An All-inclusive Trip to Increase Visibility for AAA Travel
The AAA Travel High School Challenge awards more than $100,000 annually to students in grades nine through 12 for their travel and geography knowledge, while increasing visibility of AAA’s travel agency business.
After launching the program in 2003, AAA enlisted Curley & Pynn to help develop this one-time success into an annual program by communicating with students about the scholarship opportunities, gaining the much-needed attention of the media, and helping organize and execute the national game show-style championship event.
Growing from less than 10,000 in its first year, the challenge has become a scholarship phenomenon, with more than 50,000 students participating each year. For the 2006 program year, Curley & Pynn helped AAA commission research to gauge student geography knowledge. The results indicated that less than a year after Hurricane Katrina, only 13 percent of American teenagers could identify the home states for New Orleans and Biloxi. Release of this research, coupled with the event itself, generated almost 60 million impressions in only a few months.
Gaining National Attention for a Local Startup
Popular Mechanics, Fox News and CBS Radio Create Attention for a Local Startup.
When Orlando-based AeroClave was ready to tell the world about its revolutionary new emergency management solution, Curley & Pynn was there to help generate buzz. AeroClave developers began a quest to halt the spread of infectious diseases on commercial and military aircraft, and ended up creating a multi-functional, mobile tool that limits the spread of infectious disease, as well as provides emergency power, conditioned heat and air, and satellite and WiFi communications before, during and after natural disasters.
This new tool was about to make its debut on the market, so Curley & Pynn hosted an advance personal tour of the technology for then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. In addition, the firm publicized the new tool in conjunction with the start of hurricane season and in response to heightened awareness of a possible pandemic influenza.
The result was national coverage on the Fox News Channel, which exclusively covered the governor’s visit, a strong interest from local media and officials, a story fed nationally to all CBS-owned radio stations and visibility to more than one million people through coveted coverage in the September 2006 issue of Popular Mechanics. Before AeroClave even launched its sales plan, Curley & Pynn had positioned a national spotlight on this local startup.
Keeping Up with Change in a Biotech Transformation
A constant in any communications plan is the need to quickly adapt to change. When Curley & Pynn managed a celebration for Core Communities in Port St. Lucie, change meant an entirely new plan ... developed in just a few hours.
Core’s Tradition community was a finalist in the competition to land a biotech research facility. We had planned a celebration to either welcome that organization or, should they choose another location, to thank community partners for their efforts. When the organization chose another location, we put our "Plan B" into action, only to drop everything a short time later when another major organization, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, signed a letter of intent to move its headquarters to Tradition.
With only a few hours before the scheduled celebration - to which hundreds of community leaders and all area media were invited - Curley & Pynn developed entirely new messaging, scripts for a news conference presentation and new signage, and updated press kit materials. At the end of the day, what could have been a story about the loss of an economic development competition turned instead into a community-wide celebration of a major victory that has kick-started the region’s transformation from the Treasure Coast to the Research Coast.
Information is Power for Duke Energy
When Duke Energy sought to build a “merchant” power plant in Florida (which would sell electricity only at wholesale to other utilities), it was met by fierce opposition from the state’s entrenched, investor-owned utility companies. Curley & Pynn managed a public affairs campaign to win support for the project from Florida’s Public Service Commission (PSC).
Opponents were distributing materials disparaging merchant power, with no documentation to support their claims. Armed with this knowledge, we developed a booklet that broke down each issue into easily understandable messages and managed a program of face-to-face meetings with decision makers and statewide editorial boards. At all times, we presented our opponents’ arguments and provided more than 1,000 pages of third-party documentation to show how they were in error.
Nearly every editorial board in the state vocally supported merchant power, with none opposing it. The issue papers became so popular that PSC staff and legislators began requesting additional copies, and the PSC ultimately voted to approve Duke’s application. When faced with big money opposition, the answer isn’t to fight dollars with dollars. The solution is to fight back with information, educating decision makers and the audiences that influence them about the right decision that must be made.
