PR News Announces Winners of 2014 CSR Awards

PR News celebrated the winners and honorable mentions of its 2014 CSR Awards at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Apr. 7, 2014. Also recognized were this year’s CSR A-List and the latest inductees to the CSR Hall of Fame. Together, these people and organizations represent top quality work in the realm of CSR communications.  (See full profiles of all the winners.)

CSR HALL OF FAME

Hyundai Hope on Wheels

Hyundai’s signature and largest CSR effort is its own nonprofit organization, Hyundai Hope On Wheels. The organization partners with nearly 200 children’s hospitals nationwide to help kids fight cancer, and over the last 15 years, Hyundai has become one the largest private funders of pediatric cancer research.

Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson has a long track record in aiding philanthropic efforts in developed and developing countries, engaging in CSR efforts before it was common or fashionable, and certainly before the invention of the phrase "triple bottom line."

Microsoft

Microsoft has made charitable giving and community outreach a key part of its corporate activities for many years. Its Employee Giving Campaign, started in 1983, crossed the $1 billion threshold in 2013, and employees have volunteered more than 2 million hours in community causes since 2005.

TOMS – One For One Movement

Tech startups in Silicon Valley only need to look at TOMS to learn how to build social responsibility into their DNA while they're still at the starting gate. From its founding in 2006, TOMS shoes has made social responsibility part of its business plan has given 10 million pairs of shoes to children in need—one pair for every pair purchased.

The Walt Disney Company

Going back 30 years, the Walt Disney Company's VoluntEARS program has promoted the well-being of children and families around the world. Since the program’s founding, Disney VoluntEARS have given more than 6.5 million hours of volunteer service in communities around the world.

CSR A-LIST

APCO Worldwide

For 30 years, APCO has helped ambitious businesses design and execute world-class corporate CSR programs. At least a third of their $120 million global revenues in 2012 were derived from environmental, social and governance-related work.

Cone Communications

In the past year, Cone Communications earned nearly 268 million media impressions for its work, and its CSR experts are some of the most in-demand thought leaders in the industry.

Edelman

Over the past year, Edelman’s Business + Social Purpose practice has experienced 18% growth, employing proprietary methodologies and drawing on Edelman’s research to develop integrated business and communications solutions for commercial success and social impact.

FleishmanHillard

FleishmanHillard's methodology delivers CSR solutions grounded in an understanding of clients’ core businesses and the audiences who matter most. This approach enables the practice to leverage opportunities and mitigate risk throughout the value chain.

Havas PR

Havas PR donated more than $1.3 million in 2013, an investment that has brought a large return to causes and organizations worldwide through the #GivingTuesday international giving campaign, among many others.

MSLGROUP

MSLGROUP’s PurPle service (Purpose + People) connects a team of more than 100 experts in citizenship, sustainability and related areas that impact business strategies. At present this team handles over $25 million of business in the category, working on breakthrough purpose-inspired projects.

RF|Binder

RF|Binder counsels companies large and small on their corporate responsibility programs – how to develop them, report them and promote them – and help build strong, well-recognized corporate citizens. The agency works in areas ranging from human rights and sustainability to philanthropy and community relations.

Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick’s Social Impact team is a global offering that works with major corporations to build strong communications platforms, and execute public, media and social engagement campaigns to communicate CSR strategies and results.

2014 CSR AWARD WINNERS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS

Annual Report 

Winner: Pirelli - Imagining the Future with You

Pirelli Tire holds a leadership position around the globe. Its 270-page annual report looked back and forward, presenting a wealth of company information in a bold and visually appealing manner.

Honorable Mentions: 

• APCO Worldwide – Deloitte 2012 Global Report
• AHA!  - Microsoft 2013 Citizenship Report
• Dell Inc. - 2020 Legacy of Good Plan
• Massachusetts Convention Center Authority
• Neighbors Helping Neighbors Build Healthier Communities: The Lifetime Healthcare Companies 2012 Annual Report
• Viacommunity 

Blog 

Winner: Kimco Realty Builds Industry Leadership in CSR through Corporate Blog

Kimco’s blog has directly supported larger business goals of spurring new leasing activity; for instance, Kimco blogged about its efforts to help dry cleaner tenants convert from PERC operations to greener cleaning methods.

