
Abbott
The Challenge:
- Raise global awareness of Abbott Diabetes Care (ADC) and its support of Word Diabetes Day (WDD), particularly within diabetes communities.
- Reinvigorate ADC employees, and align with the global WDD mission.
- Make a difference in the lives of people who are affected by diabetes.
The Strategy:
- Partnered with the International Diabetes Federation as an official World Diabetes Day Partner
- Created a global steering committee to engage global affiliates, drive regional activities, provide regional representation, and facilitated the exchange of ideas.
- Engaged employees through the development of a tool kit that supported local media activities, and increased the visibility of programs and internal awareness among ADC employees.
The Results:
Affiliates from more than 38 countries as far apart as Australia and Mexico supported the campaign by organizing local, national, and international events to mark the day. ADC events generated great global coverage of the day and ADC activities in local markets. Internal and external ADC communications were well placed relative to other official WDD Partners. Events and creative materials on campus received outstanding feedback from ADC associates.

Bayer
The Challenge:
Young men living with hemophilia face the same social challenges of growing up as their peers. However, there are few resources available that discuss social topics relevant to teens and young adults with hemophilia — including potentially sensitive topics such as relationships, alcohol, and drugs. If young men do have someone to turn to about the disease, it is often a parent or a nurse, and they may be uncomfortable broaching sensitive topics such as these with them.
The Strategy:
- To fill this information gap, and strengthen Bayer’s relationship with this difficult-to-reach population, Bayer created an editorial board of experts with members of the hemophilia community to guide the creation of two communications vehicles — an online magazine (Frankly.net) and an informational booklet.
- These resources cover topics of interest to 18-to 24-year-old males and, secondarily, provide hemophilia-related health information in an age-appropriate manner.
- Together, these communication vehicles provide much-needed information to help them cope with their condition and, in doing so, help them lead the lives they choose.
The Results:
Frankly.net launched with great success. The booklet is available to Bayer global marketers for local adaptation/translation and distribution through hemophilia centers and patient advocacy groups. It was also translated into Spanish and distributed at the Hemophilia World Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Seeing the value to date, Bayer is continuing to utilize the editorial board to develop new ideas and novel concepts on how to reach this market segment.

The Body Shop
Managed the Body Shop’s national campaign to raise awareness for domestic violence, “Stop Violence in the Home”, highlighting the devastating and lasting impact on women and children living with domestic violence. Raised awareness by promoting the sale of its special edition Stop Violence in the Home Hi-Shine Lip Treatment that supported the National Coalition of Domestic Violence. Globally, the campaign reached 2.5 million pounds in 50 countries.

California Association of Winegrape Growers
The Challenge:
- Increase consumer preference for California wine by creating awareness that California winegrape growers offer significant quality differentiation advantages
- Reach a broad audience of U.S. wine consumers and wine writers/wine trade media with messages of positive and differentiating aspects of winegrape growing in California
- Link these to a perception of added value to California wine
The Strategy:
- Developed a compelling communications platform to deliver messages about California’s winegrapes
- Identified and prepared winegrape growers to serve as representatives of California Wine Country
- Invited top-tier national media to ‘California Wine Country Tour’ in New York where California declared our independence as a wine nation
- Launched a campaign microsite to coincide with the New York kick-off event
The Results:
Secured 30 media journalists at event including ForbesTraveler, Good Housekeeping, Men’s Journal, Shape, Epicurious.com, CBS ‘Sunday Morning’, New York Times, Restaurant Business, among others. Nearly 50 stories resulted in wine trades, top-tier dailies, broadcast radio, online and regional publications. New York Times reporter Stuart Elliott, one of the most respected writers in the marketing industry, covered campaign in his weekly newsletter, “In Advertising”.

Cisco

Cochlear Americas
The Challenge:
One in every 10 Americans (over 32 million) has hearing loss. As baby boomers reach retirement, the number of hearing loss is expected to climb rapidly. Despite these numbers, there is a huge gap in awareness of cochlear implants as a treatment option. Many others associate hearing loss with stigma, instead preferring just to cope (via lip reading or nodding) versus seeking solutions.
The Strategy:
- Worked with Cochlear™ to commission a survey during Better Hearing and Speech Month to help Americans better understand the impact of hearing loss on personal relationships
- Engaged directly with consumers online; directed a media summit to unveil survey findings, leveraging Emmy award nominee and actress-singer Kassie DePaiva of “One Life to Live” whose son, J.Q. DePaiva, was born deaf but can now hear with the help of a cochlear implant, as a spokesperson
- Provided resources for individual grassroots outreach
The Results:
Over 30 journalists, bloggers, patients and healthcare providers attended Cochlear’s first-ever social media summit which generated more than 15 million media impressions.