Building a Family of Materials for Children’s Home Society
For nearly 100 years, Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) has built its reputation as a leader in the provision of services that build and support healthy families, from the promotion of adoption and foster-care to child abuse prevention programs.
When CHS sought Curley & Pynn’s ongoing services for strategic counsel in public relations, marketing communications and public affairs, the firm’s first step was to conduct a comprehensive communications audit that analyzed existing collateral materials in terms of intended audience, distribution, messages, graphic design and overall effectiveness. The findings indicated that the materials invited confusion and did not reflect the organization’s position as a leading provider of safe, quality services for children and familes in Florida.
Curley & Pynn’s strategic response was a re-branding initiative that included a consistent, uniform approach to design and content across all media. It was important to not only build and maintain CHS’s leadership as state and national experts on child advocacy issues, but also to protect and maintain the organization’s established reputation as a nearly 100-year-old provider of family welfare services. Curley & Pynn’s graphic design team launched a new Web site, developed graphic standards for the new brand, and redesigned the CHS brochures and annual report to reflect the new look. The result was a more consistent message that resonated strongly with the organization’s key audience of donors and volunteers.
Scoring a Touchdown for Electronic Arts Tiburon
To congratulate Electronic Arts Tiburon employees for the latest version of the studio’s best-selling Madden NFL Football video game, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush visited the studio on the day of the game’s North American launch. Electronic Arts Tiburon enlisted Curley & Pynn’s assistance in welcoming the governor to the studio. As a special surprise for Gov. Bush, Electronic Arts Tiburon staff created a version of Madden NFL 06 that featured the governor (as a Miami Dolphin) scoring a touchdown against President George Bush (as a Dallas Cowboy).
Curley & Pynn immediately recognized the potential to turn the gesture into a national story to support the launch of Madden NFL 06, and the firm quickly developed a publicity campaign using the video as a catalyst for national exposure.
The campaign relied on a “push-pull” strategy. The “push” aggressively sought coverage from local media, while the “pull” component asked out-of-market outlets to request the event footage from their local network affiliates, thereby increasing pressure on local networks to attend the event and feed footage to their affiliates.
The campaign achieved tremendous results, as media outlets in 15 of the nation’s top 20 DMAs either aired or wrote about the video and its relation to the launch of Madden NFL 06. CNN’s "American Morning" and ESPN’s "SportsCenter" also aired the story, as well as ESPN.com, providing Madden NFL 06 with national exposure that far exceeded the original goal of welcoming Gov. Bush to the studio.
Reporting Savings with Technology
Since 1996, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) has looked to Curley & Pynn for communication needs, including development of an annual report. In the past, a printed report was mailed to the organization’s various target audiences, but a limited budget spawned Curley & Pynn’s interest in finding an innovative way to reduce the annual cost.
The firm researched the use of electronic media for annual reports and concluded that a Webbased report, coupled with a printed summary brochure, would allow the FHTCC to capitalize on the full potential of the emerging electronic media while also cutting down on design, printing and distribution costs.
Curley & Pynn designed a dynamic online report that highlighted many functions of the high tech world, while maintaining continuity with the FHTCC’s other materials. In addition, an inexpensive four-page brochure was designed and 600 copies were distributed to key legislators, industry representatives, community leaders and media.
In less than seven months, approximately 1,000 people visited the online annual report. Since the FHTCC had distributed only 750 copies of its printed annual report the previous year, the audience more than doubled, while reducing the overall budget by 14 percent.
Providing Answers for the High Tech Corridor
Communicating with target audiences goes beyond media lists, press releases and pitch calls. When the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) needed an advertising campaign to promote a key program, it turned to Curley & Pynn’s creative messaging and design staff.
The result? A multi-media campaign that features cutting-edge print advertisements, Web video, PSAs and Web design.
The campaign’s centerpiece is the “Answer Man” and his mysterious briefcase that promises help to high-tech companies that are looking to relocate to, or expand in, the 23-county region known as Florida’s High Tech Corridor. The "Answer Man" was introduced in dramatic style in a 60-second high-definition movie produced, scripted, directed and cast by Curley & Pynn.
