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CEOs Rely
Most on Public Relations Professionals for Reputation
Management: CEO Survey Reveals Public Relations' Growing
Corporate Role
NEW YORK, NY-- (PRNewswire)
-- The results of the 2004 PRWeek/Burson-Marsteller CEO
Survey reveal a continued increase among corporate
leaders who believe public relations professionals play
an important role within their organizations. More than
90% of CEOs surveyed said communications is "very
important" or "important" for managing reputation,
safeguarding the company's image and crisis management.
>> Click Here for Full Story
Merck
steps up public relations campaign after Vioxx debacle
NEW YORK-- (AP) -- Merck &
Co.'s campaign to defend itself in the wake of the
recall of the pain reliever Vioxx intensified as it
placed a package of three full-page ads in seven
prominent newspapers beginning last Friday. That follows
several television appearances as well as testimony
before Congress by the company's chief executive.
>>
Click Here for Full Story
Public
relations battle continues in FALLUJAH, U.S. forces try
to reach out to civilians, but insurgents seem to carry
the day
FALLUJAH, Iraq--
(International Herald Tribune) -- In the days before the
invasion began here last week, American jets swooped
over the city, dropping more than a million leaflets
urging the city's insurgents not to fight. On the
ground, Iraqi police officers distributed handbills
showing lurid images of sheep and bloodied Iraqi
children.
>>
Click Here for Full Story |
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>> SPARK! Client Case Study
Situation:
Spotlight Communications’ client, The Prostate Health
Education Network, Inc., (PHEN) is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization, established to increase
prostate health education and awareness among men at
high risk for prostate cancer. The organization
specifically targets African American men, who have the
highest prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates in
the world.
PR
Challenge: When PHEN asked Spotlight to help the
Organization develop a PR campaign, it knew it wanted to
address two main challenges: (1) Educate and spread
prostate health awareness through public relations; and
(2) Form partnerships with
organizations as a means to promote prostate health
education and increase funding.
Action:
Spotlight took action by working with PHEN to first
identify that there were two divergent groups it wished
to reach—sponsors and those at risk. With this in
mind, Spotlight then strategized a mix of mediums for
the Organization’s first major fundraising event: “Tee
Off to Fight Prostate Cancer,” which took place at
Franklin Park, Boston, MA. Spotlight developed a PR
campaign that included print; broadcast;
Internet via e-newsletters; and grassroots marketing.
Spotlight also helped to promote the event, which was
structured as a golf tournament and included a
hole-in-one contest where winners could drive away in a
2004 BMW Z-4 or win a three day trip to Freeport in the
Bahamas for sinking the shot. Radio One of Boston,
whose stations include HOT 97.7 FM and WILD 1090 AM
broadcasted live from the tournament, with its H2 Hummer
Invasion vehicle, and WEEI Sports Radio announced the
event via the airwaves.
Result:
As a result of Spotlight’s careful PR planning and
implementation, “Tee Off to Fight Prostate Cancer” was a
rousing success. As far as reaching those at risk for
the disease, seventy golfers participated, as well as
non-golfers, who frequented the literature tables to
learn more about prostate cancer from PHEN partners
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society,
and the Mass Prostate Cancer Coalition. Careful public
relations and marketing, coupled with the organization’s
internal initiatives helped to brand PHEN and ultimately
reach the Organization’s fundraising goals. The event
also reached the corporate community: major sponsors
included BJ's Wholesale Club, Wayne and Jacqui Budd,
West Insurance Agency, Partners Healthcare System/MGH
Cancer Center, NSTAR, The TJX Companies, National Grid,
One United Bank, Windsor Park, and Sovereign Bank.
Spotlight continues to work with PHEN and looks forward
to the next "Tee Off to Fight Prostate Cancer” event,
which will take place in JUNE 2005.
Key:
One of the Keys to a successful PR campaign is to
accurately identify the target audience. PHEN was able
to identify the different groups it wished to reach;
however, it wanted to reach them for vastly different
purposes. In this case, the Spotlight team was able to
compose a mix of mediums to promote one event that
reached both audiences simultaneously. The success of
this event laid the foundation for the development of
the PHEN brand. In the future, while PHEN’s events and
medium may change, the PHEN brand will remain
consistent. Like many other organizations, PHEN’s
upcoming PR challenge will be to consistently
differentiate the Organization from the rest of the
pack, while keeping the brand consistent. Check out a
sampling of the PHEN Portfolio online at
http://www.spotlightcommunications.net/about/portfolio.html.
Want
Spotlight to help SPARK TM you through the PR
process? Contact us at 781.487.0135, or
info@spotlightcommunications.net.
We can work with you to develop a strategy to get your
message out to your targeted audience. |
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