Honorable Mentions:     

• Cone Communications - Prove Your Purpose Raises the Bar in CSR Thought Leadership
• General Motors – GM Beyond Now
• Network for Good - CompaniesforGood.org
• RF|Binder Partners - CVS Caremark All Kids Can Blog  "Helping Kids to Be The Best They Can Be" 

Cause Branding Campaign

Winner: AT&T and FleishmanHillard – It Can Wait: The Power of a Movement

AT&T and FleishmanHillard produced an emotional video—through the eyes of a smartphone— focusing on how the misuse of smartphones, such as texting while driving, can forever change the life of the driver and the lives of others.

Honorable Mentions:

• JetBlue Airways - Soar with Reading 2013
• Largemouth Communications - Kangaroo Express, Salute our Troops
• Mary Kay, Inc. - Don’t Look Away
• MasterCard & Weber Shandwick - Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World
• RF|Binder Partners - You're Doing OK!: JOHNSON'S Baby Gives Back and Reassures Moms
• Weber Shandwick and ExxonMobil - 2013 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy 

Community Affairs 

Winner: Office Depot Foundation – Be The Difference. Speak Up Against Bullying!

In concert with Office Depot’s corporate public relations efforts, media coverage for the Office Depot Foundation’s anti-bullying initiatives has included more than 885 million impressions with total media value in excess of $2.3 million.

Honorable Mentions:

• Covanta Energy – Rx4 Safety: Protecting People and the Environment from the Improper Disposal of Drugs
• Fannie Mae Delivers Impact to Local Communities with 7 Days to Serve
• Havas Worldwide – The Airfood Project
• Ogilvy Public Relations and Bristol-Myers Squibb - Men and Melanoma: Putting Excuses Aside
• The Quaker Oats Company - Quaker Helps Fuel Healthy Families with Fuel Up to Play 60

Corporate-Community Partnership 

Winner: AT&T and FleishmanHillard – It Can Wait: The Power of a Movement

From just 160 supporting organizations in 2012 to more than 1,500 in 2013, the It Can Wait program is no longer a campaign spearheaded by one company but rather a broad-based social cause; from The Walt Disney Company to Goodyear to the Girl Scouts, companies and organizations have joined in educating the public on the dangers of texting and driving.

Honorable Mentions: 

• Blick&Staff Communications – Energizer and the 4 S’s of Coin Lithium Battery Safety
• Clear Channel – iHeartRadio’s Show Your Stripes
• Health Care Service Corporation – HCSC and KaBOOM!: Working to Ensure a Healthy Future Through Access to Play
• Toys “R” Us, Inc. and Shaquille O’Neal Encourage Customers to “Give Back With Shaq” to Benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
• Wells Fargo & Company – NeighborhoodLIFT

Corporation with more than 25,000 employees 

Winner: Sprint

According to a white paper published in May 2013, careful, innovation-driven design and production choices have enabled a 55% reduction in the environmental effect of Sprint-branded device packaging since 2009; this unprecedented makeover left no stone unturned: Sprint reworked everything from raw materials to inks to adhesives.

Honorable Mentions: 

• Caesars Entertainment
• Craftsman
• Oracle
• Thermo Fisher Scientific

Corporation with less than 25,000 employees 

Winner: TD Ameritrade

In 2013 alone, at Special Olympics state games from coast to coast, more than 800 TD Ameritrade volunteers spent approximately 3,500 hours cheering on athletes and celebrating achievements; in addition to time, associates in Utah, Chicago, Fort Worth and Omaha raised more than $50,000 by participating in local fundraisers.

Honorable Mentions: 

• Constant Contact
• FMC Corp.
• Gage Products Company
• Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.

