Campaign: Nevada Cancer Institute Web site
Winner: Nevada Cancer Institute
To become part of the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nevada Cancer Institute needed a Web site that was state-of-the-art in disseminating
information about cancer while meeting the needs of its target audience, consisting of patients, their families, researchers, physicians, donors, job seekers, students and the
media.
Testing, Testing, 1 2 3
After several presentations to the CEO and COO of NVCI as well as its advertising agency, Dowden Health Media was chosen to be the Web site vendor based on its experience in
the healthcare field and its ability to meet the launch deadline.
With a partnership underway, a beta-site was created as the new site was being constructed. Elements from the old Web site were incorporated into the new-and-improved one,
nevadacancerinstitute.org. With a budget of $150,000, the team incorproate streaming video and downloaded pdf files of hard copy collateral and magazines.
Providing a Roadmap
For Jennifer McDonnell, manager of marketing and PR for the Nevada Cancer Institute, the difficulty of speaking to multiple audiences on a single platform was a key challenge
to overcome.
"We decided to use portals to direct the readers to information they wanted and on their level," she says, offering other PR professionals valuable lessons based on her own
experiences.
"A more direct lesson in terms of immediacy and range of audience was the ability to post news releases, special events and media alerts on the Web site within a single day so
that crucial and timely PR information was available to those in the community who needed it," McDonnell continues. "We have also been able to organize and archive old news
releases, creating a virtual news room, while at the same time recording the history of NVCI for the future."
Reaching the Destination
The ROI of NVCI's newly launched Web site was extensive:
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New employees and faculty use it as a major source of information when making employment decisions;
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The First International Conference on Normal Tissue Radiation Effects, hosted by NVCI in Las Vegas, was accomplished through a page on the Web site that listed sign-up
links, schedules and speakers' lists;
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NVCI secured state funding to continue its work for 2007-08; and,
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Donations, both from individuals and foundations, increased into 2007.
Honorable Mentions
Marmillion + Company, Women of the Storm--To spread information about the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Women of the Storm called legislatures to visit the areas
affected by the natural disasters. To improve their ability to gain recovery funds, the team turned to a Web platform--womenofthestorm.net--and published a list of those
politicians who have visited. Making the public aware of those who turned a blind eye to the problem put pressure on the government, and it brought much-needed attention to the
cause.
Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Cohn & Wolfe: "Fun Center" Campaign--Seeking to bring "fun centers"-- mobile TV and video game stations--to sick children in
hospitals around the country, these PR execs tapped the Internet. They used starlight.org as a platform for an online voting campaign to call attention to and shorten the Fun
Center wait list, as well as to inspire communities to rally behind their local pediatric patients. More than two million votes were counted, and five hospitals have received
centers.
United Negro College Fund: An Evening of Stars Tribute to Aretha Franklin Web Site--In celebration of Aretha Franklin's longstanding support of the United Negro College Fund,
the nonprofit launched a Web site in her honor. The content-rich site combined information about her background as a performer, as well as spotlighting the annual "An Evening of
Stars" tribute celebration.
United Nations Foundation: Nothing But Nets Campaign--To raise awareness about insecticide-treated nets in Africa, as well as the danger of malaria-spreading mosquitos, UNF
launched the Nothing but Nets campaign on nothingbutnets.net. A combination of social and rich media, from Web videos to Flickr slideshows, gets people involved. Visitors to the
site can buy a net that will be sent to Africa and potentially save lifes.