--- title: "6x AI Citations: One Index That Owned a Category | LeadCoverage Case Study" --- [ Back to Case Studies ](https://leadcoverage.com/case-studies/) Case Study  ·  PR & Demand Generation # 6x AI Citations, One Index That Owned a Category How a national steel logistics provider turned its quarterly Steel Index into a PR and lead-generation engine, becoming the cited authority in a tightly defined market. 6x increase in AI/LLM citations vs. baseline 2x year-over-year email click-to-open rate 55 qualified form fills in a single index cycle 11% paid social engagement rate, well above benchmark 8 VP-level-and-above contacts among 24 net-new leads The Challenge ## Get heard by a small, high-value market The steel logistics buying universe is narrow and specific: roughly 123 distributors and manufacturers drive the category, inside a high-fit target market of about 250 companies. Generic outreach does not move these buyers, and cold lists convert at roughly 1%. The client needed to become the name steel supply chain leaders already trusted before a sales conversation ever began, especially as the market swung hard, with U.S. steel imports falling nearly 30% in a year while hot-rolled coil pricing hit a two-year high. The Opportunity ## Turn market data into a thought leadership engine LeadCoverage partnered with the client to transform transportation, pricing, inventory, and sustainability data into a recurring quarterly Steel Index. By anchoring PR and demand generation around the Index, the client could own the category conversation, generate qualified leads from real buyers, and reinforce its position as the expert voice in steel freight. The Solution ## A market story, turned into revenue Through a coordinated blend of public relations, demand generation, and CRM optimization, LeadCoverage positioned the client as a trusted authority while driving measurable business results. 01 · Anchor ### Anchor on the Index Made the quarterly Steel Index, plus a monthly steel trendline, the anchor asset for content, campaigns, and lead generation, turning the market's most important data into the client's owned narrative. 02 · Amplify ### Blend PR + Demand Gen Ran a coordinated PR and demand generation push around each release, earning trade-press pickup and building visibility with both human buyers and AI search tools. 03 · Convert ### Capture + Nurture in HubSpot Paired the campaign with targeted HubSpot workflows, paid social, and lead-gen forms to capture and nurture interest at scale, then surfaced engaged readers to sales as intent-driven opportunities. The Results ## Authority earned, pipeline built - **Click-to-open rate more than doubled year over year** (5.8% vs. 2.6%), showing the content is landing with the right readers. - **AI/LLM referrals jumped roughly 6x,** to about 90 against a typical baseline of 10 to 15, making the client a cited source as buyers shift research to tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. - **National trade-press pickup** across multiple supply chain and logistics outlets, building third-party credibility that compounds with every release. - **55 qualified form fills and 24 net-new contacts,** including 8 VP-level-and-above contacts, with leads concentrated exactly where the client wants them: steel and metals, minerals and mining, and building products. - **11% paid social engagement rate,** well above benchmark, reaching marquee target accounts across the steel and building-materials sectors. Why It Matters ## One index, two engines In a market this narrow, you cannot win on volume, you win on authority. By turning proprietary market data into a recurring Steel Index, the client became the cited voice steel supply chain leaders trust, in trade press and in AI search alike, and converted that authority into qualified pipeline from the exact accounts that matter. PR and demand generation were not separate programs. They were one engine, anchored by a single owned asset. Learn More ## Explore more from LeadCoverage [LeadCoverage: Leader in GTM in Supply Chain at-a-Glance Deck ](https://the-gtm-operating-layer--i42jb7h.gamma.site/) [LeadCoverage | HubSpot Implementation Partner ](https://leadcoverage-6tcko58.gamma.site/) [Lead the Market with an Index ](https://lead-the-market-rn7rgxv.gamma.site/) [Three Strategies Working in Supply Chain Marketing ](https://three-proven-strategies--aopdmjj.gamma.site/) [Why PR Matters in Supply Chain ](https://leadcoverage-pr-tu7p524.gamma.site/) [Understanding Intent Data ](https://understanding-intent-dat-zr7h1wq.gamma.site/) [Analyst Relations: Where Market Leadership is Earned ](https://analystrelations-where-m-14eomi8.gamma.site/) [The Revenue Engine Workshop with CEO, Kara Smith Brown ](https://the-revenue-engine-works-1ng6coj.gamma.site/) ## Ready to build your revenue engine? We make market leaders. [Visit LeadCoverage](https://www.leadcoverage.com) [The Revenue Engine](https://www.therevenueengine.com)