Winner: The Hershey Company and Dome HK
Campaign: The Versatility of Hershey's Cocoa
Most people don't need an excuse to consume chocolate, but the Hershey Company had become aware that Hershey's Cocoa - although most pantries contained a canister of the
product - was often overlooked in everyday cooking. The average consumer associated cocoa strictly with sweet, chocolate desserts, but rarely thought to use it in other recipes.
The company hired Dome HK to get out the message that Hershey's Cocoa was more than delicious - it was also extremely versatile, and good for consumers' health. Data from a
Hershey study demonstrated that two tablespoons of natural cocoa has the same antioxidant capabilities as 1.5 cups of blueberries, two glasses of red wine, or three cups of black
tea. And while red wine and other antioxidant-rich comestibles were making the news, cocoa's health benefits were still in the shadows.
Dome HK set out to increase consumer awareness of Hershey's Cocoa by pushing its antioxidant qualities, as well as its possible uses in daily cooking. Dome hired celebrity chef
Curtis Aikens (photo, right), known for his healthy cooking, to participate in an upscale culinary event, called "Hershey's Cocoa Steps Up To the Plate." Aikens prepared four
dishes - from grilled salmon with spiced cocoa seasoning to Tex-Mex spiced cocoa vegetables - in front of an audience representing more than 35 media outlets.
Martha McKitrick, a registered dietician, was also on hand to deliver key messages about the health benefits. A press kit at the event included a branded "cocoa shaker," as
well as a booklet talking about the history of cocoa.
More than 108 million media impressions were generated by the event, from the Associated Press to Prevention magazine and the Miami Herald. Even more gratifying, the company
was bombarded with consumer requests for the branded cocoa shakers. The media event - and the gifts - clearly hit a sweet spot with chocolate fans eager for more.
Honorable Mentions
Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking: The Century Council Recent data, according to The Century Council, show that alcohol consumption is declining among
female eighth-grade students. Unfortunately, however, there also seems to be a slower decline among girls of all ages across the country. Therefore, the Council launched a
campaign called "Girl Talk" to raise as much awareness as possible among mothers (the most influential figure for girls) and daughters, as well as the general public. With a
budget of $40,000, the project generated almost 50 million media impressions and got coverage on three major morning shows, including NBC's "Today Show," ABC's "World News This
Morning," and CNN's "Live Today."
Inside the Situation Room: Microsoft Opens Its Doors to the Public During a Crisis: Microsoft, Security Technology Unit and Waggener Edstrom Worldwide When a computer virus
named "Zotob" chewed its way through Microsoft Windows operating systems in 2005 and was blown out of proportion by the media, the communications team - along with Waggener execs
- took control of the problem, advising the Microsoft Security Response Center to open its situation room's doors to the public. The vehicle? The very media outlets that were
publicizing the crisis as an out-of-control threat. It was a calculated risk with exponential benefits, as it placated Microsoft users' fears and demonstrated the company's
ability to put the bug to bed before it bit any more customers.