CSR Professional of Year 

Co-Winner: Amy Hargroves – Director of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability - Sprint

Amy Hargroves helped expand Sprint’s definition of CSR to include social impact, distracted driving, accessibility solutions for the disabled and low income, customer management, employee engagement and consumer privacy. In the last year she has successfully lobbied Congress for an extension of the Production Tax Credit for wind, and implemented an automated Retail Energy Management system at 1,000 Sprint stores—which is expected to save $15 million in energy costs in the next 10 years.

Co-Winner: Paul Massey – Executive Vice President - Weber Shandwick

Paul Massey founded and leads Weber Shandwick’s Social Impact team, which tells stories for clients around corporate social responsibility and urgent social issues spanning global development, education and sustainability. He leads Weber Shandwick’s work with Nike and its Access To Sport initiative, was enlisted to support the LEGO Foundation as it set out to redefine play and reimagine learning and continues to provide strategic counsel for First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let's Move! Active Schools initiative.

Honorable Mentions:

• Linda Arnold – Customer Advocacy Lead - Monsanto
• Jim Murren – Chairman and CEO - MGM Resorts International
• Dennis Pittman – Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs - Smithfield
• Dato’ Rohana Rozhan – CEO - Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad

CSR on a Shoestring 

Winner: Rogers & Cowan and Cause Swarm - Flash Flood For Good at Clinton Global Initiative 2013 Annual Meeting

According to corporate partner Procter & Gamble, with its 500 billion-plus earned media reach, Flash Flood for Good was dubbed one of the most successful charitable clean water awareness campaigns in history.

Honorable Mentions:

• Covance-CARE Nepal SMILE
• Post No Bills - SC State Fair Safe Community
• RF|Binder Partners - Redefine First Aid with New Cause-Marketing Partnership
• TerraCycle - Cigarette Waste Brigade

Diversity Communications

Winner: Kaiser Permanente - National Supplier Diversity Campaign: Handbooks & Education

The 2013 Kaiser Permanente Supplier Diversity education campaign resulted in heightened employee education through the publishing of comprehensive Supplier Diversity Handbooks. 

Honorable Mentions: 

• ChangeMakers - Multi-Language Communications
• General Motors - Women's Electrification Panel
• Novo Nordisk, Inc. and Biosector 2 - Ask.Screen.Know. Public Service Announcement
• Time Warner Cable Media – The 90 That Built LA

Employee Relations 

Winner: Fahlgren Mortine - Mid-Ohio Foodbank Operation Feed Week

Operation Feed is the core of Fahlgren Mortine’s corporate responsibility program; to date, Fahlgren Mortine has raised more than 23,500 meals for the hungry in communities where it has office locations. 

Honorable Mentions: 

• Advent Integrated - Viridian Resource Kit
• Assurance Wireless - Get Connected
• MGM Resorts International - Inspiring Our World
• RBC Blue Water Community Makeover
• Viacom’s Viacommunity
• Weber Shandwick - Impact Project

Employee Volunteer Program 

Winner: RF|Binder Partners - CVS Caremark: Building Healthier Communities “One Shoreline at a Time"

This campaign—which involved CVS Caremark employees collecting trash from shorelines across the country—was a smashing success, resulting in a total of more than 1.6 million media impressions, with multiple pieces of local media coverage in each of its markets. 

Honorable Mentions: 

• Bacardi Limited - "Spirit for Life, Caring Together" Shows its Sustainability Spirit
• Nestlé Waters North America  - Project Picnic
• Quaker Oats - Good Purpose Team
• RF|Binder Partners - Capital One's One Week: "Investing for Good" One Community at a Time

Environmental Stewardship 

Winner: American Airlines and Weber Shandwick – American Airlines Reduces Its Carbon Footprint

As part of their company’s efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, American Airlines’ flight attendants recycled more than 12 million aluminum cans in 2012, and in addition, American recycled 26 million gallons of water for reuse.

