Case Study - Sonangol

Background

Sonangol is the Angolan state-owned oil company and the country's leading distributor of refined products. The multi-national company holds the sole mining rights for exploration development and production for oil and gas in the country. Sonangol required specialist PR and marketing support to communicate their latest licensing round, which involved Sonangol releasing certain blocks of land or sea to exploration companies who then bid for the mining rights in that area.

The Brief

Cobalt Media, working alongside IHS Energy, were asked to promote the licensing round through suitable international media sources and events in order to attract a large number of quality companies to apply for blocks and secure positive supporting press coverage.

The Campaign

• A series of press releases announcing the licensing round, announcing the roadshow events and also informing the media of the successfully pre-qualified companies were issued. These releases were targeted at key energy, finance and business titles in print, broadcast and online media.
  
• Roadshows were held in Houston, U.S. and London, U.K in one month with key personnel from Sonangol attending. Delegates were presented with detailed information regarding the blocks on offer and exploration potential at a full day event. Cobalt facilitated the London roadshow with over 140 attending the day.
• Key media were invited to the Roadshows for one-to-one interviews with the Chief Executive of Sonangol and to attend the full day event.
• Cobalt planned and co-ordinated an international advertising campaign to promote various stages of the licensing round. Over £100,000 of advertising space in the international press was placed for the client over a 3 month period. The Financial Times and Upstream were two of the key titles chosen.

The Results

• Coverage appeared in the international business, finance and trade press including The Financial Times, Reuters and Dow Jones and Upstream.
• Coverage featured on over 60 websites including OilVoice, Rig Zone, AllAfrica.com, Oil and Gas Journal Online, Offshore, First Break, World News Network and Petroleum Africa.
• Representatives from The Financial Times, Dow Jones, Reuters, Petroleum Economist, Petroleum Review, The Economist and African Intelligence attended the roadshow.
• Campaign attracted a large number of companies to apply to bid in the licensing round with over 50 pre-qualified to place bids for the blocks.