Danny Moss, Barbara DeSanto - Public Relations Cases - International Perspectives-Routledge (2022) PDF

Public Relations Cases
This unique collection of contemporary international public relations (PR) case studies gives
the reader in-depth insight into effective PR practice in a range of organizational contexts.
The global cases demonstrate the breadth and sophistication of the public relations
function, both in public and private sector organizations.
This fully updated third edition of Public Relations Cases offers fresh perspectives on the
changing face of contemporary public relations and the development of PR and communication
strategies. Addressing the gap in PR literature, it examines political systems, climate, media
ownership and structures, as well as the social values and economic conditions which shape
the role and work of PR practitioners. The book follows a four-part analytical model CDAO
(Context, Decisions, Actions and Outcomes) to successfully identify the key points of
comparison between cases to uncover how and why particular events occur and, critically,
identifies what key factors and actions we can learn from in future decision-making.
Featuring updated cases from across industries and around the world, including South
East Asia, Latin America, the UK and the US, this book is an invaluable resource for
researchers, postgraduate and executive education students studying public relations,
corporate communication and public affairs.
Danny Moss, PhD, is Professor of Corporate & Public Affairs at the University of Chester
Business School and Co-Director of the International Centre for Corporate & Public Affairs
Research. He has played a leading role in establishing Master’s level education in public rela
tions in the UK at the University of Stirling and then at Manchester Metropolitan University and
the University of Chester. He was one of the co-founders of the Bled PR Research Symposium
and co-founder and co-editor of the Journal of Public Affairs, and has authored and edited many
books, journal articles and conference papers including Public Relations: A Managerial
Perspective; Public Relations Cases: An International Perspective and Perspectives on Public
Relations Research.
Barbara DeSanto, EdD, APR, Fellow PRSA, is emeritus director of graduate studies and
research at Kansas State University. She played a leading role in Master’s education at
several universities, and established the online Master’s degree at Kansas State University.
She also developed and lead study abroad programs to Europe, Central America and
Australia. Along with journal articles and conference presentations, she has co-authored
Public Relations: A Managerial Perspective; Public Relations Cases: An International
Perspective and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Learning to Teach.
Public Relations Cases
International Perspectives
Third Edition
Edited by Danny Moss

and Barbara DeSanto
Third edition published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Danny Moss and Barbara DeSanto; individual
chapters, the contributors
The right of Danny Moss and Barbara DeSanto to be identified as the authors of the
editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in
accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to
infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2001
Second edition published by Routledge 2010
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Names: Moss, Danny, 1954- editor. | DeSanto, Barbara, 1950- editor.
Title: Public relations cases: international perspectives / edited by
Danny Moss and Barbara DeSanto.
Description: Third edition. | Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge,
2023. | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2022019558 | ISBN 9781138332119 (hardback) | ISBN
9781138332126 (paperback) | ISBN 9780429446856 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Public relations--Cross-cultural studies. | Corporations--Public
relations--Case studies. | International business enterprises--Case studies.
Classification: LCC HM1221.P78 2023 | DDC 659.2--dc23/eng/20220421
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022019558
ISBN: 978-1-138-33211-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-33212-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-429-44685-6 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856
Typeset in Weidemann
by MPS Limited, Dehradun
Contents
List of Figures vii

Notes on Contributors ix
Introduction 1
Danny Moss and Barbara DeSanto
1 Chester Zoo: ‘Save Our Zoo’ 7

Will Condliffe and Julie Platt
2 Moms Demand Action: Using Public Relations to Combat

Gun Violence 16
Barbara DeSanto
3 Crowdsourcing Potential: Developing the Right Formula for the

Prevention and Intervention Strategy Against Drug Abuse in
Malaysia 24
Jamilah Ahmad
4 A Perfect Storm: The Challenge of Public Relations in the Health and

Social Care Sector 34
Peter Osborne
5 The Comeback Niño: Puerto Rico’s Tourism Industry on the

Re-bound, Post-Maria 42
Meta G. Carstarphen
6 Farm Town Strong: Overcoming the Rural Opioid Epidemic 49

Ray Atkinson
VI CONTENTS
7 Who’s listening? 57
Kevin Ruck, Howard Krais and Mike Pounsford
8 Marketing the Rainbow: The Challenges of Minority Marketing and

Supporting or Subsequent PR Initiatives 75
Alfred Verhoeven
9 The Volkswagen Dieselgate Crisis: Challenging Assumptions About

