2019 EXCALIBUR AWARDS WINNERS
#GiantLeapsInPR
CAMPAIGNS:
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Elmore Public Relations
Charting the Waters – Publicizing Flood Mitigation Strategies in Greater Houston
In response to the devastating blow Hurricane Harvey dealt Houston, an independent collaborative of local experts, leading researchers, and community advocates formed the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium to compile, analyze and share a rich array of scientifically-informed data about flood risk and mitigation opportunities. Their findings would provide deeper insights to support collaborative decision-making at all levels as myriad entities steer our region’s redevelopment. In April 2018, the consortium released its report on flood mitigation strategies. Elmore Public Relations was tasked with promoting their findings to the public through strategic stakeholder outreach and thoughtfully-executed media relations efforts.
Fort Bend ISD
Fort Bend ISD 2018 Bond Campaign
During August 2018, Fort Bend Independent School District Trustees voted to call a $992.6 million bond referendum. Passage of the bond program was necessary to keep up with the district’s rapid growth, and to maintain/update facilities. Enhancing the district’s safety and security measures was also top priority, given the recent surge in school violence. FBISD implemented a strategic communications plan to engage stakeholders. FBISD voters approved the bond with 74 percent of the vote, amounting to the largest bond program in the district’s history, and the fifth largest in Texas’ history.
Memorial Hermann Health System
Hometown Healing
How do you commemorate the first anniversary of the worst natural disaster in Houston’s history? Even though Hurricane Harvey left a permanent scar on many across Greater Houston, it also knitted the community together in a way that had never happened before. To commemorate this momentous event, Memorial Hermann wanted to rekindle the community spirit that defined the Harvey response and find a way to give back to our community, which was still in dire need of assistance. To achieve this vision, we launched a service campaign called Hometown Healing to mobilize our workforce into community volunteers.
NASA
Space City Celebrates NASA’s 60th Anniversary
All eyes were on NASA’s Johnson Space Center as it hosted an open house for NASA’s 60th Anniversary, turning the corner on six decades of human spaceflight milestones. To celebrate the anniversary, our communications team devised an integrated, multi-platform campaign to showcase Houston’s finest accomplishments on and off the planet. The team leveraged local media and social media influencers, created engaging content to draw connections between human spaceflight and Houston, provided behind-the-scenes experiences for VIPs, and harnessed the power of our workforce with volunteer opportunities to interact with Houstonians and visitors.
Ten35
Getting Regional Commuters Out of Their Cars
“Houston, we have a traffic problem.” Houston-Galveston Area Council engaged Etched Communication to design a local campaign as part of the federally-funded Commute Solutions Program to get commuters out of single-passenger cars and into alternative, communal transportation. A community-centered approach, inclusive of media relations, digital and experiential, played a critical role in not only educating target audiences but also changing behavior. Public transit in the Houston region experienced a 3.6% increase last year compared to the previous year.
CAMPAIGNS:
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS AND ISSUES MANAGEMENT
The CKP Group
McDonald's Poster Prank
Two Filipino-American college students created a fake advertising poster and installed it in a Houston-area McDonald's restaurant, hoping to spark conversation about inclusion of Asian models in advertising. The students later tweeted and posted a video of their stunt on YouTube, quickly garnering more than 1 million likes, 253,000 retweets and 1.4 million views. As agency of record for McDonald's Houston, CKP deployed a plan to turn the prank into a positive, engaging local media, community partners and the local Houston McDonald's corporate team to portray the brand as responsive and open to community conversations.
CAMPAIGNS:
EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES
9thWonder
2018-2019 Foley Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition
Foley Gardere hosted the Annual Foley Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competitions in Dallas and Houston, during which fourth- and fifth-grade students delivered original three-to-five-minute speeches answering the question, "What would Dr. King say to the children of today’s world?” Both the Dallas and Houston events included three rounds of competition, from September 2018 through January 2019, beginning with 16 schools from the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) and 24 schools from the Houston Independent School District (HISD). 9thWonder helped promote the 2018 – 2019 competitions and emphasize Foley Gardere’s role in the positive impact the events had in the communities.
