Cable Positive Inc. and the watsons for Cable Positive Annual Report
As the cable industry’s AIDS action organization, Cable Positive wanted to give stakeholders and the general public an understanding of the brand’s accomplishments in terms of AIDS education; the organization also wanted to raise awareness about the amount of help still needed to combat the disease. The annual report was thus seen as an effective vehicle for communicating these messages. Cable Positive also wanted to use the report to illustrate that HIV/AIDS is still a global problem and that there are many ways to get involved to help end this epidemic.
ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS TO EMBRACE A CAUSE
Working in tandem with marketing firm the watsons, Cable Positive executives determined that the document should reflect a “We Have Work to Do” theme. To convey this effectively, they used black-and-white photos overlaid with red handwritten comments, thus giving the publication a work-in-progress tone and feel. At the same time, Cable Positive wanted the report to be more accessible and engaging than the typical annual report. The visual approach was the first step in achieving this, but the dissemination vehicle of choice would ultimately be the home run.
DISSEMINATING VIA FLASH DRIVES
The team distributed the document to key stakeholders via direct mail and online; they also distributed Cable Positive-branded Flash drives with the report and public service announcements that uploaded once connected to a computer. It was also disseminated on industry trade show floors via USB drives to save on the amount of paper costs that would normally be incurred.
VOICING APPRECIATION
As a result of the team’s focus and commitment in communicating its message, the report was recognized at the Service Industry Advertising Awards in 2008. More stakeholders reached out to Cable Positive to show their support of the annual report. Also, interest in Cable Positive’s regional chapters increased to such an extent that several new chapters were created.