Maybe it was Carlos Santana's supernatural Grammy sweep that put awards on the brains of PR NEWS editors. Whatever the subliminal spark, we decided to check in with last
year's Platinum PR Award winners to find out what's happened in the wake of their stellar campaigns. Where are they now? We offer updates on two of the six winners from 1999:
US West
Telecom giant US West captured last year's internal communications category with its full-disclosure strategy in the face of a union strike by the Communications Workers of
America.
At issue during the work stoppage was a proposed new incentive plan that would encourage customer service improvements by offering cash bonuses to top-notch employees. It was
important for US West to dispel the union's characterization of the program as a "pay for performance" initiative and to neutralize employee fears that the measure might be used
to weed out underachievers.
US West tapped its intranet, voice mail, internal video network and hotlines to educate employees in 14 states about the proposed benefits changes, and to give them the play-
by-play during contract negotiations. The company also dispatched news releases to the media detailing its pay and benefits structure, and invited reporters to tour its
facilities during the strike.
Since then,US West has seen dramatic customer service improvements with the launch of its "Enhanced Compensation Plan." The company posted a record year on Wall Street in 1999.
And of the 816 million media impressions it received in the wake of the strike, only 182 million (22%) skewed negative - 313 million (38%) were positive, and 320 million (39%)
were neutral. Roughly 10 percent of employees in the company's "Network Services Group" have chosen to participate in the incentive program, and of those, 60 to 70 percent are
receiving monthly bonus checks averaging $950 above base salary. The company has launched an extranet that enables employees to tap benefits information from home.
"It was critical to take the high ground," says June Smith, VP/chief of staff for the PR group. "We viewed our employees as partners [during the strike] and didn't attack
them. We never took a negative approach to them in the press. We made ourselves available for them to vent, thereby creating a higher level of trust."
Hyundai Motor America
Auto manufacturer Hyundai took top honors in the community relations category for its "Power of the Purse" program - a traveling seminar that empowers women to make informed
car-buying decisions. The 45-minute seminar, led by Hyundai PR manager Donna Kane, is usually conducted at women's expos and offers tips on servicing and showroom floor
negotiations.
The approach has garnered the car manufacturer exclusivity (in the auto category) at each of the shows in which it appears, and Kane always schedules media interviews around
each expo. In 1998, the Power of the Purse program traveled to seven major cities and scored 179,000 media placements (valued at $2.4 million using ad equivalencies). Total
program budget: $385,000.
Today, the program remains strong. Kane secured $2.3 million worth of media coverage in 1999, and has nine expo workshops planned for 2000, fueled by a budget of $400,000.
The program's standby booklet known as "A Consumer's Survival Guide to Automobiles," has been bolstered with two sister publications - a brochure offering test-drive tips, and a
guide spelling out the pros and cons of online car-buying. Publications can now be ordered via toll free number (which drew over 1,000 calls last year). Not only have the new
brochures shored up customer loyalty, they've provided a fresh angle for securing media attention. A press tour held prior to a Jan. 14 show in Minneapolis resulted in 13
interviews and a spike of 200 callers to the hotline.
The program's worth has been proved in ROI, but Kane says the most rewarding feedback comes from individual participants. One executive from the American Association of
University Women wrote to Kane that, "Any company that takes the time to educate consumers is sure to provide good service after the sale." The same exec then emailed her
endorsement to 40 of her closest friends.
Stay tuned for updates on other 1999 Platinum PR Award winners next week. In
the meantime, take note that the deadline for this year's awards is fast approaching.
Materials are due March 6. Visit http://www.PRandMarketing.com
for more details.
Cast Your Vote
What's your take on awards programs?
- Do you use PR awards as a means of justifying your budgets to senior management?
- Do you rely on awards as a measure of your own success during performance reviews?
- Do you look for awards kudos in making decisions about agencies to hire?
- Do you list awards you've won on your resume?
Send your answers by email to [email protected]
or fax them to Jenny Sullivan at 301/340-1451. We'll run your responses in an
upcoming issue of PR NEWS.