Carbonara Group
United Way of Greater Houston Harvey One-Year Anniversary
Anniversary milestones of natural disasters can either serve as a celebration of the great lengths residents have come or as a rallying point for unfinished work. In Houston, it was the latter. One year after Hurricane Harvey hit the Greater Houston area, thousands of Houstonians were still not back in their homes and continued to face a daunting recovery process. United Way of Greater Houston, a leader in long-term disaster recovery, used the one-year anniversary of Harvey to bring the community together for a day of service while reminding people across the country that many still needed help.
Coyne PR
Pennzoil Pioneers Performance at SEMA
The SEMA Show is the premiere tradeshow for the automotive aftermarket community. The show attracts more than 162,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center and with tickets not open to the public like most other automotive shows, attendance is highly coveted. The SEMA Show is annually held in November, setting the tone for the products, partnerships and vehicles to hit the market in the following year. With hundreds of exhibitors all vying for the attention of thousands of attendees, Pennzoil challenged Coyne PR to rev up the headlines and make Pennzoil the talk of the town.
NASA
#LaunchAmerica Announcement: Introducing the First Crews to Fly Commercial
After a record-setting announcement event for the 2017 astronaut class, all eyes were on the lucky few who would be selected as the first crewmembers to fly on commercial vehicles developed by SpaceX and Boeing. Our communications team devised a multi-platform campaign to showcase NASA’s first commercial flight assignments. The campaign aimed to educate America on these crews and excite aspiring astronauts by leveraging media coverage, social media strategies, stakeholder relations and engaging content to raise awareness about what astronauts do on the job, how they train with industry partners and how we’re preparing for the next chapter of spaceflight.
The CKP Group
moonGARDEN Campaign
To celebrate its 10th birthday, Discovery Green commissioned a temporary public artwork that mirrored its mission and the story of Houston. moonGARDEN consisted of 22 gigantic interactive globes employing shadow theaters and dynamic lighting. CKP, agency of record for Discovery Green, was charged with driving an integrated strategy to achieve record-breaking attendance. Despite limited resources, a limited timeline and shoestring budget, CKP produced great results, including 83,000 people in attendance (137% above the park's goal); 140+ local media placements representing 62,987,860+ impressions and a PR value of $1,183,477; and 3m+ paid and organic impressions on social and other local channels.
Ward
Ward & Houston CityPlace Marriott: Gala in the Woods – Celebrating the opening of Houston CityPlace Marriott at Springwoods Village
Houston CityPlace Marriott is the first full-service hotel in Springwoods Village, a master-planned community in North Houston. Ward was tasked with providing grand opening support. Despite having only four months for event planning and publicity outreach, the opening was a success, with 450+ key decision-makers attending soft and grand opening events, dozens of tours for decision makers, and 65 media placements achieving 39+ million impressions for a cost of 0.056 cent per impression - a high-value return on client’s investment. With high awareness and grassroots outreach, the sales team booked 137 events and the property is sold-out Monday-Wednesday every week.
CAMPAIGNS:
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
9thWonder
The King’s Royal Ren-Quest: A Branded Media Tour
Texas Renaissance Festival presented the King’s Royal Ren-Quest with the help of 9thWonder. A month-long branded media tour that spanned the state and utilized the festival’s key character, the King, to garner media attention and increase awareness statewide. The king journeyed to four Texas markets to bring revelry to fans while introducing new attractions, artisanal vendors and festival experiences to untapped media markets. Tactics included media outreach and interviews, press kits, community relations and event planning. The tour resulted in radio, broadcast and online placements, ultimately starting conversations and elevating awareness in anticipation of the 2018 season.
Love Advertising
Battleship Texas Foundation: Come and Save It Campaign
In 2018, The Battleship Texas, a beloved World War I and World War II naval destroyer, faced her biggest battle yet – time. Seawater is wreaking havoc on the hull and She is disappearing into the harbor a little more each day. Through the efforts of Love Advertising’s PR team, the Battleship Texas Foundation quickly became the talk of the town. Integrated efforts resulted in a media reach of more than 191,360,262; a 350 percent increase in average time spent on the foundation’s webpage; 50,000 unique page views to date; 402 donations; and 50,000 petition signatures in just four months.
