Winner: Western Governors University Indiana – Go Further with WGU Indiana
To increase the enrollment of local Indiana residents, WGU Indiana’s PR team set out to build and extend the brand, aiming to stand out amid their online education competition. WGU Indiana’s efforts included a partnership with the state of Indiana to offer a 10% discount to state employees; a pact with the NFL Emerging Business Program to offer 10 scholarships to its members; and the enlistment of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to serve as spokesperson for the campaign. To reach residents in rural areas, the communications team went on a state tour (see photo), meeting with local businesses, the media and students. As a result, WGU graduates now represent 91 of the 92 Indiana counties. —RD
Honorable Mentions:
American Student Assistance – Get on the Money: Employee Engagement Program: In Sept. 2011, ASA launched SALT, a product designed to help young people become financially savvy. To help employees “get on the money” and learn about the SALT brand, ASA relied on e-mail communications and a dedicated SharePoint site.
Breastcancer.org Research News – Driving Breast Cancer Awareness Beyond October: For its 10-year anniversary, Breastcancer.org set out to increase visibility yearround—not just in October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month). Partnerships with Stonyfield Farm and designer Chan Luu helped stoke a media effort that landed placements in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press, with 80% of the coverage occurring outside of October.
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens – I’m for Brooklyn and Queens: Catholic Charities has been serving the Brooklyn and Queens communities for over 110 years, but many residents were not aware of the organization or its numerous programs. To raise that awareness within the community, the communications team launched a traditional media campaign combined with e-mail and text campaigns, which generated an increase in fundraising by 960% in 2011 compared with the same period in 2010.