Ascent Corporation

Northlake Data Center Contract with Microsoft

About Ascent: Founded in 1998, Ascent Corporation is a privately-held provider of comprehensive solutions for the design, development and operation of data centers and other mission critical infrastructures nationwide. In November 2007, Ascent announced that its 500,000 square foot data center under development in Northlake, IL would be leased by Microsoft.

Challenge: Although Ascent was well known within the data center industry, prior to hiring Ricochet, the company had never received substantial coverage in the mainstream and trade media. As the company was nearly unknown to journalists, Ascent risked being overshadowed by Microsoft in coverage of the software giant’s tenancy of the new data center.

Strategy: To ensure Ascent’s inclusion in media coverage of the Northlake Data Center, prior to the announcement Ricochet worked with numerous reporters to position the company as a leader in the industry and create buzz about the forthcoming news. In addition, Ricochet conducted extensive media research, prepared press materials and developed a detailed outreach strategy well in advance of the deal’s completion and worked closely with Microsoft to coordinate press releases and timelines, ensuring an organized, effective campaign.

Results: As a result of Ricochet’s announcement strategy and extensive media outreach, Ascent received significant press coverage immediately following the announcement. Within 48 hours, the announcement was covered by a wide range of mainstream, local and trade publications including the Associated Press, Reuters, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun Times, the St. Louis Business Journal, Information Week, and Computerworld. Ricochet then leveraged the media’s awareness of Ascent to garner extended coverage during the weeks following the announcement in additional local and trade publications, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Network World, and ZDNet.