Mattress Firm
Mattress Firm Announces First-Ever “Snoozetern” to Sleep on the Job
Consumers typically only think about mattresses when they are in the market for a better night’s sleep. With the definition of mattress retailers changing each day, the industry is in a battle to get Americans into their beds. Though Mattress Firm is the largest specialty mattress retailer, we were challenged to grab consumer attention while competing against industry disruptors who have the backing of million-dollar celebrity or influencer sponsorships. By introducing “Snoozetern,” we successfully shifted consumers’ and job hunters’ perceptions of our brand to innovative and conversation-worthy – all while driving incremental traffic, sales and applications for new talent.
NASA
Year of Education on Station: Showcasing the International Space Station as an Educational Platform
Often overlooked as a key component to the success of the space program, efforts in advancing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education are paramount to ensuring the future workforce is excited and prepared to lead life-changing science and engineering discoveries. The Year of Education on Station capitalized on the fortunate scenario of having astronauts and former classroom teachers Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold on back-to-back missions to the International Space Station. Presented with this ideal opportunity, a plan was developed to engage students and educators in NASA-unique STEM activities while providing a strong connection to astronauts living in space.
The CKP Group
Discovery Green Integrated Communications
Discovery Green is a vibrant 12-acre park in the heart of downtown Houston that celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2018. CKP, as agency of record for Discovery Green, was charged with executing an integrated communications plan to drive higher attendance throughout the anniversary year. CKP produced great results: 1,561 local media placements representing 1,480,174,053 impressions and a PR value of $17,968,890; 44,411,728 organic impressions with 379,576 engagements on social channels; and 7,890,236 highly-targeted paid impressions at total spend of $24,445.47. But the best result is a 101% year-over-year increase in park attendance during calendar year 2018.
University of Houston
UH College of Medicine Integrated Communications
Throughout 2018, the University of Houston was putting the pieces in place for the UH College of Medicine. The Division of University Marketing, Communication and Media Relations launched an integrated marketing and communication campaign to educate key audiences about the need for the new college, highlight the distinct and differentiating model of the medical school, and emphasize its value and importance to Houston and all of Texas—all of which were critical for garnering necessary approvals, the private and state financial support, and private/public partnerships needed to make the College of Medicine a success.
Ward
FutureOn® Brings Offshore Industry into Digital Future
Through a PR-led marketing communications program, FutureOn® has transformed from an unknown technology disrupter into a recognized global digitization leader for offshore subsea field development. Their greatest challenge today? Managing growth as offshore oil and gas and engineering companies adopt their FieldAP™ and FieldTwin™ life-of-field technology platform. Working together, we’re bringing futures on – the customers’, the company’s and the investors who share the vision.
CAMPAIGNS:
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
NASA
Roundup: Revamping and Rebranding Internal Communications for the Next Generation
NASA’s Johnson Space Center has served as a hub of human spaceflight activity for more than half a century. As NASA aims to return to the Moon, we must engage a diverse workforce to generate excitement and effectively disseminate critical information. One particular challenge is to interest both the emerging workforce as well as more established employees, including some who have worked at Johnson since the Apollo era. To accomplish our goals, the Johnson’s External Relations Office reinvented its internal communications strategies for the digital era. This campaign, called “Roundup,” led to improved communication with the workforce.
CAMPAIGNS:
MARKETING CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Coyne PR
Pennzoil Gives Fans a Lap Around the Ring in Mini-Film
When it comes to motor oil, Pennzoil is known for thinking outside of the bottle. Consumers and automotive enthusiasts alike have come to know Pennzoil for not only the quality of their product, but for the action-packed short films they produce. Pennzoil knew that they had succeeded in finding a unique way to resonate with fans in ways other brands couldn’t, and they weren’t ready to hit the brakes just yet. To debut this new mini-film, Pennzoil meshed fan’s love for heart-pounding driving, with journalist’s love for quality content and were able to launch “Escaping the Ring” with resounding success.
