2009 Platinum PR Awards: External Publication—Allrecipes.com & CarryOn Public Relations

Allrecipes Monthly Measuring Cup Consumer Trend Report

Food Web site Allrecipes.com wanted to position itself as a thought leader and valuable source of timely consumer trend data. It also wanted to shift perceptions of the site to not just a food-exclusive property but a venue providing an active social media experience for women. The strategy: an external publication.

To prepare to launch “Allrecipes Monthly Measuring Cup Consumer Trend Report,” the team leveraged data from the site’s members to create newsworthy reports highlighting specific lifestyle and seasonal trends. Other tactics for fleshing out content: analyzing monthly and year-over-year site behavior and conducting topical surveys with members of the Allrecipes community.

Launched in January 2008, the publication has strengthened the team’s relationships with their media contacts and kept Allrecipes top of mind. Also, findings from the various editions of the Monthly Measuring Cup have earned significant press coverage in publications such as USA Today and Washington Post. ■

Honorable Mentions:

Queens Library: Enrich Your Life—Queens Library relaunched Library Matters with a new “Enrich your life” theme, “man on the street” interviews, a modern color scheme and improved photo quality.

BP Energy Company: BP Energy Insights—To keep its clients informed on the latest energy developments, BP created the Energy Insights Newsletter. The newsletter led to BP’s customer satisfaction scores increasing largely by the end of 2008.

Analytical Graphics: AGI’s March 2009 InView Newsletter—AGI’s InView has a wide reader base, ranging from scientists to students, and its unique challenge was to present a newsletter that would appeal to all of these groups. The redesigned issue has received the strongest reviews both inside the company and out.

McCormick Company: Pioneer GrowingPoint Magazine—Pioneer updated its magazine, GrowingPoint, which now connects readers to its Web site for with more in-depth information on key topics in the farming industry.

Pepco Holdings: Powering a Sustainable Future—Pepco’s annual environmental report was refocused to communicate its sustainability commitment, and to include narratives from the senior staff.

October 26, 2009