Honorable Mentions:

• Baylor Health Care System - Energy Champions
• Ford and OgilvyEarth – MyEnergi Lifestyle
• Golden State Foods – Biodiesel from Bio-waste
• ICU Eyewear – Sustainably Made Eyewear, Promoting Philanthropy
• Saatchi & Saatchi S – Reducing Impact, Investing in Alternatives: Caesars Entertainment's Environmental Leadership

Event: CSR/Green Focus

Co-Winner: Glad Trash – Glad One Bag Campaign

The Glad One Bag program inspired consumers and communities alike to make small changes in their waste diversion practices; as such, the campaign secured top-tier national placements, resulting in more than 75 million media impressions, including 9 million from social media. 

Co-Winner: NBCUniversal – Earth Week: Power the Party

Due to their ability to capture park guests leaving their parks in Orlando and Hollywood, NBCUniversal reached over 30,000 consumers—with its ClickIt social media extension reaching an additional 12,000 people.

Honorable Mentions:

• AMD's Green Army: Innovation for Volunteerism
• Bacardi Limited – "Champions Drink Responsibly" Mix with Rafa
• Entergy Corporation – NOLA Bike to Work Day
• MGM Resorts International – Inspiring Our World
• RF|Binder Partners – CVS Caremark: Building Healthier Communities “One Shoreline at a Time"

Facebook Communications Campaign 

Winner: Hyundai Hope on Wheels and Finn Partners - Hyundai Hope On Wheels Drives Pediatric Cancer Awareness on Facebook

Hyundai Hope on Wheels was successful in helping Hyundai increase page likes by 592 percent compared to other Hyundai campaigns. The campaign also was responsible for distributing 41 research grants totaling over $10 million to institutions across the country. 

Honorable Mentions: 

• EMD Serono, Inc. – Notes of Hope Campaign
• Hyatt Corporation – Vote. Give. Thrive.
• The Marcus Group, Inc. – JCP&L Facebook Campaign
• MasterCard & Weber Shandwick  – Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World
• Toys “R” Us, Inc. and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Encourage Fans to Take the Lemon Smiles Challenge
• Welch Allyn – The Ripple Effect: Welch Allyn and Heart to Heart International Encourage Medical Students to Give Back  

Green PR 

Winner: Entergy - Geaux Green Campaign

More than 40 print, broadcast and online media outlets covered the Geaux Green initiative at Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, generating millions of viewer/reader impressions, positively positioning Entergy as an environmentally conscious corporate sponsor of America’s largest sporting event.

Honorable Mentions:

• Cone Communications – Earthwards… Getting Down to Business
• Ford & Ogilvy Earth - MyEnergi Lifestyle
• Lippe Taylor - Helping Ikea Go LED
• Ulled Asociados & We Are Water Foundation - We Art Water Film Festival

Human Rights Communications 

Winner: Buchanan Public Relations - Pepper Hamilton Forces Change in National Organ Transplant Rule

Buchanan Public Relations successfully secured media coverage to educate the general public—and ultimately secure a change— with respect to the little-known “Under 12” Rule, which would have denied a young cystic fibrosis patient a lung transplant because organ transplant teams were prohibited from offering her a set of adult lungs until they had been declined by every single adult on the transplant list.

Honorable Mentions:

• Green Mountain Coffee Roasters - "Great Coffee, Good Vibes, Choose Fair Trade"
• MWW – The Friend Movement: The New F Word

Media Relations

Winner: Scholastic Summer Challenge

In 2013, students from 31 countries and all 50 states participated in the Scholastic Summer Challenge; readers logged 176,438,473 minutes and beat the 2012 world record of 95,859,491 minutes in just 9 weeks. 

Honorable Mentions: 

• Food Network - Go Orange for No Kid Hungry
• Havas PR - Chronicling the True Power of Breast Cancer Warriors
• MWW - The Wunder Project: A Movement to Cure Colon Cancer
• SKDKnickerbocker - The Opportunity for Historic Change: Respect for Marriage Coalition and Building National Support for Marriage Equality
• Weber Shandwick and ExxonMobil - 2013 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy

Nonprofit Partnership 

Winner: CA Technologies  - Tech Girls Rock

In total, the Tech Girls Rock program—which includes workshops for girls featuring technology focused activities designed to develop critical thinking skills—has resulted in numerous print, online and broadcast media hits.

