Snow & Ice Management Association: Let It Snow Campaign

The Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) launched its first visibility campaign by retaining SC to conceptualize, create, and implement a campaign to position SIMA as the go to resource for snow management information. SC did just that. In the first year of the campaign, we set up the organization's campaign infrastructure, created new materials, trained SIMA staff and leaders, forged relationships with related associations and secured more than 500mm media impressions.

This campaign was presented at the Public Relations Society of America's International Conference, October 2014 and at ASAE's 2015 Annual Meeting as a Small Staff case study.

Challenge

Launch a new visibility campaign that positions SIMA as the go to resource for information about snow and ice management.

Strategies

  • Leverage SIMA members as ambassadors across the U.S. and Canada

  • Secure opportunities for SIMA to work with related organizations

  • Create materials to make SIMA relevant to journalists during snow events.

Tactics

  • Produced 7 tip sheets to help consumers navigate snow and ice

  • Created 55 media lists corresponding to cities where they had snow and ice

  • Identified SIMA spokespersons from among the association's leaders

  • Provided media training (phone and in person) to SIMA staff and leaders

  • Conducted training for fly-in participants.

  • Secured opportunities with related associations including placing articles, authoring guest blogs, presenting at conferences and holding webinars.

Results

  • Brokered five relationships between SIMA and other associations.

  • Placed eight articles, three guest blogs, held webinars.

  • Trained 20 staff and leaders on how to talk to the press

  • Trained 23 participants for SIMA's fly-in.

  • Obtained 500M media impressions including those on The Weather Channel, Accuweather and the Wall St Journal as well as hundreds of local TV, radio and print stories.

  • By the third year of the campaign, journalists were proactively contacting SIMA during snow events.

Expanding IBTTA's Public Awareness Campaign for Toll Roads

Challenge

To launch a national awareness campaign for the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association designed to improve the acceptance of toll roads among targeted audiences particularly aimed at members of Congress as they considered various transportation funding bills.

Strategies

  • Helped set PR strategic direction.

  • Positioned the Executive Director as an expert on infrastructure funding.

  • Encouraged the media to include toll roads in transportation bill coverage.

  • Measured results.

Tactics

  • Write and place more than op-eds in major D.C. media outlets.

  • Author and place articles and op-eds in outlets where IBTTA holds meetings.

  • Wrote 10 op-eds

  • Authored 75 Tolling Points blogs

  • Conducted more than 50 media interviews with articles.

  • Wrote releases, advisories, emails, marketing pieces.

Results

Articles on tolling mentioning IBTTA in Yahoo!, New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, Politico, The Hill.

Broadcast interviews on NPR, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight.

Trade press articles in Toll News

International coverage ITS International, Le Strada

Inclusion in wrap-up stories about the transportation bill that appeared in the New York Times, and The Washington Post.

Produced media highlight video shown at IBTTA's board meeting.

Renal Physicians Association

Challenge

Increase the number of participants in RPA's Capitol Hill Day.

Strategies

  • Develop plan to increase participation

  • Revise existing materials to be more appealing

  • Create theme and messages to introduce a new name for RPA's Capitol Hill Day

Tactics

  • Reviewed current materials

  • Wrote new marketing messaging

  • Developed physician-get-a-physician program

  • Trained physicians via webinar (by phone)

  • Developed script for physicians to use when contacting colleagues

  • Created PPT

  • Provided training

  • Developed marketing email series to be sent to potential participants

  • Created messaging for various audiences to announce new name

  • Developed series of emails to introduce new name

  • Wrote article, blog and blurb announcing name

Results

The goal was to increase the number of Capitol Hill Day participants from 60 to the 85. Based on SC's efforts, RPA had 120 participants—the highest number ever.