Company: Smithsonian's National Zoo
Timeframe: 2005, ongoing
The birth of an animal infant that is part of an endangered species and also happens to drive even sensible adults into a frenzy of adoration is a media event of epic
proportions. But it can also be a bit of a headache for a public relations department, albeit a pleasant one.
For starters, it's not even easy to know the facts at the outset of the event. How do you know when a female giant panda is pregnant? You don't, until she gives birth. Says
Peper Long, spokeswoman for the Smithsonian's National Zoo, where giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to her cub, Tai Shan, in July of 2005, "From the past two years, when Mei Xiang
had pseudo-pregnancies, the media paid a lot of attention, and the public wanted to know where she was in the breeding process. Pandas have hormonal behavior that mimics exactly
what happens when they are pregnant."
Therefore, the Smithsonian National Zoo's Office of Public Affairs had a plan for several scenarios following the artificial insemination of Mei Xiang, and when a thriving
panda cub emerged, the office had all the pieces in place. Because the Zoo had tried unsuccessfully for years to breed its resident giant pandas, the spring breeding season had
become a "really interesting guessing game with the media and the public," notes Long. "The cameras would turn out every year, because you can bet on two things in Washington: the
cherry blossoms and the pregnant panda watch. We knew going in what the interest would be."
With that in mind, the PR team started meeting months before the breeding season and developed a plan according to whether Mei Xiang would have twins, what would happen if she
rejected one, if the staff would need to hand rear one, if one survived but one didn't... "We had to have plans ready for all the possibilities, just in case."
When the team began to think in terms of having a successful cub or twins, they knew there would be tremendous demand for photos. The challenge, says Long, was "How to turn it
into not just 'watch the panda cub,' but what we really do here with our exhibits. We wanted it to be about learning something, sharing some knowledge about panda biology and
conservation. If we did have a cub, it would be a tremendous opportunity."
The media campaign was intended to emphasize the zoo's role as a leader in giant panda conservation, medicine and husbandry, as well as achieving maximum exposure for the cub.
Increased visitation, donations and revenue to fund the zoo's programs and conservation research were the more traditional PR goals.
At the start of the panda breeding season in March, the zoo's media relations team created an online press kit with photos, backgrounders and fact sheets about the Zoo's role
in panda conservation and the history of giant pandas at the Zoo. The site was updated regularly with press releases once the cub was born.
Calls to journalists began at 4:30 a.m. on July 9, 2005, when Tai Shan was successfully delivered. A naming ceremony and press preview both preceded his debut with the public.
The cub's photo was on the cover of The Washington Post eight times from July to December, and Washingtonian Magazine featured the cub on the cover of its "Best Bets" issue. News
releases tracked the baby's first vaccination, teeth, steps and naming. Media events were planned, as were pitches informing the press about the zoo's conservation efforts. An
online press kit featured photos, background information and fact sheets, which it updated regularly. The Zoo sent out 23 news and photo/video press releases between July and
December of 2005 marking cub milestones.
But covering the cub was ticklish from the beginning. "Dealing with live animals is always a question mark," says Long. "Every time an exam was slated, we were at the ready to
snap pictures, and then once it was getting bigger and we were more confident of its health, we got the zoo photographer and videographer in there. We never know whether Mei Xiang
would leave Tai Shan long enough for the keeper to grab him so we could take some shots. We had to plan around those needs."
Best Practices
The processes developed by the team would stand any PR group in good stead. The relationships developed between PR and other zoo personnel ensured a constant flow of reliable
information, from the zoo staff to the PR team to the media to the general (and global) public.
"The staff here is great at including PR in all the information, so we know what needs to happen, and it makes us better able to talk to the media about why things have to
happen the way they do," says Long. "We were at the table during the planning process throughout. It's a strong testament that the PR staff develop very strong, trustworthy
relationships with other areas of the staff within an organization - in this case, that's the scientists and facility managers - because the more you know, the better you are at
relaying information, and the more credible you are."
That relationship places a special kind of obligation on the PR staff of the National Zoo. "In terms of timing, things can change on a dime, and sometimes people don't want to
talk about conservation, but just how cute the panda cub is," says Long. "Preparedness is important when you are covering any industry, but with a zoo that's entrusted with the
care of critically endangered species, being correct, factual, prompt, honest and credible has to be the baseline. Being a part of the Smithsonian and having appropriations from
Congress means we must be responsible with taxpayers' dollars and the messages we put out, as well as animal care and facilities, and we are unique in that respect. We are
carefully watched, which is as it should be."
The basic PR goals were met, and then some. National news broadcasts mentioned the cub on 47 days in the months immediately following his birth, and local news covered him on
76 days. Zoo visitation during the four-month period following the cub's public debut rose from 334,814 to 530,357 people, compared with the same period a year earlier. Gift shop
revenues skyrocketed by 100%, and 9,000 new members joined the Friends of the National Zoo in 2005. About a third of those members came on board in the last quarter of the year,
after Tai Shan's birth.
Beyond 'ROI'
But the results, the ROI, if you will, were worth far more. The Zoo benefits, says Long, because "science benefits. It increases awareness about pandas, which are a naturally
charismatic species. In doing so, you bring people to the Zoo, where they learn something about the cub. And they say, 'Wow, I didn't know there were only 2,000 left in the world.
And while I'm here, I'll go see the Asian Elephants. And I didn't know there were only 30,000 of those...' It's also a conservation opportunity. We hope it will lead to people
wanting to save cheetahs, and the elephants, and all the other animals, as much as we do."
Among the PR tactics that apply to general practice, Long says the most important are "planning and preparedness. I can't say that enough. It was fortuitous that we planned so
far in advance because we could figure out how to do things like photography. We could take it to a different level and get the science and conservation message out in-depth."
The PR takeaway is involvement and planning, says Long, whose team operated so closely with the veterinary and scientific staff that they were fully informed every step of the
way. "We were on the phones within 10 minutes of his birth," she says. "You want to be the bearer of that news, whether it's good or bad. It builds your credibility and trust. If
you plan ahead, you are better spokesperson."
Contact:
Peper Long: (202) 673-0206
Different Strokes For Different Needs
Methods for reaching the media vary as widely as the products or events that must be promoted. For a baby giant panda, it was all about conservation, science, and the animals'
well-being. When Kraft Foods/Nabisco wanted to reinforce the Oreo's relationship with parents and children as America's cookie of choice, it turned to the runaway success of
reality show "American Idol" for inspiration, resulting in a media relations masterpiece.
To leverage the company's finding that Oreos are more than just a cookie, the PR team at Weber Shandwick Worldwide set out to create a series of cookie & milk moments by
staging a contest that would pit talented consumers against each other in staged events around the country to sing their own versions of the "Oreo & Milk" jingle. The
finalists would be awarded $1,000 and a trip to Los Angeles to perform their renditions for a star-studded music industry panel. "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson was tapped as
a spokesman for the campaign and hosted the finale in LA.
The PR team reached out to local media outlets before each of the 10 finalist events in such cities as Chicago, Denver, Miami and Dallas to create buzz and secure coverage. A
groundswell of media attention built to national exposure.
Following the grand finale event in LA, all ten of the finalists were featured on "The Oprah Show," and media outreach focused on the winning group's hometown media markets as
well as national outlets, generating more than 65 million media impressions. Even Oprah Winfrey, who has been a critic of the food industry in the past, sang her own version of
the jingle to kick off her TV segment.
And in a final sweet testament to the program's success, sales of Oreos were measured at 3.4% higher than they had been the year before at the same time. The contest, in turn,
was deemed such a hit that it is now in its second year.