Honesty. Transparency. Responsibility. They're the buzz words
for every company these days. But the winners of this year's PR
NEWS CSR Awards did more than just talk about them. In a year in
which corporate malfeasance was more likely to be in the news than
corporate volunteerism, our winners accomplished powerful change
for the better within their communities. In a year when corporate
dishonesty was making headlines, these organizations used
straightforward reports to provide their audiences with the truth -
whether good or bad. And in a year when employees lost trust in
corporate values, the CSR Award winners ensured that their
employees lived their organization's values through active
participation in community outreach.
In this issue, we announce the winners and share what marked
these entries as outstanding among the scores of submissions.
Community Affairs
The Winners
**Hill & Knowlton for Hewlett-Packard**
After Sept. 11, 2001, Compaq turned to H&K to develop a
program that would demonstrate its support for America without
appearing opportunistic.
The companies came up with "Give Thanks America," a sweeping
program that allowed Americans to send email with streaming digital
video to troops deployed abroad. Although many companies offered
the ability to send greetings to the men and women of the armed
services, Compaq's technology was the only one that allowed for
digital video. Plus, it won support from unlikely parties. The
Department of Defense (which rarely endorses corporate initiatives,
much less during wartime) partnered with the company on the
program.
**Fairmont Hotels & Resorts **
Ever wonder where all that luxurious furniture in your hotel
suite goes once it has outstayed its welcome? Fairmont Hotels &
Resorts devised a way of disposing its gently- used items and also
endearing each hotel to its community. The Adopt-a-Shelter program
has paired every hotel in the Fairmont chain with a local women's
shelter. Items the hotel otherwise would have trashed are donated
to these shelters. The organization coordinated a massive
nationwide launch with creative launch events in every locale.
The Honorable Mentions
**Cone Inc. for Chevrolet **
After the events of Columbine, Chevrolet became involved in
helping the family of one student, whose prized Chevy truck became
something of a memorial. Out of that local initiative has grown a
larger program, "Reaching Out to Communities & Kids"
(R.O.C.K.).
Chevy works with Niki Corn and team at Cone Inc. on the
initiative, which supports SAVE, a national student organization
that helps kids keep their schools safe. The program also
encourages local dealerships to get involved by providing grants to
help dealers with their commitments.
**Mirant Corporation **
Have trouble imagining a world without your cell phone and
Blackberry? Try imagining one without electricity. Mirant operates
more than 2,250 megawatts of power in the Philippines. The company
is not only using its resources to help light up rural areas - its
Adopt a Barangay program is a $20 million initiative to electrify
barangays (or villages) - but it is also going beyond energy to
support educational programs that will advance the country.
**Invesco **
Invesco was thrown into its community spotlight when it acquired
naming rights to Denver's new football stadium, Invesco Field at
Mile High. The company decided it wanted to be known not only for
its support of the local economy, but also for its support of kids.
The company's "Knowledge is the Edge" program uses Invesco's
resources to help high school students gain a greater understanding
of financial matters.
**Verizon Reads **
The Verizon Reads organization is the umbrella organization for
Verizon's national literacy philanthropy, spearheaded by Director
of Public Affairs Lance Chrisman and Executive Director of Public
Affairs Andrew Brown. More than 240,000 of the communications
company's employees are involved in the effort to promote literacy,
from book drives to reading to kids.
CSR Report
The Winner
**Comcast **
Comcast's CSR Report caught our eye immediately - with its
original artwork and intuitive design, it definitely stands out
from other company reports with their canned photos of stiff
employees.
The report also provides valuable content on Comcast's community
initiatives, starting with a brief message from the president, and
including chapters on various community initiatives with sidebars
highlighting major accomplishments.
The Honorable Mention
**Ketchum for Dow **
Dow's report is not only well-organized and designed, but we
love its frank approach to its involvement in local and global
communities. The company provides a checklist of "New Tasks,"
"Ongoing Tasks" and "Completed Tasks," along with progress and
goals. Notably, there are far more new and ongoing tasks than
completed ones - any reader would appreciate the company's
honesty.
Diversity Communications
The Winner
**Scholastic National Service Organization **
Scholastic is the largest employer in small towns like Jefferson
City, Mo. With immigrant populations in the towns growing at
massive rates, Scholastic's National Service Organization, located
in Missouri, has partnered with Lincoln University, an historically
black college, to provide resources for students and teachers.
Scholastic recruits Lincoln students who wish to go to school
full-time for its second shift workforce. It is providing GED and
English as a Second Language classes on site during work hours for
members of the Hispanic community, and key employees are given
Spanish classes on site.
The Honorable Mention
**Public Service Enterprise Group **
DiversityInc.com gave PSEG an A+ for its Web site's inclusion of
diversity topics throughout. The energy company's site includes
detailed information on Supplier Diversity Programs, as well as
diversity within the organization, making communication on the
topic with both internal audiences and partners simple and
effective.
Environmental Communications
The Winner
**Singer Associates for Norcal Waste Systems' "Turning Garbage
Into Gold" **
California law requires that 50 percent of garbage be recycled.
San Francisco was falling behind the requirements of the law in
2001. Norcal Waste Systems developed a three- color cart system,
then turned to Singer Associates to get San Franciscans on board.
The agency did heavy research beforehand to get feedback from
citizens, and the team pushed a message emphasizing the ease of
"1-2-3" recycling. The result: Recycling shot up 25 percent.
The Honorable Mention
**Hass MS&L for General Motors' **
Environmental reporters aren't typically high on automotive
companies. But they were one of the main audiences GM wanted to
reach with its messages about new products that will have a
positive impact on the environment. The company also wanted to
change attitudes among public policy leaders, legislators, NGOs,
analysts, educators and academics. The 2002 Technology Tour
showcased current, near-term and future technologies that help save
the environment. To date, the tour has driven 50.3 million media
impressions and 2,400 face-to- face contacts with key leaders.