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Leveraged the influence of wine/lifestyle expert, author, TV Host, Leslie Sbrocco, to drive awareness of Ghirardelli’s Intense Dark bars in support of breast cancer awareness (BCA)
Engaged bloggers in BCA pairings through blogger pairing parties in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and New York as a way to drive traffic to the initiative
Distributed a mat release with BCA pairings to drive placement in print and online outlets (reaching over 12 million online unique visitors)
Consumer lifestyle magazines featured BCA bars in ‘pink products’ sections (reaching an audience of over 4,740,922) in publications including SELF, Fitness, and Ladies Home Journal

Gilead (HIV in Europe Summit)
The Challenge:
- Highlight the rising number of people living with HIV in Europe who are unaware of their serostatus.
- Identify political, structural, clinical and social barriers to optimal testing and earlier care for HIV / AIDS.
- Promote public health best practices and guidance in Europe, with longevity beyond the meeting.
The Strategy:
- Leveraged World AIDS Day to organized two-day summit in Brussels where high-profile experts and representatives from WHO, NGOs and EU institutions came together to call for optimal HIV/AIDS testing and earlier care.
- Engaged internationally renowned experts as Steering Committee members and presenters.
- Obtained endorsement and sponsorship from academic institutions, non-profit organizations and commercial partners.
The Results:
Media relations conducted around the Summit produced 160 articles published in 23 countries, including BBC coverage.

Kohl’s Department Stores
The Challenge:
Generate awareness, excitement and positive news coverage for Kohl’s entrance into five new markets – San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Rochester, Portland and Reno.
The Strategy:
- Educate key news media targets about Kohl’s business model and it’s brand, value and convenience positioning
- Conduct an aggressive media relations campaign and opening events
The Results:
Media relations efforts around the new store openings resulted in 105 news stories appearing in local newspapers and on television stations in the five target markets. The Kohl’s store openings were featured in 48 newspaper stories, the majority of which were accompanied by photographs. In San Francisco, two television stations attended the grand opening event. Additionally, Hispanic outreach resulted in coverage in Telemundo and a feature story in La Oferta.

National Disaster Search and Rescue Foundation (SDF)
The Challenge:
Boost media coverage to increase visibility and attract potential donors and funding for the SDF’s new National Training Center.
The Strategy:
- Proactive media relations campaign to educate media and consumers about the importance of SDF in addressing a critical gap in America’s emergency response network to find people buried alive in the aftermath of disasters
- Created a drumbeat of messages that resonated in a variety of markets
The Results:
Generated consistent media placements in top-tier news outlets including national broadcast (ABC’s “Good Morning America” and CNN), national print, syndicated wire services and regional outlets. Successfully raised awareness for various deployments in state and local emergencies including earthquakes, mudslides, building collapses, train derailments and missing person searches. Raised further awareness to further fundraising goal of $15 million to build new a National Training Center.

Nutrilite

The San Francisco 2016 Summer Olympic Games Bid Committee
The Challenge:
Position San Francisco in the minds of 125 decision-makers at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the best location for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games by creating a general climate of favorable opinion.
The Strategy:
- Focused on main communications targets; balanced multi-media mix
- Treated Olympic Games as a brand
- Conducted an intensive and targeted media relations campaign
The Results:
San Francisco and the entire San Francisco Bay Area in California touted a compact but regional-participatory focus for its bid, expressing an interest in developing planning partnerships with a large number of neighboring large cities. Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom announced the bid.
(San Francisco later withdrew its bid from the national selection process due to failed negotiations surrounding the 49ers’ stadium.)

Peets Coffee & Tea
The Challenge:
Launch a new frozen coffee drink to an already coffee-saturated California market and appeal to Northern California media who rarely cover cold coffee drinks.
The Strategy:
- Ensure that Northern California media embraced the new product by emphasizing artisanal, gourmet flavor and two area companies joining forces, rather than ice cold beverage.
- With Peet’s baristas in tow, hand delivered Freddos to print, broadcast and radio personalities – playing up hand-crafted taste.
The Results:
The Peet’s Freddo was covered in every major Northern California newspaper, radio and broadcast station, generating 5+ million impressions.

Pinkberry

Red Vines
Managed a nationwide mobile tour to further raise awareness of the American Licorice Company’s Red Vines line of product, “Road Trippin’ With Red Vines”, inviting locals to enjoy the chewy candy and play on-site games for a chance to win dozens of prizes. Created a sweepstakes where consumers were invited to enter for a chance to win $100,000 vacation for four to anywhere in the United States, backyard BBQ party, or one of 100 secondary prizes, including digital cameras. The campaign generated significant national and regional coverage including the Food Network’s “Unwrapped”, further increasing brand awareness.

San Francisco Bravo Club

Australian Wine Bureau
The Challenge:
Build awareness and drive trial of Australian wines for Wine Australia (formerly Australian Wine Bureau).
The Strategy:
Developed strategic partnership with Match.com to create dialog about matching wines with different occasions.
Leveraged influence of Match.com VP of Romance as third party spokesperson.
The Results:
Drove over 30 top-tier media outlets to exclusive national media event and generated more than 31 million media impressions.
