1. The Icon of Best Public Relations Practices
The Silver Anvil, symbolizing the forging of
public opinion, is awarded annually to
organizations that have successfully addressed
a contemporary issue with exemplary
professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness.
The public relations profession’s most
prestigious honor, the Silver Anvil Award
acknowledges the very highest level of
achievement and is the established icon of the
“best of the best” public relations practices.
3. Iams produces dog and cat
food and prides itself in
healthy, prebiotic pet food to
ensure premium protection for
a healthy diet
http://www.iams.com/iams/pre
mium-pet-food.jsp
4. This Public Relations firm has four core
values:
› Cooperation
› Openness
› Fairness
› Excellence
These principles are part of the fabric of
the company and are reflected in all
PainePR’s operating practices.
5. Iams’ goal for 2008 was to find one
million homeless pets a home in three
short months
› The campaign was a major success, finding
1.2 million pets a home in the three month
time span
6. Before preliminary research, PainePR had to
address many challenges along the way:
› Enlist support from national broadcast media to
let the public know about the pet adoption
program
› Alter the public’s negative opinion on pets from
shelters to give it a positive spin
› Deflect animal activists that tried to place Iams
Pet Food Company in a negative light
› Stay within the budget and find creative ways to
give the program publicity on such a tight
budget.
7. To gain national broadcast media
coverage of the program, PainePR had
to first research multiple pet adoption
programs, celebrity spokespeople, and
advertising costs to determine the best
route to take to reach the goal. The firm
also researched the already-existing
partnerships and the past successes of
similar programs.
8. PainePR also mapped out the public’s
feeling toward Iams, pet adoption, and
the Iams Home for the Holidays
campaign. In doing so, this allowed the
firm to assess the needs and wants of
their target audience. The more a firm
knows their audience, the better the firm
can provide for them.
9. PainePR also implemented research on
the animal activist groups working
against Iams. To deflect the actions
against the program and Iams Pet Food
Company, PainePR had to determine
why these groups wanted to work
against the campaign. Just as a
company must know their customers
and supporters, they must also
understand their adversaries.
10. Objectives:
Ensure at least 1 million pets are adopted
during three-month campaign
Reach consumers through national
media placements featuring a celebrity
spokesperson
Leverage online influencers through
editorial coverage and conversations
11. Bring traffic to www.IH4TH.com
Increase number of participating animal
shelter and rescue organizations
Reach consumers with Iams pet food
sample, along with health an wellness
education materials
12. Secure an A-list celebrity to share
personal pet adoption story
Book celebrity on a major broadcast
show to kick off the program
Follow up with national press
conference, media junket, and two-day
media tour
13. Create an engaging online campaign
Produce Template materials to reinforce
awareness for the market of
participating shelters
Crisis Management
Budget:
$650,000 excluding celebrity fees
18. Audience Action
1,202,751 pets were adopted
500 animal organizations joined in the
effort
More than one million Iams Care
Packages were distributed
19. We didn’t like: blogging aspect
We did like: the plethora of media
outlets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrA
wjZdSdnE
Editor's Notes
Respected: Sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America — the largest professional association serving the public relations industry — Silver Anvil winners contribute to the public relations body of knowledge and become a part of the history of our profession. Winning two-page summaries become a valued part of our online case study archives and are available to help promote and share best practices among all public relations practitioners.
Representative. In the 60-plus-year history of the Silver Anvils, more than 1,000 organizations have been recognized, including solo practitioners, agencies of all sizes, large and small businesses, top corporations, nonprofits, associations and government agencies. One-third of all Silver Anvil winners have a hard-working program budget of less than $100,000. Additionally, the 16 categories and various subcategories reflect the wide scope and valuable contribution of public relations today.
Rigorous. Silver Anvils recognize complete public relations programs incorporating measurable and sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. These four areas represent the solid criteria by which senior practitioners judge each entry to ensure it meets the highest standards of performance in the profession.
Rewarding. The Silver Anvils are regarded as the pre-eminent achievement of public relations — the highest watermark of success for any practitioner and organization.
