduced him at offsite, by having him circulate at the intimate star-gazing party in the Arizona desert. We also brought in two astronomers who let Sony leadership team view wonders of the desert sky through their huge telescopes.

Next night, I co-created SonyWood Squares for big Sales Mtg.  In this lively fun “TV game show “format, sales people had to answer product questions under fire on stage. I laced game show with hilarious, real 1950 TV spots I obtained from Sony Japan HQ vaults.  Also created/directed 4 humorous comedy vignettes throughout the day.

    • Outcome:  Client was thrilled. Applause was deafening. After meeting, sales force was lined up to talk w/ their managers.  An engaged, far flung sales staff renewed company bond, and left with deeper customer/product knowledge and pride in the co.

Genentech: Fleischer Communications is a preferred Genentech vendor since 2004, doing projects with hundreds of clients. Here are two case studies:       CEO:

    • Challenge:  CEO was speaking at annual sales mtg. of 1000 people and was uncomfortable w/new format.   I was given less than two hours with CEO, a man I’d never met—before SHOWTIME.
    • Solution:   CEO and his advisors wanted him to connect intimately…emotionally with the huge audience, always hungry for face time with their beloved CEO. So Invision (production co.) created a Theater-in-the Round solution.  CEO had to keep walking around a huge circle stage, while doing his complex presentation. Instead of speaking elevated on stage, CEO could connect more intimately with a few at a time in the shallow rows around the theater-in-the-round.
    • Outcome:   Though very skeptical at first–after coaching–the CEO embraced the unfamiliar format. He deeply connected with staff in a fresh, more intimate way. CEO surprised me by mentioning my counsel twice in his speech to 1000. Presentation was big hit with audience—and him.

TECHNOLOGY  DIRECTOR:

    • Challenge:  A smart, popular senior technical director’s communication style ruffled feathers of some of his global senior leaders. They felt he became rattled during Q&A and was too technical and detailed in presentations–not reading the room well on the fly. Leaders valued him highly but wanted to groom his leadership communications.
    • Solution: Client hired me to do Executive Communications training (private speech writing and speech coaching)during a one year retainer.
    • Outcome:  His bosses said he learned finesse and strategy in presenting to them. His Performance Review scores shot up.  He repeatedly said how valuable the coaching experience was for him— “….I was an engineer who had been so busy, who knew I had good social skills with peers –but I had never focused on my Communications skills on the concept of Influencing Up as part of my leadership development.”