Winner
Hill & Knowlton and Deloitte: Deloitte Drives Health Care Debate: Transforms Perception as “Just an Accounting Firm” to Health Care's #1 Consultancy
When storied accounting firm Deloitte & Touche decided it was time to raise the profile of its life sciences and healthcare consulting practice, it turned to Hill & Knowlton to develop a $500,000 campaign that would help propel Deloitte into a position as a recognized healthcare leader.
It launched several surveys that touched on major trends in healthcare to generate media attention among targeted top-tier publications and outlets. The first survey, based on consumers, was reported on the front page of The New York Times.
Members of the practice's management team were offered as sources who could comment on trends like the presidential election and healthcare reform, further positioning Deloitte as a healthcare expert among mainstream media such as CNN, Fox Business, the Associated Press, and The Wall Street Journal.
What made the campaign so unique and successful, however, was its reliance on research to create its PR strategy. And because Deloitte does not advertise, the success of the b-to-b campaign relied entirely on a strategic PR effort.
Prior to the launch of the surveys, the PR team worked with Cision to develop two main strategies. First, it sought to identify the right platforms for Deloitte's healthcare practice. Second, it looked for tactics that would result in the greatest media reach, whether it was a top-tier journalist, a wire service, or a syndicated columnist.
“The business-to-business campaign brought a consumer-oriented angle using research as its foundation,” commented one judge. “[It was a] very impressive and aggressive campaign, backed by valuable new research,” added another.
After researching the firm's media coverage since 2005, the PR team discovered how inconsistent coverage had been and developed a strategy to target top-tier media outlets with more frequency.
A specific PR strategy was developed for each of the practice's sectors, including health plans, providers, and life sciences. The team then developed a program to “coat-tail” major industry trends with Deloitte experts.
The campaign was “a smart healthcare program” and “positioned [Deloitte] as a leader in healthcare,” said a judge.
Using Cision data, it was reported that Deloitte moved from a number-five ranking among consulting competitors in 2005 to the top spot in 2008, which led to Modern Healthcare ranking Deloitte as the number-one healthcare consultancy.
Honorable Mention
Edelman and American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Initiative: Go Red For Women 2007-08 Untold Stories Campaign
The annual “Go Red For Women” campaign chose to focus on the fact that many women do not realize that heart disease can be a personal risk. Raising awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women was the campaign's main goal, but it also sought to raise the profile of goredforwomen.org and register 2 million women by 2010. Focusing on untold stories – women with heart disease who had not understood or personalized the risk – created a platform. A documentary developed with NBC invited women with similar stories to take part. “A superb effort to raise awareness,” said one judge. An American Heart Association study showed that 65% of women are now aware that heart disease is the number-one killer of women, compared with 57% in 2006. More than 220,000 women joined the Web site and there were 700 submissions for the documentary. It is “a dynamic long-term campaign that continues to stretch in different directions,” noted another judge.
Finalists
• Coyne PR and Humana Share and Share-a-Bike: Humana Brings Bike-Sharing to the Masses
• Edelman and American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Initiative: Go Red For Women 2007-08 Untold Stories Campaign
• Hill & Knowlton and Deloitte: Deloitte Drives Health Care Debate: Transforms Perception as “Just an Accounting Firm” to Health Care's #1 Consultancy
• Ketchum and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals: Follow the Leader: Boehringer Ingelheim Takes Extraordinary Steps to Support the Parkinson's Unity Walk
• Ogilvy PR Worldwide and The National Women's Health Research Center: What's Going on Down There?
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