Case Studies Gawker Media's Response to a Data Security Breach with Zendesk

Edit This Case Study Record

	Gawker Media's Response to a Data Security Breach with Zendesk

Gawker Media's Response to a Data Security Breach with Zendesk

Technology Category	Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
Applicable Industries	Professional Service Software
Applicable Functions	Business Operation
Services	System Integration Training
Challenge	On December 11, 2010, Gawker Media faced a significant data security breach, which required immediate and effective communication with their users. The company, which did not have an extensive customer support setup due to not processing financial transactions, was suddenly inundated with thousands of reader emails requiring personalized responses. Gawker's previous approach of handling customer support requests via email and a customer support message board was insufficient for the sensitive nature of the data breach. They needed a secure and robust support ticketing system to manage the increased level of communication and ensure their readers' concerns were addressed promptly. Read More
About Customer	Gawker Media, founded in 2002 by Nick Denton, is a prominent media group known for its influential online publications, including Gawker and Gizmodo. The company produces eight original brands, attracting a collective audience of 20 million US readers. Gawker Media is renowned for its unique delivery of news, scandal, and entertainment, earning both fans and critics. The media group has been described as everything from 'deliciously wicked' to 'the biggest blog in the world.' Despite its significant online presence, Gawker Media did not have an extensive customer support setup, as it did not process financial transactions. This lack of infrastructure became a challenge when the company faced a data security breach, necessitating a rapid and effective response to manage the influx of reader inquiries. Read More
Solution	In response to the data breach, Gawker Media quickly set up a free trial of Zendesk and onboarded 20 staff members to the system. Despite none of the employees having prior experience with Zendesk, they managed to process 4,000 support requests within four days. The success was attributed to Zendesk's automated responses, known as macros, and its intuitive interface, which allowed the team to handle the increased volume of inquiries efficiently. Zendesk's automated workflows and customizable business rules also played a crucial role in routing technical tickets to engineers and keeping readers informed. The system's ability to send automated responses to common issues and its user-friendly interface enabled Gawker Media employees to become proficient quickly, ensuring timely and satisfactory resolutions for their readers. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)

Applicable Industries

Professional Service

Software

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Services

System Integration

Training

Challenge

On December 11, 2010, Gawker Media faced a significant data security breach, which required immediate and effective communication with their users. The company, which did not have an extensive customer support setup due to not processing financial transactions, was suddenly inundated with thousands of reader emails requiring personalized responses. Gawker's previous approach of handling customer support requests via email and a customer support message board was insufficient for the sensitive nature of the data breach. They needed a secure and robust support ticketing system to manage the increased level of communication and ensure their readers' concerns were addressed promptly.

About Customer

Gawker Media, founded in 2002 by Nick Denton, is a prominent media group known for its influential online publications, including Gawker and Gizmodo. The company produces eight original brands, attracting a collective audience of 20 million US readers. Gawker Media is renowned for its unique delivery of news, scandal, and entertainment, earning both fans and critics. The media group has been described as everything from 'deliciously wicked' to 'the biggest blog in the world.' Despite its significant online presence, Gawker Media did not have an extensive customer support setup, as it did not process financial transactions. This lack of infrastructure became a challenge when the company faced a data security breach, necessitating a rapid and effective response to manage the influx of reader inquiries.

Solution

In response to the data breach, Gawker Media quickly set up a free trial of Zendesk and onboarded 20 staff members to the system. Despite none of the employees having prior experience with Zendesk, they managed to process 4,000 support requests within four days. The success was attributed to Zendesk's automated responses, known as macros, and its intuitive interface, which allowed the team to handle the increased volume of inquiries efficiently. Zendesk's automated workflows and customizable business rules also played a crucial role in routing technical tickets to engineers and keeping readers informed. The system's ability to send automated responses to common issues and its user-friendly interface enabled Gawker Media employees to become proficient quickly, ensuring timely and satisfactory resolutions for their readers.

Impact #1	Gawker Media was able to handle a large influx of customer inquiries efficiently using Zendesk's automated responses and intuitive interface.
Impact #2	The system allowed Gawker Media to maintain a small and efficient support team, with the flexibility to scale up if needed.
Impact #3	Zendesk's customizable business rules ensured that technical support requests were routed to the appropriate engineers promptly.

Impact #1

Gawker Media was able to handle a large influx of customer inquiries efficiently using Zendesk's automated responses and intuitive interface.

Impact #2

The system allowed Gawker Media to maintain a small and efficient support team, with the flexibility to scale up if needed.

Impact #3

Zendesk's customizable business rules ensured that technical support requests were routed to the appropriate engineers promptly.

Benefit #1	Processed 4,000 support requests within four days using Zendesk.
Benefit #2	Brought 20 staff members onto the Zendesk system immediately following the breach.

Benefit #1

Processed 4,000 support requests within four days using Zendesk.

Benefit #2

Brought 20 staff members onto the Zendesk system immediately following the breach.

Download PDF Version

Overview

Gawker Media's Response to a Data Security Breach with Zendesk

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit