| It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently. - Warren Buffett |
Sage Public Relations Group Case Studies
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Foundation
Situation: The Foundation supports the 42,000-member AORN, Inc. non-profit organization, dedicated to reducing the tens of thousands of deaths and injuries annually related to surgery. The Foundation came to Sage seeking communications support to help launch a multi-million dollar endowment fund campaign aimed primarily at leaders of corporations that provide products to the surgical industry.
Our approach: We conducted a communications audit that included an assessment of existing communication tools and depth interviews with AORN’s senior level managers and board members. From there, we presented a SWOT analysis to the Foundation board, developed a branding recommendation for the Foundation (distilled into a new tagline and logo, “Supporting the nurses who make surgery safe”). We created a theme for the endowment campaign pointing out OR nurses’ role in saving lives, and developed promotional materials to help kick off the campaign at AORN’s annual Congress, where thousands of members as well as hundreds of industry leaders were on hand.
Results: The Foundation now has a distinctly-defined brand separate but related to AORN, Inc. and the multi-year campaign has been launched with a dynamic “Join OuR Heroes” message and polished promotional media, including a new website we helped develop, that convey the story of AORN and its roles in saving lives through surgical safety.
Colorado BioScience Association
Situation: From its headquarters in the Advance Colorado Center in downtown Denver, CBSA works directly with industry leaders, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, state universities and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade to enhance Colorado's reputation as a world class bioscience cluster. When the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) needed a new way to communicate with its members and promote Colorado outside the state, the organization turned to Sage for help.
Our approach: We produced Bioscience Colorado, a 52-page, magazine-style publication that served as the state's premier marketing piece to promote its bioscience industry. Sage also created a new quarterly newsletter called the CBSA Focus, featuring interesting profiles of Colorado's biotech and medical device companies and entrepreneurs. Each issue also includes articles on public policy issues, regulatory updates, and news about upcoming CBSA events.
Results: CBSA enhanced its positioning, increased its brand awareness, and dramatically improved its internal and external communications.
Colorado Nanotech Initiative
Situation: A nascent non-profit organization when it approached Sage for help, the Colorado Nanotechnology Initiative – dedicated to boosting the state’s role in the development of nanotechnology – had little funding or public awareness. Its board of directors was divided about the scope and mission of the organization. In short, the group had trouble defining succinctly its role, the prerequisite to having a successful organization, let alone a pubic relations program.
Our approach: Sage conducted a half-day branding session for the organization’s board in which the organization’s mission was defined and its brand articulated. Sage transformed that brand definition into a logo, tagline and messaging architecture, and then brought it to life in creating a website, a brochure and a public relations program.
Results: The Colorado Nanotech Initiative survived its wobbly start. Influential economic development, research and academic organizations took notice, and today the organization operates under the aegis of the State of Colorado in its Advance Colorado Center.
Rocky Mountain Biosystems, Inc.
Situation: When Sage met with Rocky Mountain Biosystems Inc. (RMBI), a biomaterials and medical devices firm, the company had developed a patent on a system of repairing and sealing damaged tissues in a faster, safer and less invasive way. But it was unsure how to position the product, and the company, to achieve a successful launch once clinical trials and final regulatory approval were secured.
Our approach: We conducted a branding session with the principals of the company to help them define their main target markets and the messages that would resonate for each market. Most important, we helped them redefine their brand – what makes it unique and relevant to the market the company serves.
Results: As a result of these efforts, the company positioned its product in a whole new category – a category it can “own.” The category: biofusion – a new word Sage invented describing the combination of proteins and natural materials to close wounds without sutures. We also developed a product name, BioFusionary Surgical Sealant, and the company’s new name, BioFusionary Systems Inc. And we developed a positioning statement used as a tagline for the product: “Cuts surgery time. Cuts patient trauma.”
Once the product is approved for launch, the necessary elements are in place to achieve an effective public relations campaign.
Petro-Canada Resources – USA
Situation: This American unit of a Canadian-based, publicly-traded oil and gas corporation owns and operates thousands of natural gas wells in Colorado and Wyoming. While the company operates within strict regulatory standards and its own stringent standards, there are inherent risks to its workers, the environment and neighboring communities. While the corporate public relations office in Calgary has policies and procedures and people in place to deal with crisis communications, it had no “boots on the ground” in Colorado and Wyoming in the event of a serious negative event.
Our approach: We immersed ourselves in the company’s risk communication and incident command procedures and participated in helping the company develop a localized stakeholder map – potentially dozens of persons or groups to be contacted under various crisis situations. In addition, we have kept Petro-Canada apprised of regulatory and political issues that have the potential to impact the company’s reputation or operations.
Results: We are fully prepared to assist with crisis communications for Petro-Canada. We know the company, how its incident management procedures are organized, and all key personnel with whom we interface in a crisis. We have toured the company’s facilities and met local managers. To date, we have only had to deal with two crises, including a tornado that badly damaged one well facility but, thankfully, caused no injury to people, property or the environment.
FEAR FACTOR
When it comes to the economy, as FDR said, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. The problem is that everyone seems really scared. So as PR pros...