Reputation Recovery in a Major Crisis 85
Matt Tidwell
10 Iceland Foods: Rang Tan and the Palm Oil Alarm Call 96
Hil Berg
11 The M.O.M. Squad: PR Transforms Diverse Micro-Influencers into

the World’s First Team of Pregnant Comic Book Superheroes 114
Adam Ritchie
12 Let’s Grab a Coffee: A Return to Public Relations Basics 121

Ana Raposo and Mafalda Eiró-Gomes
13 Initiative Angels 131

Karem Contreras and Miguel Ángel Herrera
Index 135
Figures
0.1 Case Study Analysis Model – CDAO 3

1.1 ‘Save Our Zoo’ Campaign 7
1.2 ‘Save Our Zoo’ Goes Viral 11
1.3 ‘Save Our Zoo’ Campaign Timeline 12
1.4 ‘Save Our Zoo’ in Numbers 14
2.1 Fight Like a Mother (2019) Book Cover 16
3.1 Top Three Initial Reasons for Drugs Consumption in the Year 2020 28
3.2 Stages of Building a Public Relations Campaign Strategy against
Drug Abuse 29
3.3 Screenshots and Description of Experimental Video-based
Crowdsourcing Campaign Tactics in Malaysia’s Anti-Drug
Abuse Strategy 30
4.1 AFG Vision and Values 37
6.1 Farm Strong Opioid Statistics 50
6.2 Farm Strong Research Chart 51
6.3 Farm Town Strong News Release 54
7.1 Three Stand Out Themes Relating to Listening to Employees 67
7.2 Listening Styles 68
9.1 Average Emissions Chart 88
9.2 Largest Auto Industry Wrongdoing Settlements 89
10.1 Richard Walker in Borneo 99
10.2 Iceland Window Poster 101
10.3 Iceland No Palm Oil Packaging Flash 102
10.4 Iceland Newspaper Advertisement 103
10.5 Still from Rang Tan Film 106
11.1 Research & Insights 115
11.2 Timeline 116
11.3 Tactics & Execution 117
11.4 Results & Evaluation 118
11.5 M.O.M.s Lessons Learned 119
VIII FIGURES
11.6 Heroes News Story 119

12.1 Nabeiro’s Family with the Portuguese Governmental Entities
Present in the Sharing the Future: Commitment and Sustainability
Public Event 126
12.2 Delta Cafés Sustainability Report 2018 127
Notes on Contributors
EDITORS’ BIOGRAPHIES
Barbara DeSanto, EdD, APR, Fellow PRSA, is emeritus director of graduate studies
and research at Kansas State University. She played a leading role in Master’s
education at several universities, and established the online Master’s degree at Kansas
State University. She also developed and lead study abroad programs to Europe,
Central America and Australia. Along with journal articles and conference
presentations, she has co-authored Public Relations: A Managerial Perspective;
Public Relations Cases: An International Perspective and the Public Relations
Society of America (PRSA) Learning to Teach.
Danny Moss, Ph.D., is Professor of Corporate & Public Affairs at the University of
Chester Business School and Co-Director of the International Centre for Corporate &
Public Affairs Research. He has played a leading role in establishing Master’s level
education in public relations in the UK at the University of Stirling and then at
Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Chester. He was one of the
co-founders of the Bled PR Research Symposium and co-founder and co-editor of the
Journal of Public Affairs, and has authored and edited many books, journal articles,
and conference papers including Public Relations: A Managerial Perspective, Public
Relations Cases, and Perspectives on Public Relations Research.
CONTRIBUTORS’ BIOGRAPHIES
Jamilah Ahmad, Ph.D., is a Professor currently attached to the School of