Traffic to the Web site was generated through print advertisements that appeared in numerous publications, including FHTCC’s florida.HIGH.TECH 2006, EFI’s Business Florida and Florida Trend’s Research Florida and Business Florida. The Curley & Pynn-designed print advertisements were unbranded, drawing on the ad’s ability to pique readers’ interest to visit the Web site noted in the ad www.TheHighTechAnswer.com — where visitors would be introduced to the “Answer Man” and his business-building tools.
The campaign received critical acclaim from the Florida High Tech Corridor Council’s leaders and volunteers, but more importantly, the "Answer Man" movie was viewed more than 1,000 times.
Clarifying How to Keep Our Water Clear
Homeland Security Products and Services,
a subsidiary of Mainline Supply Co., is charged with marketing the world’s first internal stealth device designed to prevent foreign substances from being injected into the water system via the fire hydrant - the Davidson AntiTerrorism Valve (ATV).
The company enlisted the support of Curley & Pynn to help them communicate with key audiences, including water and utility officials, fire and police chiefs, and government leaders. The goal: detail the risk of leaving hydrants unprotected and communicate the solution offered by Mainline.
After analyzing feedback from presentations to their target audiences, Mainline knew that prospective buyers were aware of the threat, but concerned over cost and ease of installation. Curley & Pynn devised a tool that would help dispel such concerns and show that installation of the device was simple and cost efficient. The agency developed a 10-minute video that demonstrated the ease with which the device could be installed, and placed it on Mainline’s Web site. From then on, officials and government leaders were able to get a clear picture of what was involved in the process, and that knowledge helped empower Mainline executives to close installation agreements with several municipalities.
Publicity for Produce
When the USDA unveiled revised dietary guidelines for Americans and a new food guide pyramid, it presented an opportunity for Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, to leverage those guidelines toward a major role in the media spotlight.
Before the guidelines were released, Curley & Pynn contacted more than a dozen leading nutrition writers to alert them to the pending announcement and to schedule advance interviews with the president of PBH. Within hours of the USDA announcing the new guidelines, Curley & Pynn released a statement from PBH regarding the fruit and vegetable recommendations. The statement was picked up in several media outlets, and the effort resulted in desk-side briefings over a two-day period with Glamour, Redbook, Weight Watchers, Ladies Home Journal, Health, Self and Life magazine.
When the new food guide pyramid, MyPyramid, was revealed, Curley & Pynn followed the same advance-contact strategy and distributed a statement that positioned the new system as "a simple graphic that leaves out real guidance for a nation hungry for direction." This resulted in telephone interviews with AP, Phil Lempert, AP radio, NPR radio, CBS radio, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, many major metropolitan dailies and several produce-related publications. By the end of May, Curley & Pynn had more than tripled its media impressions objectives for the entire year, achieving 245 million impressions.
Listening Before You Speak in St. Lucie County
For 10 years, St. Lucie County had utilized a strong tax-incentive program to attract new businesses that created high-paying jobs for local citizens, but the program was due for renewal through a public referendum. County leaders were convinced that voters were aware of the upcoming vote and that a focus on the positive impact of the program on the local tax base was the best way to influence voters to approve the program. Curley & Pynn was asked to manage a public-information campaign to encourage approval.
In any communications program, research is a critical first step. Rather than assuming voters were informed and that tax base was the issue, we embarked on a statistically valid survey of registered voters, which found not only that people weren’t aware of the referendum (though were in approval of the tax-incentive program), but also that job creation was the No. 1 issue in their view.
Based on this information, we embarked on a public-information campaign that asked voters to “Vote Yes on 12 ... Keep Jobs Coming to St. Lucie.” The campaign focused on the key issue (jobs), and informed voters where to find the referendum on the ballot. The ballot measure was overwhelmingly approved by voters, and the program continues to drive job creation in one of the nation’s fastest-growing counties.