Winner
Ketchum and Delta Air Lines: Saying "No!" to US Airways Hostile Takeover Bid: The Campaign to "Keep Delta My Delta"
Having striven mightily to emerge from a September 2005 bankruptcy filing, Delta Air Lines management was determined not to give in to US Airways' unsolicited takeover bid in November 2006. Ketchum Public Affairs stepped in to create and mange a nationwide campaign aimed at persuading federal lawmakers and the US Departments of Justice and Transportation to oppose such a deal on the grounds that it would violate antitrust laws and lead to higher fares and fewer choices for consumers.
Launched on December 19, 2006, the campaign used a range of tactics, including an interactive Web site, located at http://www.keepdeltamydelta.org/, that served as the virtual home for the campaign; an "e-petition" that helped convey opposition to the merger to the media and Capitol Hill; and pro-Delta rallies held by Delta employees and retirees and community and business leaders in Delta's hometown of Atlanta, as well as eight other airports around the country.
In addition, on the day before a hearing on the merger by Senate Commerce Committee, Delta pilots, as well as employees and retirees also called on 68 Senate officials to discuss how the merger could negatively affect various states. Research also provided them the foundation for outreach, with state-by-state analyses used to portray the negative impact such a merger would have on customers and communities.
Also supporting the outreach were print ads in inside-the-Beltway publications. In meeting with lawmakers, maps provided visual proof of and emphasized the overlap in the two carriers' routes. Vocal opposition by constituents, meanwhile, ensured policy-makers took an active interest in stopping the merger.
Over the course of less than two months, the effort to garner opposition by policymakers to the proposed union and sow doubt among Delta creditors attracted more than 100,000 online supporters; created a coalition of hundreds of federal, state, and local officials and community and business leaders who issued public pronouncements against the proposed merger; generated more than 150,000 letters to US lawmakers; and earned more than 220 million media impressions.
Bowing to the onslaught of public opposition, Delta creditors on January 31, 2007, announced support for Delta's bankruptcy plan. US Airways dropped its merger bid just hours later.
Judges admired the speed and high level of integration in the campaign. "It was a strong, well researched, and well thought-out program that fought hard to earn the win for the client," said one judge. "This was an outstanding example of attacking an issue on multiple fronts to shape opinions of both the public and decision makers," noted another.
Honorable Mention
APCO Worldwide and United Airlines: Capital-to-Capital Coalition
United Airlines faced stiff competition from three other airlines in its bid for permission from the US Department of Transportation to operate a new, nonstop connection between the US and China. With the restricted route valued by airlines both for its prestige and its potential revenue - as much as $250 million annually, according to analysts - APCO emphasized the important symbolism of a "capital-to-capital" connection between Washington and Beijing. Targeting multiple audiences, including business and leisure travelers, public policy experts, former government officials and lawmakers, and trade associations, APCO created a coalition of supporting parties that helped drive the campaign's multiple forms of outreach, including media relations; print, radio, and TV ads; and participation in relevant blogs. Judges called the three-month effort, which won United the prized route in January 2007, with service beginning in March, "highly directed and focused" and "targeted, comprehensive, and effective - exactly what you seek in a public affairs campaign."
Finalists 2008
APCO Worldwide and United Airlines Capital-to-Capital Coalition
Edelman and the Panama Canal Authority The New Panama Canal: A Better Way to Go - A Strategic Communications Campaign for the Historic Expansion of the Panama Canal
Fleishman-Hillard and the National Fire Protection Association Fighting Fire with Fire
GolinHarris and the Meth Project Foundation The Meth Project: "Not Even Once"
Ketchum and Delta Air Lines The Campaign to "Keep Delta My Delta"
Sponsor: Powell Tate is a leading strategic communications and public affairs firm. Located in Washington, DC, the firm specializes in public affairs, public education, reputation and crisis management, media relations, creative and interactive services, and research and advertising. The firm is a part of Weber Shandwick, a global public relations and communications leader with offices in virtually every major media, government, and business center on six continents.
