Walker Sands Helps Location-Based

Job App Become a Runaway Hit

with iPhone Users
Walker Sands established a timeline for AirRuns launch, suggesting
that AirRun frst perform a beta test of the app to work out
bugs before ofcially launching to the public. In the meantime,
Walker Sands conducted a comprehensive competitive analysis
on emerging competitors who were set to launch after AirRun.
Walker Sands also began immediately tapping into relationships
with technology reporters, bloggers, and other mainstream media
outlets to establish the best way to position AirRun, and then
crafted the startups messaging.
Because AirRun benefts two separate audiences Runners and
Seekers Walker Sands was tasked with highlighting the most
important benefts of each and positioning AirRun in a way that
The Solution:
AirRun came to Walker Sands with a mobile app that had not yet
been released to the public. The company was in the midst of
fnalizing the iPhone version of the app and wanted to launch
it before the peer-to-peer commerce space became overly
saturated. AirRun sought a way to spread the word to consumers
across the globe and establish credibility to potential investors.
AirRun consisted of four childhood friends in the midst of
bootstrapping their entire operation. They needed a way
to gain early traction in the market through new user downloads
while building the credibility needed to attract additional
investment capital. AirRun specifcally needed to increase
awareness among consumers to show them that a service such as
AirRun could be extremely useful a number of situations in life.
The Problem:
AirRun is an iPhone app that simplifes day-to-day tasks by
connecting users in a location-based community job hub. AirRun
transforms the experience of personal commerce by enabling users
to outsource jobs of all types and sizes, from deliveries to projects
to items, while providing a multitude of job opportunities to those
looking for work. The iPhone application connects a community of
Seekers and Runners in order to facilitate these transactions.
Program Highlights:
161 million impressions
10,000 downloads
500 jobs completed in frst three months
Coverage highlights: Mashable, Wired, CNN Money,
Sacramento Bee, Denver Post, MSN Tech & Gadgets, Austin
Business Journal, Dallas Morning News, Fox Business,
Social Times, Yahoo! News, All Things Digital, Tech Cocktail,
IntoMobile, UK & Australian coverage
Public Relations Case Study
Walker Sands Communications 121 N. Jeferson St., Chicago, IL www.WalkerSands.com (312) 267-0066
would showcase those benefts: What is the most noteworthy
aspect of AirRun? What would make someone want to use AirRun?
What problem(s) does AirRun solve? From there, Walker Sands was
able to craft an initial launch announcement that highlighted the
features that made AirRun unique.
The frst big global PR push announcing AirRun was timed to go
out at the same time that the app was available in the Apple App
Store. This was done in order to satisfy an immediate demand:
AirRun wanted consumers to be able to download the app as soon
as they heard about it.
Walker Sands formulated a strategy to conduct highly targeted
media outreach to early technology adopters, as well as localized
outreach to individual markets across the country to let consumers
know the app was coming to their town. The goal was to hit the
early adopter crowd in the high tech spaces, while still reaching the
everyday consumer media in mainstream press.
Throughout the next month, Walker Sands focused on continual
media outreach to keep the momentum going. Emphasis was
placed on demonstrating ways in which the app could be used
so that journalists could make a real world connection to AirRun.
Walker Sands also set up interviews between the media and
AirRuns founder so that he was able to share his unique story: how
an idea he was forced to come up with to avoid failing an iPhone
development class in college resulted in a successful iPhone app
startup company.
Additionally, Walker Sands worked with AirRun to fnd app
users to act as spokespeople in cities across the country. Walker
Sands coordinated interviews between the reporters, AirRun
spokespeople, and AirRuns founder to add another dimension to
the stories written about AirRun.
Walker Sands continued this snowball efect of media
outreach to help grow AirRuns user base. The results of
these eforts were extremely successful in such a short
period of time.
The Solution (continued):
Within just two months, Walker Sands achieved over 161 million
impressions for AirRun. There were over 10,000 downloads
and about 500 jobs completed during that time.
AirRuns media coverage ranged from mainstream media outlets
to top-tier technology blogs. Some of the outlets include:
Mashable, Wired, CNN Money, Sacramento Bee, Denver Post, MSN
Tech & Gadgets, Austin Business Journal, Dallas Morning News,
Fox Business, Social Times, Yahoo! News, All Things Digital, Tech
Cocktail, IntoMobile, as well as global coverage in the UK and
Australia.
Initial traction of their concept had been demonstrated and the
coverage from top media outlets has led to several key investor
meetings. Today the app continues to grow and expand and
several hyper local marketing campaigns are underway.
Results:
Need PR that delivers
real business results?
Contact us: 312-267-0066
The goal was to hit the early
adopter crowd in the high tech
spaces, while still reaching the
everyday consumer media in
mainstream press.
Walker Sands Communications 121 N. Jeferson St., Chicago, IL www.WalkerSands.com (312) 267-0066