Co-Winner: Georgia Dental Association - Georgia Mission of Mercy Communications Plan
After recognizing a decline in the state-funded dental care safety net for adults in Georgia during the economic
recession, a network of dentists took action by organizing and hosting the Georgia Mission of Mercy, a two-day
100-chair dental clinic held in August 2011 to provide care to adults who were unable to pay for treatment.
The PR agency Three created a media relations strategy around media alerts, targeted media pitching and press releases with specific timelines created for broadcast, online and print channels. Three’s efforts led to more than 85 national and local media stories, and generated 95 million impressions. —BM
Co-Winner: Turner Broadcasting System and Greenwich Hospital - 2011 Under the Stars Gala
Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut asked the Turner Broadcasting team to help publicize the summer 2011 evening fundraising event benefiting its Pediactric Department and Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Turner’s goal was to create impactful publicity materials for the gala that would make people want to attend this event, while also increasing awareness of the seriousness of the hospital’s mission. This multi-material effort encompassed an extensive variety of elements, including a save-the- date postcard, invitation, two magazine ads, two posters and a 29-page event program
Thanks in part to attractive publicity materials that drove positive RSVP’s and generated maximum attendance and significant donations from attendees, the 2011 Under the Stars Gala raised more money than any previous event held on behalf of the Pediatric Department and Neonatal Intensive Care units. —BM
Honorable Mentions:
Hart – Summer Food Program on behalf of ProMedica: To increase the number of low-income children fed throughout the summer in Toledo, Ohio, Hart developed a communications plan that addressed reluctance and/or mistrust about partaking in free meals. The cornerstones were a press conference at the Sofia Quintero Community Center with eight media outlets and a 30-second public service announcement on two urban radio stations, leading to a 3,000% increase compared to 2010.
KC Projects LLC – Shelby Humane Society: To increase adoption rates, SHS partnered with KC Projects to launch
a PR and community outreach campaign in order to foster understanding and cooperation in the Birmingham, Ala., area around animal adoptions—which increased from 892 to 1,152 largely because of the adoption promotional events held throughout the year.
The Marcus Group – Little Kids Rock: To commemorate the Marcus Group’s 40th anniversary, the boutique agency worked with nonprofit Little Kids Rock to secure media placements and feature stories on a national level to show the impact LKR has on students. This led to a 160% increase in individual donations and a 25% increase in event revenue.
Red Agency – Foodbank Australia: Bridge the Hunger Divide: To create a disruptive leap in consumer awareness of Foodbank and the role it plays in fighting hunger in Australia, the charity built a model of Australia’s iconic Sydney Harbor Bridge out of food to symbolize the need to bridge the gap between the haves and the have- nots—earning over 20 radio interviews, and 30+ newspaper and online articles.
Turkcell - Turkey’s Money - Box for Van: To help the city of Van recover from the devastating effect of two 7.2 magnitude earthquakes in 2011, Turkcell raised awareness and donations via a broadcast and print campaign. With the $3 million raised, the company provided housing for 100 teachers to keep the education system going.