Big business just can't seem to win these days. From Enron to Arthur Andersen to Kmart, some of America's biggest corporate players are taking a beating in the press. Strategic
philanthropy has always been key to maintaining - or re-establishing - a rapport between corporate America and consumers. But with the Olympics coming up and America still
recovering from Sept. 11, cause-related marketing and sponsorships, particularly of all things patriotic, are at an all-time high.
PR NEWS sat down with Bill Fleishman, EVP of the consumer marketing group at Cone Inc., and Kellie Buckley, director of marketing communications for Monster.com, to discuss how
Monster is leveraging its sponsorship of TeamUSAnet, a Web site tailored to Olympic athletes looking for jobs after The Games. Monster's story is an example of how communications,
sponsorship and philanthropy can work together in the wake of Sept. 11 and big business crises galore to enhance reputation and create a sense of trust that, in Fleishman's words,
"goes beyond the bottom line."
PRN: How are companies changing the way they leverage sponsorships of events like the Olympics in their PR programs? Are there new concerns about how and how much to promote
these sponsorships, or is it even more important to do so?
Fleishman: Post-Sept. 11, America's expectations about companies' role in society have dramatically soared. Eighty-eight percent expect companies to address social issues even
during a period of economic downturn, with an equal number of people wanting to hear about that corporate support.
However, the notion of authenticity is a critical component to sponsorship success, especially in today's world, where it is tempting to slap a logo on a high-profile event,
like the Olympics, and call it a campaign. The sponsorship pricetag is what earns permission to speak to consumers. They will actually listen when your sponsorship extends beyond
the company coffers and impacts society. When a brand creates change for the better, communication vehicles such as PR are certainly appropriate.
PRN: How did Monster come up with the idea for TeamUSAnet?
Buckley: We found that a surprising [number] of American Olympians are concerned about their future. For the many who do not find professional careers in their sport, what
happens when they [have to] exchange their uniforms for suits and ties? Monster's expertise is to provide online career management, and we used it to create TeamUSAnet, a Web site
that provides a comprehensive résumé builder, job search tools and a mentor network with more than 100 mentors to help prepare Olympians for life after The Games.
PRN: How have you leveraged the Web site in your marketing communications? Have you at any point hesitated to take full advantage of it in your PR?
Buckley: We feel very comfortable using PR to tell the story, since most of the athletes we speak to tell us how much they appreciate what we are doing.
We hosted a panel discussion in the ESPNZone in Times Square. The discussion, facilitated by Monster.com CEO Jeff Taylor, included "Miracle on Ice" ice hockey icon Jim Craig,
speed skating legend Eric Heiden, U.S. Olympic Team sport psychologist Sean McCann, three-time Olympian and judo world champion Jimmy Pedro, current super-G world champion Daron
Rahlves and freestyle skier hopeful Hannah Hardaway. The fact that we had national media attend the event, held only one month after the tragedy in New York, shows how important
the issue is.
PRN: Has there been any difficulty obtaining buy-in from the U.S. Olympic Committee as far as how you communicate Monster's efforts on behalf of U.S. Olympians?
Buckley: Fortunately, the USOC [is] quite committed to providing a solution for careers beyond the Olympics. The panel idea was a creative forum to shed light on [a relatively]
unknown issue affecting athletes representing our country.
PRN: Overall, how do you think American businesses have changed the way they look at strategic philanthropy in recent months?
Fleishman: The events of Sept. 11 accelerated and intensified a trend that the Cone/Roper studies have tracked over the past eight years: Americans are forming opinions of a
company's brand and reputation based on its corporate citizenship. According to the 2001 Cone/Roper Corporate Citizenship Study, conducted pre- and post-Sept. 11, there has been a
dramatic impact on Americans' attitudes towards companies that support causes since the national tragedy. More than ever, Americans want to know about companies' corporate
citizenship efforts, and they will form opinions of a company's brand and reputation based on those efforts. Corporate America should be ready to react with authentic, credible
[philanthropic and PR] programs.
(Contacts: Fleishman, 617/227-2111, [email protected]; Buckley: [email protected] )
The Flip Side of the Sponsorship Coin
Tough economic times have had a dramatic effect on nonprofits nationwide. Adam Coyne, communications manager for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and Kimberley
Rudd, national director of marketing and development for KaBOOM!, a nonprofit that develops partnerships to build playgrounds in communities that need them, share the "new rules":
Coyne: "I have seen a marked shift in corporations being far more savvy and strategic in their partnerships. Overall, corporations are asking for more. Nonprofits have to be
smarter when they approach corporations. Companies are far more bottom-line focused, and they want to know how a sponsorship will directly benefit their organization. It is the
job of a nonprofit to detail and explain why a corporation should sponsor an event, activity or program."
Rudd: "I think that the tool for measuring how appropriate a message is is first and foremost not the consumer response but the corporation's (or nonprofit's) ability to
connect its message with its mission, culture and brand. There are certain patriotic messages that can be totally "right" for Target Corp., [for example] because Target as a brand
exudes Americana, value, respect for diversity, etc."
(Coyne: 310/314-1459; Rudd: 312/822-5871, [email protected])