Honorable Mentions:

• ArcelorMittal USA - Sustain Our Great Lakes
• FedEx - Safe Kids Worldwide and FedEx Pedestrian Safety Campaign
• JetBlue Airways - Blue Horizons for Autism 2013
• Raytheon and MATHCOUNTS - A Guinness World Record Title Helps Raise Awareness of the Importance of Math and Science Education
• Time Warner Cable and 826 National

Pro Bono 

Winner: Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes 2013 Memorial Day Donation Tour

The Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes 2013 Memorial Day Donation Tour donated and delivered more than 1.28 million servings of protein to food banks across the country, raising awareness about food insecurity, shedding light on hunger stereotypes, setting a positive corporate example, and feeding neighbors who need a little help in their time of need.

Honorable Mentions:

• CGI - Share our Strength Analytics Enhancement
• Weber Shandwick - Impact Project

Product Design/Redesign 

Winner: Blick & Staff Communications – Energizer and the 4 S's of Coin Lithium Battery Safety

One aspect of this campaign featured an engaging and effective video that brought the 4 S’s of Coin Lithium Battery Safety to life; the video was shared with bloggers and posted on the Energizer and National Safety Council web sites and social media pages and resulted in more than 48,000 views

Honorable Mentions:

• Cone Communications – Earthwards… Getting Down to Business
• International Flavors & Fragrances - Rose Water Essential 

Recycling Program 

Winner: Sprint Buyback

Sprint’s device-recycling programs have helped create more than $1 billion in cost avoidance for the company and put more than $100 million back in customers’ pockets in 2012 alone; since 2001, Sprint has reclaimed enough mobile devices to divert 12.5 million pounds of e-waste from landfills.

 Honorable Mentions:

• Golden State Foods - Biodiesel from Bio-waste
• JetBlue Airways - Composting at T5 2013
• TerraCycle - Cigarette Waste Brigade 

Social Good  

Winner: Clear Channel - iHeartRadio’s Show Your Stripes

This community initiative launched by Clear Channel generated awareness around the issue of veteran unemployment, encouraged businesses to hire skilled veterans and help those transitioning out of the military to find jobs. It has resulted in well over 300 million digital impressions across Clear Channel digital platforms.

Honorable Mentions:

• The California Endowment - #Health4All
• DeVry University – HerWorld
• Ford and OgilvyEarth - MyEnergi Lifestyle
• Mashable – Social Good Summit
• Novartis International AG – Improving access to healthcare through innovative and sustainable business models
• Raytheon's Hashtags4Heroes: Empowering Social Media Users to Thank Military Veterans
• SIA Lattelecom – Computer literacy project for seniors "Connect, Latvia!"

Social Media Campaign

Co-Winner: Cone Communications - Nestlé Waters North America #SharedValue Twitter Chat Engages Key Stakeholders

Nestlé Waters North America’s live Twitter Chat to discuss its 2012 Creating Shared Value (CSV) Report netted an exposure of almost 5 million unique impressions; and garnered more than 1,000 tweets and 283 participants.

Co-Winner: NBCUniversal - Share and Tell

During Earth Week 2013, there were 1,821 tweets sent out using NBCUniversal’s #shareandtell hash tag, spreading the word about the Share and Tell parties—yielding 2,758,137 impressions.

Honorable Mentions:

• Cone Communications – Unstoppable Happiness: Northwestern Mutual’s Fight Against Childhood Cancer
• Hyundai Hope on Wheels and Finn Partners - Hyundai Hope On Wheels Drives Pediatric Cancer Awareness on Facebook
• RF|Binder Partners - You're Doing OK!: JOHNSON’s Baby Gives Back and Reassures Moms with Digital Care Cards
• Rogers & Cowan and Cause Swarm  - Flash Flood For Good at Clinton Global Initiative 2013 Annual Meeting
• Welch Allyn – The Ripple Effect: Welch Allyn and Heart to Heart International Encourage Medical Students to Give Back

Stakeholder Engagement

Winner: Time Warner Cable Media - Staying "Connected" During Superstorm Sandy

Time Warner Cable’s post-Storm Sandy communication efforts in late 2012 provided a positive boost for the company’s reputation – of those aware, an overwhelming majority (86%) now feel more positively about the company and 7 in 10 recognized that Time Warner Cable helped restore services.