Elmore Public Relations
Marketing the Nutcracker Market: Reaching Social Media-Savvy Consumers
Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market is one of Houston’s most anticipated shopping, social, and charitable holiday events. Growing from a church bazaar to, now 38 years later as the second-largest charity event at NRG Park, Nutcracker Market welcomes over 100,000 shoppers annually. Since 2014, Elmore Public Relations has supported the Market’s public relations and marketing strategies. In 2018, aiming to expand the Market’s reach to include a more social media-savvy audience, Elmore PR hosted 17 of Houston’s most influential online personalities for a preview event. An undeniable success, the event earned the Market significant promotion to the influencers’ collective half-a-million followers.
METRO
Take METRORail to the Astros - Full Campaign
The Houston Astros were baseball’s world champions in 2017, and METRORail took tens of thousands of people to the games throughout the season. However, there is always room for improvement, and we wanted to spread the word to more people. We needed a campaign to raise public awareness about our service to Astros home games at Minute Maid Park - and this was our solution.
METRO
Train for the Game - Take METRO to the Dynamo
Meet Diesel, sage traveler and mascot for your Houston Dynamo soccer club. In this commercial, Diesel goes out into the Houston wild to show soccer fans how easy it is to take METRORail to BBVA Compass Stadium. Better yet, fans with a valid game ticket ride FREE to the every home game. This is a great deal for fans wanting to travel to the game without the hassle of traffic and parking. Special thanks to our partners the Dynamo and, of course, Diesel for his participation. That mascot is definitely one sly...well, you get the idea.
Midway
Kings Harbor - Rebuild and Relaunch / Demos to Dreams
After historic flooding devastated Kings Harbor, Kingwood's only waterfront mixed-use destination, Midway helped small businesses recover physically and financially. Midway's marketing team created a campaign to lift business owners' spirits and reassure the community they would rebuild and return, better than before. A refreshed brand, new web site, community-centric events, and social media campaign #DemosToDreams revived the mom & pop shops. A year later, most businesses had returned, some even expanded, new businesses moved in, and a grand reopening event capped the year with a fireworks celebration (rescheduled for New Year's eve after July 4th was rained out).
The CKP Group
The Grove Marketing Campaign
The Grove Houston is a 10-year-old restaurant in Discovery Green. CKP was engaged to develop guerrilla marketing and media strategies. CKP executed an influencer marketing and PR campaign from June 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018. The campaign netted more than 228 media placements, generating 66,796,853+ cumulative impressions for a PR value of $1,716,905+, and influencer coverage through blogs and social media netted 143 placements with 1,325,078+ impressions and a PR value of $15,901+. Revenue results showed 28% growth in sales year-over-year for the reporting period, trending up more than five times the national average.
CAMPAIGNS:
MOST EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGN ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET ($5,000 OR LESS)
University of Houston
#CougarRedFriday
On Fridays we wear red! The #CougarRedFriday campaign started in 2008 when UH President Renu Khator set about transforming a school derisively called Cougar High into an academic and athletic powerhouse. How does the university keep a 10-year-old movement fresh and exciting? Despite not having a budget for the social media campaign, the UH Social Media team gave the #CougarRedFriday a new look and new life in 2018, and engaged some of the biggest names in pop culture along way.
CAMPAIGNS:
MULTICULTURAL PUBLIC RELATIONS
Love Advertising
Sam Houston Area Council Hispanic Campaign: Su Futuro. Tu Orgullo.
The Boy Scouts of America, Sam Houston Area Council wanted to increase awareness and enrollment among Houston Hispanic families. The organization partnered with Love Advertising in 2018 to create and execute the Hispanic-targeted campaign "Su Futuro. Tu Orgullo." Love Advertising’s PR team conducted thorough research and planning throughout the campaign in order to reach the designated, overall communication goal: position the organization as a desirable, inclusive, character-building organization for Hispanic youth. As a result, Love Advertising secured signature stories across Hispanic and general print, broadcast and online, and garnered additional exposure through prominent local Hispanic events.