Communication, Universiti Sains Malaysia. She has produced over a hundred
journal articles, proceedings, research monographs, books, and book chapters on a
broad range of topics in the field of Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility,
Youth Studies, Communication, Media, and Environmental communication.
X NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS
Ray Atkinson, ABC, APR, is the director of communications for the American Farm
Bureau Federation, in Washington, D.C. He has earned accreditation from both the
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Public Relations
Society of America (PRSA). He has more than 20 years of experience in strategic
communications, and a proven track record of success in developing and executing
strategic plans to achieve measurable business objectives. He is the recipient of three
Silver Anvil Awards of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America, the
Research Award from the Institute for Public Relations and Best in Show in the PRSA
National Capital Chapter Thoth Awards in 2019.
Hil Berg, currently runs a consultancy business that helps organizations integrate
purpose into their strategy, create positive social and environmental change, and tell
their stories to inspire action. She previously led on sustainability and social responsibility
strategy at Iceland Foods, advising the Board and working on partnerships and
communications. She reported directly to MD Richard Walker, co-creating Iceland’s
award winning ‘Doing it Right’ plan with the dual imperatives of social and climate
justice. Hil has more than 25 years of experience as a brand and communications
advisor, specializing in social change. She has a passion for social enterprise, which
initially involved her helping to set up a community business in Kathmandu, Nepal. She
has since worked on projects in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States. She has
twice been named ‘outstanding independent practitioner’ by the Chartered Institute of
Public Relations (CIPR) and her advisory work has won multiple industry awards. A
longstanding member of the CIPR and a Founding Chartered PR Practitioner, she has an
MA in PR and Communications for Social Change from the University of Chester. Hil is a
Trustee of social care charity PSS and Feeding Britain, and an Advisory Board Member
for Business in the Community Wales.
Meta G. Carstarphen Ph.D., APR, is a Gaylord Endowed Professor at the University

of Oklahoma in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Communication. Her research
interests include rhetoric and writing, historiography, race/gender/class diversity, and
tourism media and diversity. An award-winning magazine author, Carstarphen has
worked for the leading jewelry trade magazine, JC-K, where she earned awards for
investigative reporting and feature writing as part of team reports about discrimination
in the jewelry industry and the impact of digital technologies upon watches,
respectively. Her books include Sexual Rhetoric: Media Perspectives on Sexuality,
Gender and Identity, Writing PR: A Multimedia Approach, American Indians and the
Mass Media and Race, Gender Class and the Media (3rd edition). She teaches
undergraduate and graduate classes in race/gender/class and the media, public
relations, and rhetoric. As a member of the OU faculty since 2002, Carstarphen has
received notable recognitions for her public outreach to students and to other
communities. These include the 2012 OU Award for Distinguished Public Service,
selection as a Faculty-in-Residence member from 2006 to 2010, and being selected
twice as a mentor for incoming freshmen for OU’s Camp Crimson, including most
recently for June 2016. In May 2019, Carstarphen received a ‘Breakfast for MiLady’
Award as one of ten honorees for community service and leadership by Delta Sigma
Theta Inc.–OKC Alumnae Chapter.
NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS XI
Will Condliffe, is PR Manager at Chester Zoo. He has spent a decade working in the
zoo’s internationally renowned press office, delivering highly acclaimed campaigns
(Save Our Zoo/Live Virtual Zoo Days), award-winning crisis comms strategies
(Monsoon Forest fire), sector-leading social media output and managing production
of the Channel 4 TV documentary, The Secret Life of the Zoo.
Karem Contreras, leads ÁGORA’s Digital Unit where she promotes Public Affairs
and Strategic Communication strategies based on the adequate interpretation of the
digital ecosystem that surrounds them (intelligence, analysis, and creativity). She also
has designed 360 campaigns (public affairs, strategic, and digital communication) and
has built protocols and materials for crisis management. She is a professional in
Journalism from the Externado de Colombia University and a Master in Strategy and
Digital Creativity from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Mafalda Eiró-Gomes, Ph,D., is a Coordinator Professor of Pragmatics and PR at Escola

Superior de Comunicação Social in Lisbon where she is a faculty member since 1992.
Professor Eiró-Gomes’ research programme addresses questions of communication
understanding and the connection between organizational communication and social
responsibility. She has been appointed director of both the undergraduate and the master
program in PR/Corporate Communications, and served as the Scientific Board President
of ESCS between 2011 and 2014. She is now the coordinator of the PR and Organisational
Communications field at ESCS. She has been working for the last 30 years, pro bono, as an
advisor in Strategic Communication for different non-governmental organizations.
Miguel Ángel Herrera, is a renowned strategist in Public Affairs and Strategic

