Winner: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Campaign: 29k/30: What impact will we have?
Being a behemoth organization that spans the United States alone with 60+ offices (not to mention the slew of outposts worldwide) presents its fair share of potential
communications snafus. But PricewaterhouseCoopers' PR team remains unfazed, especially after deciding to push its citizenship practices from local efforts to a firm-wide
initiative. By doing so, the communications execs aimed to bring together employees from around the country and to impact communities on a large scale.
But how do you tie together such a dispersed group to create a cohesive initiative? If you're a member of the PwC PR team, you home in on one month - June, 2006 - and integrate
every aspect of your activities into some form of CSR-related endeavor. Thus, 29k/30 was born. The moniker represented 29,000 people helping the community over the course of 30
days, and it drew in employees by giving them the chance to help a cause they felt strongly about.
As for execution, you haven't seen integrated until you've seen the PwC plan of attack: The PR team used the Internet to facilitate internal (think e-mails from senior
partners, an intranet and hotel kiosks to spotlight 29k/30) and external communications (a Web site that allowed community members to register for events); it kicked branding
efforts up a notch by giving away branded items at local volunteer events; it assembled a team composed of representatives from all local offices; it forged strategic partnerships
with organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement and the Boys and Girls Clubs; and it tackled media relations by developing a news-released template that
could be customized by local offices.
By the time June came to a close, the 29k/30 effort proved to be a wild success, resonating with local communities while reinforcing continuity for overall, firm-wide
initiatives. More than 13,000 PwC partners and staff in 63 U.S. offices contributed 65,000 hours to approximately 200 group projects - that's a lot of big numbers to reach in just
30 days.
Honorable Mentions
In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Cisco Systems launched a program, entitled the "21st Century Schools (21S) Initiative," which aimed to expand learning opportunities
for children whose schools experienced setbacks and hardships from the devastation of the hurricanes. In doing so, 41 formerly underperforming schools in both Louisiana and
Mississippi were transformed into model institutions for education through the acquisition of new technological tools that aid in the professional and academic development of both
teachers and students. By establishing tight relationships with teachers, school officials and community leaders in each participating school district, the 21S program succeeded
in gaining the interest and support of such public officials as Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.), as well as the governors and superintendents of education in both states.
In recognizing the importance of alertness, or lack thereof due to a sleep disorder or medical condition, Cephalon and Dorland Global Public Relations developed a campaign,
"Alertness Matters," to raise awareness among consumers and to encourage them to discuss alertness concerns with their doctors. The campaign successfully aided consumers by
helping them to understand and identify impaired alertness through community events and creating a simulator for consumers to experience the impact of impaired alertness, as well
as distributing brochures about the issue. The campaign achieved measurable success through promotions and advertising at local bus shelters, on transit cards and billboards;
premiums such as lanyards, mouse pads and pens; and media relations outreach to connect with key audiences.