CAMPAIGNS:
PUBLIC SERVICE/NON-PROFIT
Buckner International
Buckner Brings Hope to Houston
Ahead of the Oct. 2018 opening of Buckner International’s second Buckner Family Hope Center of Houston, we developed and implemented a public relations/media relation campaign to generate increased brand and media exposure in the Houston market. Buckner International is a 140-year-old faith-based nonprofit ministry, but despite operating in Houston since 1955, Buckner has struggled to become a well-recognized nonprofit in the city. Increasing our media placements in Houston was a vital way to better engage clients and donors in order to help with operational costs of the Family Hope Center.
CAMPAIGNS:
REPUTATION/BRAND MANAGEMENT
Carbonara Group
Sawyer Yards "Gray Sofa Project"
In the historic First Ward neighborhood of Houston lies one of the nation’s largest working creative communities. Over 350 artists occupy six refurbished industrial warehouses and create art spanning nearly every medium. Sawyer Yards is growing its reputation as an important local arts and entertainment destination, but is still a hidden gem to many Houstonians. “Gray Sofa Project” was a collaboration developed by Carbonara Group between Sawyer Yards and the Houston Chronicle to reach the target-rich audience of interior designers and home décor professionals while publicizing to the broader community the breadth of art available at Sawyer Yards.
Coyne PR
Shell Rotella: The Starship Initiative
Shell Rotella®, the category leader in heavy-duty lubricants, saw an opportunity to leverage their acclaim and position to push the industry forward by showcasing currently available technologies to overall transportation efficiency for the trucking industry. In addition, they sought to refocus the conversation away from miles per gallon (MPG) to a much more efficient and accurate measurement called, freight ton efficiency (FTE), which considers the overall energy consumed to move goods. This reframed conversation would also direct the discussion to include driver habits. The Starship Initiative was the output of the desire to kick-start changing this conversation in the industry.
Ward
Elevating Aggreko: Apart from the Pack
Ward positioned Aggreko as an experienced, highly valuable partner in the myriad industries the temporary power and temperature control rental company serves. Ghost-written editorial helped prove their industry-specific engineering prowess and problem-solving skills – thereby separating them from the pack of rental companies competing on price.
TACTICS:
BLOGS
University of Houston
UH Energy Fellows on Forbes
Each year a group of University of Houston faculty engaged in energy-related work across a variety of disciplines are selected as UH Energy Fellows, working with the University’s energy initiative, UH Energy, and producing a blog hosted by Forbes.com to engage the public, other thought leaders and policymakers in a national conversation about energy. The blog significantly outperforms our traditional news releases – blog posts published in 2018 averaged 10,786 pageviews, more than 15 times the 688 average pageviews for individual news releases posted on the University’s website.
TACTICS:
CREATIVE OR UNCONVENTIONAL
Memorial Hermann Health System
Smiles are Contagious
Each year, about 7,000 babies are born with a cleft lip and other craniofacial abnormalities, according to the CDC. Most undergo surgery during the first year of their lives to repair a cleft lip, and require additional surgeries and treatment as they grow. In July, which is recognized as National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month, Memorial Hermann aimed to raise awareness of these abnormalities and the importance of long-term management through an inspiring and multi-faceted public relations campaign called Smiles are Contagious that centered on an art gallery featuring portraits of children born with cleft or craniofacial abnormalities.
Paige PR
Hashtag Mosaic Wall to and Engage Community, Employees and Attendees at OTC50
Every year, Gardner Denver has a strong presence at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), one of the largest energy conferences in the world. Gardner Denver engaged Paige PR to develop a unique event activation that would resonate with the OTC audience, both in person and through social media. The goals of this campaign were three-fold: 1. To promote the fact that Gardner Denver is a Community Partner with the Houston Astros 2. To promote Gardner Denver’s community initiative to support Houston fire fighters 3. To increase engagement through social media for internal and external audiences.
TACTICS:
EDITORIALS/OP-ED COLUMNS
Elmore Public Relations
Bridging the Green Gaps: Bayou Greenways 2020
The Houston Parks Board is transforming Houston into a greener city. By the end of 2020, its ambitious $220 million Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative will connect 150 miles of linear trails and yield 3,000 acres of green space along Houston’s bayous, creating equitable park access for most Houstonians. In Fall 2018, Elmore Public Relations crafted an op-ed for the Houston Chronicle’s “Gray Matters” section to publicize a major Bayou Greenways 2020 milestone – the Mason Park Bridge completion – and to illustrate the impact the project has in “bridging the green gaps” and connecting Houstonians to one another.
