Plan

Dover Saddlery (NASDAQ: DOVR), the largest U.S. direct marketer of equestrian products, was the first equestrian company to go public. After its $40 million Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2005, CEO Stephen Day was invited by NASDAQ to “ring the bell” and open the market in March, 2006.

Create

To celebrate this milestone and establish Dover’s image among national business and financial media, Off Madison Ave initiated a high-impact media relations strategy to help its client increase brand awareness, deliver messages to audiences and positively influence stock price. With fewer than four weeks, the agency orchestrated a Times Square press conference and centered the pitch around industry “firsts”: Dover was the first IPO in the space; the 2010 World Equestrian Games would be held in the U.S. for the first time; and Horse-TV, an all-horse cable network, just launched. Yet despite these firsts, the pitch fell flat. As a result, the team re-strategized and secured New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s daughter Georgina, a competitive equestrian and 2008 Beijing Olympic contender, to attend. Having her attend prompted involvement from her father, which together got press interested.

Achieve

Confirmed media attendance went from two to 30 in one day, earning Dover Saddlery significant coverage in the Associated Press, Reuters, New York Daily News, New York Post, Newsday and many others. CNBC’s “On the Money” filmed a six-minute segment with Dover Saddlery’s CEO dedicated solely to the company, its products and the industry.

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