 Honorable Mentions:

• Bombardier Aerospace – Safety Standdown
• Goldcorp - Answering the Call of the Moose
• Micato Safaris - Micato-AmericaShare
• OMV Petrom, Graffiti PR, BBDO, Webstyler, GMP PR - Andrei's Country a story of turning NGOs, authorities, employees and school kids into DOERS
• OPET Revolutionizes Volunteerism
• Strategic Public Relations Group  - The Singa Project  

Sustainability/CSR Report 

Co-Winner: Hormel Foods with Burson-Marsteller and Proof Integrated Communications

The 2012 Hormel Foods Corporate Responsibility Report was a success for the company as it received high-marks from internal and external stakeholders, including awards and indices.

Co-Winner: Monsanto Company

Since the June 2013 launch of a website that focuses on the 2012 Monsanto Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability Report, there have been over 5,000 unique visitors, who are staying an average of over 3 minutes per visit, well above average CSR trends.

Honorable Mentions:

• Adobe's Create Change 5-Year Data Visualization
• Advent Integrated - Viridian 2012 Sustainability Report
• AECOM Technology Corporation - Complex problems. Integrated solutions.
• AGCO - Food for Thought
• Brown-Forman Corporation - 2013-2014 Corporate Responsibility Report: Global Spirit
• Coca-Cola Enterprises' 2012/2013 Sustainability Report - Welcome to our Community
• IHS Inaugural Corporate Sustainability Report
• International Paper

Video Initiatives

Co-Winner: AT&T - Through the Eyes of a Phone - It Can Wait

AT&T and FleishmanHillard’s “Eyes of a Phone” public service announcement has been a huge success, as YouTube views of the video are currently close to 75,000; in addition, nearly 200 websites posted the video within their own content.

Co-Winner: Toyota & 360i - Meals per Hour

Social media conversations about Toyota’s Meals Per Hour—whose goal was to generate positive word-of-mouth around Toyota’s ongoing commitment to knowledge-sharing and good works following Superstorm Sandy—were 67% positive, nearly doubling its goal of 36% positive mentions and proving that the campaign overcame the “cause-washing” perception that many brands face when engaging in philanthropic effort.

Honorable Mentions:

• Cisneros Media - Somos Lo Que Queremos
• International Flavors & Fragrances - Moving Forward
• Toyota and Discovery Education - Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge
• Viacom's Support for the AT&T It Can Wait Campaign
• Viridian - 7 Continents in 7 Years

Volunteer Program

Co-Winner: JetBlue Airways and New York Restoration Project - One Thing That's Green 2013

JetBlue’s campaign with the New York Restoration Project to repair Hurricane Sandy damage to New York City’s parks resulted in 28,819,964 National media impressions, 2,400 trees planted and 43,536 visitors to the micro-site.

Co-Winner: Oracle Volunteers

The Oracle Volunteers program has supported 461 organizations and implemented 775 projects; in addition, the program has 18,695 volunteers in 51 countries with the number of volunteer hours contributed clocking in at 77,082. 

Honorable Mentions:

• Hilton Worldwide - Building a Global Week of Service
• Jackson in Action
• RF|Binder Partners - Capital One's One Week: Investing for Good One Community at a Time
• Thermo Fisher Scientific Community Action Council

Workplace Innovation 

Winner: Entergy's Power To Care Campaign

In 2013, Entergy employees raised $350,000 to the company’s “Power to Care” program, which is a resource for low-income customers. This is a 75 percent increase over 2012.

Honorable Mention:

• Benevity - Spark Workplace Giving: Engaging Employees to Make Goodness Matter (Even More!)

Follow Richard Brownell: @RickBrownell