LAW FIRM: Hogan & Hartson
CATEGORY: Excellence in Community Relations
PR AGENCY: The Galloway Group: Jean Galloway, president
BUDGET: $43,000
WEB SITE: http://www.hhlaw.com
In the Colorado offices of the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Hogan & Hartson, it was a case of doing a good thing, but not doing it too well.
During 10 years of practice, the Colorado office had built up a substantial track record of pro bono work, but the effort was scattershot. Different attorneys pursued projects of personal interest, with no real organization or coordination of the work. As a
result, the firm was not reaping the full PR benefits of these efforts.
"While people knew our individual lawyers, they didn't really know the firm," says Linda Sparn, marketing manager.
With the help of PR agency The Galloway Group (Denver), the law firm set out in December 2003 to change the conversation through the creation of a campaign-branded "10 Acts of Giving Back."
The idea was to identify 10 preferred community outreach and charitable activities in Colorado cities in which the firm had a significant presence - Boulder, Colorado Springs and Denver.
To develop internal support for the program, the PR managers created a monthly newsletter highlighting program information and pro bono activities. They backed up the effort with related luncheons and such give-away items as water bottles and t-shirts.
The PR players working on the campaign undertook a deliberate planning process. In February 2004, they held an internal competition to name the program, and they then spent the spring researching possible nonprofits with which the firm might partner.
The program was kicked off in style with a May 2004 press conference that included the mayor of Denver and the superintendent of the Denver public school system.
Sparn says the effort's biggest challenge was getting the firm's attorneys to reconsider pro bono work, adding that the newsletter and other branding efforts helped to overcome that hurdle.
The firm measured success in terms of staff participation, as more than 95% of attorneys and staff took part in the initiative, donating hundreds of volunteer hours.
The firm has also established a long-term mentoring relationship with a local elementary school, and it has given away tens of thousands of dollars in charitable donations.
The media showed interest, too, as the campaign landed a major spread with color photos in the Denver Post, as well as smaller articles in other papers. It also drew a big segment on the Hispanic "Univision" television network and a segment on the local
NBC News affiliate.
"I think the media liked the substance of the program. It was more than just writing a check," Sparn says.