2. Spotlight on Community
Relations
• Companies are starting to get it – conscience isn’t just
trendy, it’s necessary
• ―Sustainable development plans‖ are becoming
commonplace
• No one wants to be Martha, Enron, etc.
• The Bonus: Doing good = Good for business
3. A Gradual Shift
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers
2002 Sustainability Survey Report
– 140 U.S. companies
– 70 percent had no broad-based sustainability
program in place yet.
– 69% were reviewing or revising ethics programs or
their corporate-governance process
4. Top 10 Reasons Companies
Are Getting Involved
Competitive Advantage (75%)
Cost Savings (73%)
Industry Trends (62%)
CEO/Board Commitment (58%)
Customer Demand (57%)
SRI Demand (42%)
Top-line Growth (37%)
Shareholder Demand (20%)
Access to Capital (12%)
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
5. In Their Own Words
• More than 7 of 10 Americans say they distrust CEOs of large corporations
• 80 percent of surveyed CEOs agree non-financial indicators such as
environmental and social performance metrics are essential to characterizing
future financial performance
– Business Week
• 70 percent of investors consider reputation in their decisions
– Citizen watch
• 91 percent of surveyed CEOs believe CSR management creates shareholder
value
– Managing CSR Report
6. Baseline Basics
• Determine Goals
• Establish Protocol & Criteria
• Get Everyone Involved
• Incorporate PR Elements
• Establish a Metrics System
7. Determine Goals
• What Do We Want Program/Involvement to Accomplish?
– Reposition company
– Raise CEO profile
– Get more press coverage in X community
– Establish company as a resource
Community
Media
Government reps
– Target a specific audience
Latino community
Teens
Elderly/baby boomers with aging parents
8. Establish Protocol & Criteria
• Establish a process/protocol
• Decide how to respond to requests
– Relevance: What are our criteria for getting involved?
– Budget: What are our constraints?
– Always ask: Will fulfilling this request help us fulfill our goal/mission?
• Determine level of involvement up front – but get involved!
– Be more than a name in a press release – be visible
– Provide resources or planning support if possible
– Consider pros, cons to partnerships
• Weigh short- and long-term benefits
9. Get Everyone Involved
• Encourage employee involvement
– Show enthusiasm, participation from the top down
– Get departments involved
– Provide incentives (e.g., comp day for day spent volunteering)
– Create team-oriented events
• Volunteer programs
• Sponsorships that foster teamwork
• Fundraisers
• Prepare employees for events
– Identify spokespersons (bilingual)
– Ensure consistent messaging
10. Incorporate PR Elements
Remember:
• Don’t do CR for the PR…
• But leverage CR in ways that maximize PR potential
• Don’t lose your mission!
But don’t forget: not everyone (i.e., media) cares
• Offer compelling stories beyond ―Company writes check‖
• Put spotlight on subject, not donation
• Offer solutions to timely problems
• Have local stories ready
11. Establish a Metrics System
• Establish goals
• Understand your impact on quarterly, annual bases
• Characteristics of a ―good‖ metric:
– Measurable
– Easy
– Timely
– Repeatable
– Insightful
– Controllable
• Pay attention to the data; don’t just tally — measure
12. Effective CR the SoCal Way
A ’70s icon…
…combined with
the right strategy!
13. Case Study: 21st Century Insurance
When the ’70s Icon Becomes Part of the Strategic Solution
• Situation Five Years Ago:
– 21st Century Insurance was a leading California auto insurer
– Heavily involved philanthropically but without strategic direction
– Virtually no press coverage for any goodwill projects
• Goals:
– Continue philanthropy but with a more targeted approach
– Raise 21st’s profile… and get press coverage for their goodwill efforts!
14. PR Campaign Elements
• Child safety seat program (targeting key demo)
– Educate parents on state law, proper use
• Unprecedented law enforcement partnership
– California Highway Patrol
• Spokesperson Erik Estrada
– CHiPs connection
– Appeals to parent age group
– Appeals to Latino community
• State-specific, free educational materials
– ―Child Safety Seats: A Parent’s Guide‖
– Now in six states, in English and Spanish
15. Logistics
• 21st secures a large, easily accessible, highly visible site
(e.g., mall parking lot)
• CHP officers set up multiple inspection tents
• Families arrive with children in vehicles
• Trained officers inspect existing seat for proper fit,
installation and use
• 21st employees staff event to assist
• If seat isn’t right, 21st donates brand-new seat
16. Community Outreach
• The Edison Group handles all event promotion
• Fliers distributed in English, Spanish
– Local child care centers
– Churches
– Schools
– Key community groups
– Event site
17. Media Outreach
• Pre-Event Promotion
– PSAs
– Calendar listings
– Morning of event media
• Law enforcement officer, Erik Estrada provide live demo on-air
• On-Site Media Relations
– Setting the scene
• Great visuals
– Providing arc of story, from police to family to corporation
• Why are we involved?
• Every officer, family, 21st spokesperson has a story
18. PR in a CR Program
• Message Delivery
– Media training for company reps, spokesperson
– Spanish spokespersons
– Talking points
– Collateral materials
• Press kit, bilingual guides
• B-roll package
• Leveraging the Message
– Local, state or national events (e.g., Nat’l Child Passenger
Safety Week)
• Op-eds
• Silver-platter events
19. Results by the Numbers
Since the 21st Century Insurance Child Safety Seat Program
began:
• More than 60 events conducted
• More than 7,200 seats inspected
• More than 2,700 seats discarded
• More than 5,800 seats donated by 21st
We’ve helped raise company’s profile within:
• Key States/DMAs
• Media
• Industry
• Web
20. Child Safety Seat Campaign
Highlights
• 21st continues to distinguish itself
through partnerships with state law Child Seat Campaign
enforcement and elected officials Media Hits ’02 - ’05
– In 2005, successful launches in AZ,
IN, OH & TX 250
– Continued success in CA and IL 200
• These partnerships and collaborations 150
with Industry Associations (e.g., IIHS), # of hits
100
add legitimacy and increase news value 50
• All 35 child safety seat events in 2005 0
garnered media coverage 2002 2003 2004 2005
21. The Edison Group
Mission Statement
To help our clients communicate
successfully by thinking smarter, working
passionately and keeping our promises.
