Client Case Studies: BlickenWolf, LLC

Company: BlickenWolf, LLC

Industry: Healthcare Compliance

Situation:

• In 2003, two former partners from Deloitte & Touche formed a new company, BlickenWolf, LLC.
• BlickenWolf is a corporate healthcare integrity and investigative services firm. The company's clientele includes hospital systems, physicians and other providers; pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing companies; claims payers; and law firms.
• The company's goal is to assist clients in dealing with compliance related activities and the prevention, detection, and correction of fraud and abuse.
• As a newly formed entity, the firm had no strategic marketing plan, no graphic identity, no web presence, no marketing infrastructure.
• BlickenWolf and PSM are both virtual consulting firms; BlickenWolf partners are based in Wisconsin and Indiana, and the PSM team is based in the Twin Cities.

PSM Approach:

• PSM conducted a thorough business and marketing assessment of the two partners' past success in business, reviewed financial projections, communications and proposals, and a host of other documents related to the launch of the new business.
• PSM created the BlickenWolf, LLC, Strategic Marketing Plan which addressed growth objectives, key messages, target audiences, and communications. In addition, the plan included strategies specific to the business launch, relevant industries, referral sources, and trade associations.
• PSM deployed a team of diverse experts including a marketing strategist, a marketing project manager, a public relations specialist, a graphic designer, a website developer, and a marketing assistant. PSM instituted bi-monthly telephone conferences between key members of the PSM team and the BlickenWolf partners.
• PSM then began the implementation of the marketing plan resulting in a new graphic identity, various marketing materials, a new website, a web-based contact management database, a strategic public relations plan, a sales pipeline reporting system to track business opportunities, formation of two compliance groups led by BlickenWolf, web-based seminars, speaking opportunities, and various other tools to manage the growth of the company.

Results:

• Company exceeded its revenue growth goals and, since its inception, has doubled its revenue each year.
• BlickenWolf started with two ambitious partners, and within the first year, hired a virtual office manager and two additional consultants to assist in the delivery of services.
• Due to the success of the public relations efforts, BlickenWolf was prominently featured in publications including Report on Medicare Compliance (three stories), Business Journal of Greater Milwaukee, Hoosier Times, Fraud Magazine, and Compliance Today.
• Ken Blickenstaff was elected to serve as 2004/2005 president of the Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE), Chicago Chapter.
• Carmen Wolf and Ken Blickenstaff spoke as keynote presenters at a number of industry-based events for organizations including Child Health Corporation of America (CHCA), Indiana Healthcare Fraud Management Association’s (HFMA) Legislative Institute, Indiana and Wisconsin compliance officer forums, a law firm client seminar in Hawaii, Wisconsin Chapter of the American Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the HFMA Wisconsin Chapter, and the Institute for International Research’s symposium on Combating Healthcare Fraud and Abuse.
• BlickenWolf successfully launched two healthcare compliance officer discussion groups in Indiana and Wisconsin. These groups are attended by prospective clients and referral sources.
• Since its launch, the BlickenWolf website has seen visitor statistics improve from no visitors to a current average of 600 - 900 unique visitors per month.