The Challenge
For years, Hyannis Port Research (HPR) operated quietly in the background of capital markets infrastructure, with powerful ultra-low-latency pre-trade risk and market access systems but minimal public visibility or narrative. For a firm built on performance and precision, its lack of profile limited its ability to expand market presence and claim thought leadership.
The Strategy
From the start, our strategy prioritized quality over quantity, building an air of mystique that many top tech firms aim for. HPR would appear selectively, pursuing only high-impact media opportunities. WatersTechnology, respected among HPR’s core audience, was an early target. The Wall Street Journal required a longer-term play: strategic positioning, time investment and validation from HPR’s prominent bank clients to reinforce the story and establish credibility.
The Execution
With the targets set, we launched a focused media campaign. For WatersTechnology, we delivered a steady cadence of story pitches tied to HPR’s roadmap, development philosophy and award wins. For the Wall Street Journal, we built relationships through regular touchpoints, in-person meetings with editorial leaders and strategic activation of top bank clients to reinforce HPR’s credibility and expand its visibility.
The Impact
After 14 months of work, the Wall Street Journal profile on HPR landed: “This Little Black Box Does Heavy Lifting for Wall Street.” The piece introduced how banks were, for the first time, outsourcing core tech infrastructure – highlighting HPR’s pizza box–sized server as a critical engine for daily U.S. equity trading. Captivated by that visual, the Journal pushed it as an early “Digital First” feature, complete with studio-shot product photography to underscore the hardware’s unexpected importance in powering modern markets.
