PR at Work - three international marketing examples published March 2004 PR Introduces New Appliance PR has an increasingly important role in supporting new consumer appliances (click here to see our previous article on using PR to support consumer electronic products) as the introduction of the Dyson vacuum cleaner to the United States market shows. The PR task was to launch Dyson when it had no name recognition in the US (but plenty in 28 other countries), not a single distribution outlet and no advertising support. Plus dozens of established competitive brands were already on the market! So What Did The PR Agency Do? Decided to use word-of-mouth based on research, which showed that because of its unusual design and features, once somebody saw the Dyson they would tell their friends and family. Got a ‘trendy’ New York speciality store to stock Dyson. This was because media would be unlikely to cover it if it wasn’t available to consumers! Plus New Yorkers are seen as trendsetters and early adopters of technology. Just one store stocking Dyson in the whole USA gave it exclusivity. Sourced enough products to allow 100 ‘influentials’ to be able to ‘test drive’ the product. This created significant word-of-mouth and a flood of testimonials. Showcased the product at The Emmys and New York’s Fashion Week. Pitched a range of key consumer publications to cover the Dyson - and each with a different distinct angle. For example, for Forbes the angle was the French origins of the product while the New York Times was sold on the vacuum’s aesthetic design. The publicity results were spectacular - in six months the Dyson appeared in more than 525 print and broadcast stories including most of the major consumer publications. The launch of Dyson in the US led to Time calling it the "2002 Best Invention". The media blitz was so successful that in less than eight months Dyson vacuum sales in the US exceeded forecast by more than 160 percent. Source: PR News PR Reinvents Butter PR is often called upon to improve the image of a product or organisation. The Central Marketing Association of German Agriculture recognised PR’s ability to do this, and so commissioned an agency to re-establish butter as the preferred spread of consumers. Butter was competing against more popular spreads, such as plant-derived fats and oils, and was seen as old-fashioned and no longer ‘hip’. PR was given the task of changing these perceptions, and ultimately, increasing sales of butter. So What Did The PR Agency Do? Established "German Buttered Bread Day". Created a teaser campaign to run in magazines, radio and television. This built anticipation, excitement and awareness. Recruited eleven train stations across Germany to participate in the celebration during the same three-hour period on a chosen morning. Early commuters were treated samples thanks to 200 butter ‘spread artists’, 800 kilograms of butter and 2,500 kilograms of bread. Approached local TV stations and arranged live coverage showing participants enjoying their bread and butter. This ensured exposure beyond the geographical restrictions of each event. The resulting publicity saw more than 100 articles appear in daily and regional newspapers discussing "German Buttered Bread Day" and asking when the next one would be held. Following the success of the inaugural day, the PR agency staged the event again the following year. This time participation by the community was even greater, with the edition of three airports to the program. More than 80,000 pieces of buttered bread were distributed to early birds, and the media flocked to the event. In its third year, 20 train stations participated in "German Buttered Bread Day". This time, the celebrations involved setting the Guinness World Record for the biggest piece of buttered bread ever! The high success of this campaign was measured by the level of media coverage achieved, i.e: 100 newspaper articles and live television coverage, plus the positive tone of the coverage. The media were actively in support of the event continuing, and were asking when it would be back. Acceptance of "German Buttered Bread Day" by the German people was another factor in this campaign’s success. This acceptance was exemplified by attendance at the events year after year. Source: Ketchum PR gives 40 year-old brand a Social Conscience There is no doubt PR has an important role in establishing reputations, and this was exactly the purpose fulfilled when Mattel turned to PR to help celebrate Barbie’s 40th birthday. The PR challenge was to update and enhance Barbie’s image within the eyes of female opinion leaders and media gatekeepers, both groups that had at times been critical of Barbie. The key message, that Barbie has played an aspirational and inspirational role to girls around the world for the past 40 years, had to be conveyed. So What Did The PR Agency Do? Decided to run a year-long anniversary celebration. Sponsored the Girls Inc. ‘Ambassadors of Dreams program’. Girls Inc. is an organisation with the mission to inspire girls to be "strong, smart and bold". This helped to establish Barbie as being relevant in the lives of girls in the future. At the Toy Fair in New York, Mattel announced its three year commitment of $1.5million dollars to Girls Inc. Press kits were distributed, highlighting Barbie’s career timeline and all 75 of the diverse careers Barbie has modelled. This served to reinforce the key message. A "power breakfast" to celebrate Barbie’s "actual birthday" was held at the New York Stock Exchange a month later. Barbie, Girls Inc. and Ruth Handler, the 84-year-old creator of Barbie co-hosted the event. This breakfast served to highlight Barbie’s status as a global business success, and to show that Barbie was keeping its promise to Girls Inc. Arranged sponsorship of additional economic literacy programs for girls, including a CD-ROM. Made changes to the website (www.barbie.com) to further enforce the message that Barbie helped to inspire girls in their achievements. Commissioned the creation of further Barbie merchandise, such as the Barbie Stamp and Working Woman Barbie Doll. As the Girls Inc. ‘Ambassadors of Dreams’ conducted events and media interviews throughout the year, they included mention of their support for the Barbie brand’s initiative to further help girls achieve their dreams. Through a culmination of many different activities, the PR agency was able to change the negative connotations associated with Barbie. This was done by targeting key influencers and key media. The amount of positive emotions held towards Barbie was shown when, on the afternoon of the "power breakfast", Ruth Handler was asked to sign more than 800 Barbie dolls. Source: Ketchum Go to PR Influences’ Marketing link to see ways in which PR can be utilised more efficiently alongside marketing

PR Influences Australian Public Relations Newsletter. Article: PR at Work - three international marketing examples. Information Content: Marketing