creating an effective community relations program

Creating an Effective
Community Relations Program
Presented by
Maureen Rich
The Edison Group
Spotlight on Community
Relations
• Companies are starting to get it – conscience isn’t just
trendy, it’s necessary
• “Sustainable development plans” are becoming
commonplace
• No one wants to be Martha, Enron, etc.
• The Bonus: Doing good = Good for business
A Gradual Shift
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers
2002 Sustainability Survey Report
– 140 U.S. companies
– 70 percent had no broad-based sustainability
program in place yet.
– 69% were reviewing or revising ethics programs or
their corporate-governance process
Top 10 Reasons Companies
Are Getting Involved
Competitive Advantage (75%)
Cost Savings (73%)
Industry Trends (62%)
CEO/Board Commitment (58%)
Customer Demand (57%)
SRI Demand (42%)
Top-line Growth (37%)
Shareholder Demand (20%)

Access to Capital (12%)
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
In Their Own Words
• More than 7 of 10 Americans say they distrust CEOs of large corporations
• 80 percent of surveyed CEOs agree non-financial indicators such as
environmental and social performance metrics are essential to characterizing
future financial performance
– Business Week
• 70 percent of investors consider reputation in their decisions
– Citizen watch
• 91 percent of surveyed CEOs believe CSR management creates shareholder
value
– Managing CSR Report
Baseline Basics
• Determine Goals
• Establish Protocol & Criteria
• Get Everyone Involved
• Incorporate PR Elements
• Establish a Metrics System
Determine Goals
• What Do We Want Program/Involvement to Accomplish?
– Reposition company
– Raise CEO profile
– Get more press coverage in X community
– Establish company as a resource
¾ Community
¾ Media
¾ Government reps
– Target a specific audience
¾ Latino community

¾ Teens
¾ Elderly/baby boomers with aging parents
Establish Protocol & Criteria
• Establish a process/protocol
• Decide how to respond to requests
– Relevance: What are our criteria for getting involved?
– Budget: What are our constraints?
– Always ask: Will fulfilling this request help us fulfill our goal/mission?
• Determine level of involvement up front – but get involved!
– Be more than a name in a press release – be visible
– Provide resources or planning support if possible
– Consider pros, cons to partnerships
• Weigh short- and long-term benefits
Get Everyone Involved
• Encourage employee involvement
– Show enthusiasm, participation from the top down
– Get departments involved
– Provide incentives (e.g., comp day for day spent volunteering)
– Create team-oriented events
• Volunteer programs
• Sponsorships that foster teamwork
• Fundraisers
• Prepare employees for events
– Identify spokespersons (bilingual)
– Ensure consistent messaging
Incorporate PR Elements
Remember:
• Don’t do CR for the PR…
• But leverage CR in ways that maximize PR potential
• Don’t lose your mission!

But don’t forget: not everyone (i.e., media) cares
• Offer compelling stories beyond “Company writes check”
• Put spotlight on subject, not donation
• Offer solutions to timely problems
• Have local stories ready
Establish a Metrics System
• Establish goals
• Understand your impact on quarterly, annual bases
• Characteristics of a “good” metric:
– Measurable
–Easy
–Timely
– Repeatable
– Insightful
– Controllable
• Pay attention to the data; don’t just tally — measure
Effective CR the SoCal Way
A ’70s icon…
…combined with
the right strategy!
Case Study: 21st Century Insurance
When the ’70s Icon Becomes Part of the Strategic Solution
• Situation Five Years Ago:
– 21st Century Insurance was a leading California auto insurer
– Heavily involved philanthropically but without strategic direction
– Virtually no press coverage for any goodwill projects
• Goals:
– Continue philanthropy but with a more targeted approach
– Raise 21st’s profile… and get press coverage for their goodwill efforts!
PR Campaign Elements

• Child safety seat program (targeting key demo)
– Educate parents on state law, proper use
• Unprecedented law enforcement partnership
– California Highway Patrol
• Spokesperson Erik Estrada
– CHiPs connection
– Appeals to parent age group
– Appeals to Latino community
• State-specific, free educational materials
– “Child Safety Seats: A Parent’s Guide”
– Now in six states, in English and Spanish
• 21st secures a large, easily accessible, highly visible site
(e.g., mall parking lot)
• CHP officers set up multiple inspection tents
• Families arrive with children in vehicles
• Trained officers inspect existing seat for proper fit,
installation and use
• 21st employees staff event to assist
• If seat isn’t right, 21st donates brand-new seat
Logistics
• The Edison Group handles all event promotion
• Fliers distributed in English, Spanish
– Local child care centers
– Churches
– Schools
– Key community groups
– Event site
Community Outreach
• Pre-Event Promotion
– PSAs

– Calendar listings
– Morning of event media
• Law enforcement officer, Erik Estrada provide live demo on-air
• On-Site Media Relations
– Setting the scene
• Great visuals
– Providing arc of story, from police to family to corporation
• Why are we involved?
• Every officer, family, 21st spokesperson has a story
Media Outreach
PR in a CR Program
• Message Delivery
– Media training for company reps, spokesperson
– Spanish spokespersons
– Talking points
– Collateral materials
• Press kit, bilingual guides
• B-roll package
• Leveraging the Message
– Local, state or national events (e.g., Nat’l Child Passenger
Safety Week)
• Op-eds
• Silver-platter events
Results by the Numbers
Since the 21st Century Insurance Child Safety Seat Program
began:
• More than 60 events conducted
• More than 7,200 seats inspected
• More than 2,700 seats discarded
• More than 5,800 seats donated by 21st

We’ve helped raise company’s profile within:
• Key States/DMAs
•Media
• Industry
•Web
Child Safety Seat Campaign
Highlights
• 21st continues to distinguish itself
through partnerships with state law
enforcement and elected officials
– In 2005, successful launches in AZ,
IN, OH & TX
– Continued success in CA and IL
• These partnerships and collaborations
with Industry Associations (e.g., IIHS),
add legitimacy and increase news value
• All 35 child safety seat events in 2005
garnered media coverage
0
50
100
150
200
250
2002 2003 2004 2005
# of hits
Child Seat Campaign
Media Hits ’02 - ’05
The Edison Group
Mission Statement

To help our clients communicate
successfully by thinking smarter, working
passionately and keeping our promises.
Creating an Effective
Community Relations Program
Presented by
Maureen Rich
The Edison Group