Love Advertising
Celltex: The 21st century solution for the U.S. opioid epidemic that we keep missing
Throughout 2018, the opioid addiction health crisis made headlines, with many stories focusing on how professional athletes become dependent on opioids to manage pain. Houston-based biotechnology company, Celltex, has helped several athletes improve their quality of life through their proprietary mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) banking technology that prepares MSCs to be used therapeutically, including for pain management. Love Advertising developed an op-ed from Jackie Sherrill’s perspective as both a Celltex client and former professional athlete and coach. The op-ed published successfully in the Houston Chronicle, presenting MSC therapy as an alternative for pain management for the opioid addiction crisis.
Memorial Hermann Health System
Doctors Made Cars Safer. Guns are Next.
It was a tweet heard ‘round the (medical) world, one that would ignite a coalition of doctors to coalesce their efforts against gun violence. In November 2018, the NRA suggested that “anti-gun” doctors stay in their lane on firearms, sparking a passionate response from doctors who have seen firsthand the death and destruction caused by guns. While doctors across the U.S. weighed into the debate, Dr. James McCarthy, who practices in one of the busiest Level I trauma centers in the country, wanted to take a more strategic approach – offer up a solution that would unite, not divide.
Zintel Public Relations LLC
Increasing Privacy Concerns Call For New Way To Protect Encryption Keys
This opinion piece highlights how ever-increasing privacy concerns are creating a fast-growing demand for new ways to protect the encryption keys that safeguard our personal data. This cybersecurity executive lays out WHY it's worth it to rethink your approach to protecting customer data and WHY he thinks organization can no longer rely on aging, legacy technology.
Zintel Public Relations LLC
Houston CEO Lists Lessons Learned One Year After Hurricane Harvey
Zintel Public Relations worked with CKR’s CEO to write and secure an editorial on Forbes.com that focused on what her Houston, Texas-based company learned about preparedness one year after the devasting Hurricane Harvey.
TACTICS:
FEATURE STORIES
C. T. Bauer College of Business
Grateful Heart
This piece shares the story of Bauer College student Caroline Ferguson, who lost her father to suicide and found hope through her small business, Grateful and Company. Through Bauer College’s Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, Ferguson found a community of support as well as the tools to launch her business.
C. T. Bauer College of Business
The Wonderful Kind
The piece highlights 8th Wonder, a business located in East Downtown Houston that is more than just a brewery. It focuses on Ryan Soroka, owner and entrebrewneur of the establishment, and Bauer alumnus.
The CKP Group
Frank Stella Feature Story
In 2017, CKP completed a strategic communications plan for the University of Houston's public art collection. On the heels of that effort, CKP led a public relations campaign in Spring 2018 to launch the collection's 50th anniversary. The hallmark of CKP's campaign was a feature story in the Houston Chronicle's “Zest” section five days before the first event that generated 1,550,826+ impressions and $18,610 in PR value. “An Evening with Frank Stella” became a sell-out two days later and public interest prompted UH to offer a livestream, making it the best-attended event in the Public Art program's 50-year history.
TACTICS:
GRASS ROOTS PROGRAM/GUERILLA MARKETING
The CKP Group
The Grove Influencer Marketing
The Grove Houston is a 10-year-old urban dining concept nestled in downtown Houston's Discovery Green. The Grove launched a new brunch program in 2018 and engaged CKP to develop guerrilla marketing efforts to increase sales and enhance interest. CKP executed multiple innovative low cost/no cost influencer marketing campaigns. From June 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, influencer coverage of The Grove Houston through blogs and social media netted 143 placements with 1,325,078+ impressions and a PR value of $15,901+. Revenue results showed 28% growth in sales year-over-year for the reporting period, trending up more than five times the national average.
