From Paula Dean and Anthony Weiner to Idle No More and Occupy Wall Street, the study of timely public relations campaigns gives us a chance to offer valuable recommendations on how future efforts might be worthwhile. The Fall 2013 PR Case Studies online course at Bridgewater State University is focused on issues of sustainability and crisis communication, posting student findings on this site so others might hear perspectives about current theories, objectives, and how campaigns are implemented and evaluated.
A class project seemed ideal: Student teams created individual case studies about the Idle No More movement and also studied two companies that were awarded the Silver Anvil Award by PRSA in 2013: General Electric’s Ecoimagination Nation” about sustainability and DuPont’s “Welcome to the Global Collaboratory” initiative about global food security.
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OBJECT OF STUDY |
SUMMARY |
CATEGORY |
| On the Same Page, LLC and GE Power & Water“Ecoimagination Nation – Good for the Business Great for the Environment” | This story takes a global company’s external commitment to environmental sustainability inward, and involves employees across the planet. Who would know at the beginning of 2012 that this employee-led initiative would provide water savings equivalent to shutting down Niagara Falls for 77 minutes? GE Power & Water Ecomagination Nation was right for the environment and for business. More than 230 ambassadors were recruited across 30 countries and six continents; 18 sites were certified; greenhouse gases were reduced by 49,597 metric tons; water usage was reduced by 669,384 gallons; and there was a documented, projected annual savings of $2,255,052. | Internal communications includes programs targeted specifically to special publics directly allied with an organization, such as employees, members, affiliated dealers and franchisees. |
| Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and DuPont“Welcome to the Global Collaboratory – Global Food Security” | DuPont sought to play a role in identifying sustainable solutions to feeding a world population that will grow from seven to nine billion people by 2050. DuPont partnered with the Economist Intelligence Unit to create a common language around the issue of food security, culminating inthe five-country launch of the Global Food Security Index. The program exceeded all expectations including attendance by over 500 influencers at key events, generating over 320 unique articles, 120,000 online visitors to DuPont’s Food Security digital hub and briefing requests from over 15 organizations. Collaborative opportunities with eight new partners have emerged to date. | Reputation management / brand management includes campaigns are designed to enhance,promote or improve the reputation of an organization with its publics or key elements of its publics, either proactively or in response to an issue, event or market occurrence. |
Activist P.R. 