Campaign: Bill 212 Communications Package
Winner: Peel District School Board
On Feb. 1, 2008, the Ontario government-passed Bill 212 went into effect, amending safe school provisions of the Education Act (Progressive Discipline and School Safety).
Realizing that there was a clear need to communicate the changes to school council members, staff, parents and students, executives with the Peel District School Board set out to
support the successful launch and implementation of Bill 212 among members of a very diverse audience.
Speaking in Tongues
A primary challenge for the team was developing materials that communicated information to culturally and linguistically diverse groups, as well as managing school
administrators' resistance to change.
To overcome barriers, the board established writing committees with representation from all levels to provide strategic counsel on the revisions to the Safe School Policies.
Then, the team identified the separate target audiences, including school leaders, teachers, senior administration, parent councils and trustees, and developed specific messages
that would resonate with each group based on its individual needs and concerns.
How Do You Take Your Communications?
Different audiences received information in different ways: Superintendents received a template for communicating with principals; school council members were invited to a
"Tips, Tools and Techniques" training session; and administrators and trustees received a Bill 212 communications package via e-mail.
By the time the new bill went into effect, the Peel District's superintendents of education reported that 100% of schools used the communications materials and that the
response to the policies was uniformly positive--evidence that the initiative helped support Bill 212's successful implementation among every targeted stakeholder group in the
community.
Honorable Mentions
Porter Novelli and Noblis for "Noblis Internal Brand Campaign"--To create a name, brand strategy and culture of communications embraced by all Noblis staff, the nonprofit
teamed up with Porter Novelli to introduce messaging that resulted in increased employee engagement. One year after the launch, 81% of the workforce said it understood the brand
identity.
Bloomington Hospital for "We Are Bloomington Hospital"--Using photography that pairs hospital employees in surprising ways, the organization engaged current and prospective
staff through the internal and external recruitment effort, in turn increasing applications through the new online system.