TACTICS:
MAGAZINES
C. T. Bauer College of Business
Inside Bauer Magazine
Inside Bauer is the official magazine of the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. Our team produced two issues in 2018, one focusing on small business and the second highlighting the college’s global community. Both issues were produced in-house, using existing resources with no additional impact to the college budget.
TACTICS:
NEWS RELEASE
Love Advertising
Celltex: Texas A&M Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Celltex Therapeutics enter agreement for Alzheimer’s research
Celltex Therapeutics is a Houston-based biotechnology company initiating breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, specifically in the area of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In February 2018, Celltex partnered with Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine Institute for Regenerative Medicine on a ground-breaking research agreement investigating potential cures for Alzheimer’s disease, which affects five million Americans. After distributing and pitching a news release that shared this important news, the Love PR team helped Celltex acheive more than 143 media mentions, reaching a total potential audience of 125 million, valued at $143,000 of earned media coverage.
Paige PR
MMEX Resources Corp. Enters into Solar Power Plan for its Refinery Project
MMEX Resources Corporation (MMEX) engaged Paige PR to draft and distribute their latest news with plans to develop a solar power project to provide electric power to its planned full-scale crude oil refinery in Fort Stockton, Texas. In order to best communicate this news on a national scale, Paige PR recommended putting the news release out “over the wire” using PR Newswire, targeting journalists and publications that focus on oil and energy in the U.S. In addition, Paige PR pitched the release via email to a curated media contact list of influential energy journalists, trade and business publications.
The CKP Group
Dia de Los Muertos News Release
Discovery Green's 10th anniversary programming included a first-time event, its Dia de los Muertos fall celebration. CKP led public relations strategy, including a short-lead press release along with a robust digital press kit (distributed in English and Spanish), which generated the bulk of more than 43 placements and 57 million estimated impressions. With few available visual assets and facing stiff marketplace completion, CKP's research-based approach and planning cut through the clutter of holiday media fatigue. Discovery Green's Dia de los Muertos attendance goal was 20,000+ visitors. The estimated number of actual attendees was 30,000+, 50% above goal.
Zintel Public Relations LLC
Crypto Security Technology Unveiled
Writing about crypto security in an easily understood manner can be a challenge! But this agency made it easy and rewarding for its client. The agency worked with the cybersecurity startup to launch a new open source library for blockchain developers. Aimed at crypto wallets and exchanges, the new offering provides uniquely powerful security for crypto assets. The agency worked with the client's experts to best position the technology and present the value proposition to the niche audience. A number of industry-specific publications covered the successful launch.
TACTICS:
NEWSLETTERS
University of Houston - Division of Administration & Finance
University of Houston Division of Administration & Finance S.P.I.R.I.T. Newsletter
Representing the University of Houston Division of Administration & Finance (A&F) comprised of more than 1,100 employees across 9 departments ranging from Public Art to Public Safety and Houston Public Media to HR, the debut of the A&F SPIRIT newsletter, inclusive of an accompanying Message from the Chief Financial Officer, represented a pivotal opportunity to provide illustrative examples, connectivity and engagement of the workforce to the overarching A&F Division S.P.I.R.I.T. goals and objectives.
TACTICS:
PODCASTS
C. T. Bauer College of Business
#WorkingWisdom
For the third season of Bauer College's in-house podcast, #WorkingWisdom, we paired student hosts with faculty and alumni to gain a broader audience and bridge generational gaps among our community.
Jack J. Valenti School of Communication
Press Play Podcast
In 2018, the University of Houston’s Valenti School of Communication launched Press Play, a podcast that has spotlighted digital marketers, journalists, entrepreneurs and others who are making an impact on our world through communication. Hosted by Dr. Temple Northup, director of the Valenti School of Communication, Press Play features candid conversations that extend beyond cliche success stories. Each episode offers listeners a real look into the guest’s life and career path to reveal how they transformed from a student into an expert.
TACTICS:
SOCIAL MEDIA
C. T. Bauer College of Business
Bauer College Social Media
Social media no doubt can boost your brand…if you’re doing it right. Although from the outside, it might seem like if your job involves social media, you’re “playing on the Internet all day,” it takes a consistent, integrated and strategic effort to effectively use social media to build brand love and community engagement. The Office of Communications leads social media efforts for Bauer College (the University of Houston’s business school), with a presence on platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and LinkedIn.
METRO
Rope-a-Ride on METRO
Imagine waiting for a train, only to find a six-foot four urban cowboy dancing his way onto the station platform, accompanied by his faithful stick horse. This is what awaits the viewer in the Rode a Ride on METRO video to promote our service to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
NASA
Will Smith Talks to Space, Tests Limits of Instagram Live
The true power of increasing NASA’s reach to new audiences outside of its loyal followers lies in experimenting with innovative techniques and partnering with influencers who have their own dedicated, diverse followings. The opportunity for the International Space Station crew to co-host an Instagram Live with Will Smith on the National Geographic Instagram account offered not only a chance to gain new technical abilities but to unite unique audiences through common passions, grow each other’s following, and increase awareness about life in space.
The CKP Group
Discovery Green Social Media
Discovery Green's 10th anniversary season was a milestone opportunity to revamp content marketing strategy to increase awareness and attendance. Results included: 447% increase in traffic to specific event web pages; 263% increase in cumulative social media organic impressions; and 1,089% increase in organic Instagram impressions. At the organizational level, Discovery Green saw an historic 101% increase in event attendance for the reporting periods. In particular, the entertainment category's attendance goals were exceeded by an impressive 3,708%, and attendance goals in the special events category were exceeded by 95%.
TACTICS:
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Coyne PR
Quaker State Gets Festive with Holiday Travel Survey
As a motor oil brand, Quaker State doesn’t typically generate media coverage by making it into holiday gift guides. Quaker State challenged Coyne PR to jump into the bustling holiday season conversation in a unique way that would capture the attention of consumers but still feel natural. Knowing that most Americans travel during the holiday season, Coyne PR partnered with a survey company to find out how people travel, but with a festive twist to capture the attention of general consumers.
TACTICS:
VIDEO
METRO
METRO Presents: Changing Orbit
The Houston Astros were baseball’s 2017 world champions, receiving countless accolades and constant media attention. However, did all of this newfound fame and attention change the Astros lovable mascot, Orbit? We followed this larger than life star during the off season to see if success has gone to his head.
METRO
This is My METRO: Ileana
Meet Ileana, an actual METRO rider who is a young, successful architect and Paralympian living in the heart of Houston. Ileana is disabled and qualifies to use our METROLift paratransit service; however, she happily chooses the freedom and convenience of riding our local bus service instead – this is her adventure.
The CKP Group
Dining Out For Life Video
Since 1991, AIDS Foundation Houston's one-day event, Dining Out for Life, had been raising funds to support the nonprofit's programs. CKP's creative video found ways to make this event once again relevant, exciting and impactful, while empowering Houstonians to make a difference by simply enjoying a meal at a local restaurant. The video contributed to a 43% increase in donated revenue for the Dining Out For Life Houston campaign over 2017. The online video metrics were impressive, including a 246% increase in views and a 139% increase in view rate over the previous campaign year in which video was utilized.
The CKP Group
moonGarden Video
To celebrate its 10th birthday, Discovery Green commissioned a temporary public artwork that mirrored its mission and the story of Houston. moonGARDEN consisted of 22 gigantic interactive globes employing shadow theaters and dynamic lighting. CKP developed videos that contributed to driving record-breaking attendance. CKP's original productions yielded impressive organic results: * 31,531 organic reach * 17,959 organic video views * 1776 reactions * 290 shares More than 83,000 Houstonians visited moonGARDEN over the 9 days the installation was active (137% above the park's goal for the installation), accounting for a 71% increase in traffic year-over-year for the same period.
University of Houston
Power of Expression
At the University of Houston, each of our more than 46,000 students has the power to be successful. We work everyday to ignite their passion and provide resources to get the job done. Our 2018-2019 institutional commercial “the Power of Expression” was viewed by millions of people nationwide and conveyed our enthusiasm and passion for excellence through slam poetry performed by a UH acting student. UH is known as the “Powerhouse,” and our goal was to strengthen our trajectory as a nationally recognized public research institution and a force to be reckoned with on the playing field. Mission accomplished!