Communication with 20 years of professional experience in different markets in Latin
America. He has led projects in Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Miami for
companies in the pharmaceutical, infrastructure, financial, and consumer goods
industries. He previously worked at Burson-Marsteller Colombia, where he was
General Manager and leader of the Healthcare Practice in Latin America.
Howard Krais, is in his second year as President of IABC in the UK. With over 25 years
as a communicator under his belt, both in senior in house and consulting roles, Howard
is passionate about the power of communication to positively effect change and he has
long seen listening as a critical way for communicators to meaningfully contribute to the
success of the businesses they support. In his day job, Howard leads communications for
Johnson Matthey’s Clean Air sector, a new role when he joined in 2018. Other recent
positions include senior corporate communications roles at GSK and EY. Howard was
also the Chairman of Wealdstone Football Club between 2008–2016.
Peter Osborne, a former journalist, Peter has more than 30 years communications
experience in highly demanding and sensitive PR environments including nuclear,
water, electricity, environment, and health and social care – across the private, public,
and third sectors. A multi Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) award-
winning practitioner, he has managed all aspects of public relations including media
relations, public affairs, international relations, and internal communications for
XII NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS
organizations including BNFL, United Utilities, Keep Britain Tidy, Interserve, and the
largest provider of health and social care services based in the North West of England,
Alternative Futures Group (the subject of this case study). An accredited member of
the UK’s CIPR for many years, he is a former judge of their regional communication
awards. Peter holds a Master’s degree (MA) in Public Relations and a first degree in
Economics and Economic and Social History (BA 2:1).
Julie Platt, trained in art education and aspired to work in museum and cultural
learning, before her career changed direction and she became a full-time fundraiser in
2008. Her expertise is now providing fully embedded fundraising functions for charity
visitor attractions, including theatres, galleries, museums, and now zoos. At Chester
Zoo, her remit is centred on creating an ethical environment to sustain both strategic
and tactical fundraising, and to ensure a joyful experience for donors and supporters.
Before joining Chester Zoo in 2017 she was busy making Storyhouse a reality for
Chester, and has previously worked for The Science Museum Group and The
Whitworth Art Gallery. Julie lives in the city centre of Manchester with her partner
and their Maine Coon cross, Kefir. She is currently Chair of the Northern Quarter’s
Manchester Craft and Design Centre, and spends her weekends working on a 1970s
classic car and walking in the Derbyshire hills.
Mike Pounsford, is the founder of Couravel, which works with clients to clarify and
communicate purpose, vision, and strategy, to design and deliver engagement
programmes, and to develop the communication capabilities of leaders and managers.
He is accredited under the NTL International Organisation Development programme
and is the President Elect of the UK Chapter of the International Association of Business
Communicators. He is an IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator. Mike’s interest in
listening has extended over his career. He was an active pioneer of Employee Research in
Europe for Willis Towers Watson (Towers Perrin at the time), applied insights from
listening to help improve performance in retailing and banking while at Alexander
Consulting Group, and set up Banner McBride for WPP Group to help clients get closer
to their people in order to build stronger brands.
Ana Raposo, Ph.D., in Communication Sciences from ISCTE-IUL, has got a degree
and a Master’s in Public Relations and Corporate Communication from the Escola
Superior de Comunicação Social in Lisbon. She has worked as a communication
manager in different organizations from the public and private sector in Portugal, and
is trainer, consultant, and researcher in the area of strategic communication and Public
Relations. She is a specialist in Strategic Communication and Internal Communication.
Professor and Coordinator of the bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Corporate
Communication at the Escola Superior de Comunicação Social (Lisbon).
Adam Ritchie, has worked with more than 40 brands, including Perrier, Timberland,
Jiffy Lube, Evenflo, and Jacuzzi. He advocates for public relations’ roles in product
development through his Invention in PR series of talks and articles. He has earned
four Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil Awards, a Best in Creative
Excellence distinction from PR Week, American Business Awards Communications
NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS XIII
Executive of the Year, PR News Professional of the Year, and PR Week 40 Under
40 honoree. He is a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in public
communications, and he is proud of being an Eagle Scout.
Kevin Ruck, is the co-founder of PR Academy, the largest provider of PR education in

the UK. PR Academy delivers CIPR, PRCA, and AMEC qualifications. He is the editor
and co-author of the respected textbook Exploring Internal Communication published
by Routledge. He is the course leader for PR Academy’s delivery of the CIPR Specialist
Diploma: Internal Communication, a highly regarded professional qualification.
Kevin’s research interests focus on internal communication leadership, employee
voice, measurement, and professionalism.
Matt Tidwell, Ph.D., APR, is the assistant dean at the University of Kansas, overseeing
the university’s highly regarded online executive communication Master’s program.
Tidwell brought more than 20 years of executive communication professional
experience including health care and public utilities to the educational arena. Tidwell
is the co-host of the podcast ‘Cultivated Marketer,’ and is a member of the International
Association of Business Communicators (IABC) International Executive Board.
Alfred Verhoeven, senior marketing and communication specialist Alfred Verhoeven

draws upon his 30+ years of experience to freelance as well as manage his own
company, BRIGHT Marketing Solutions, which he founded in 2000, that provides
marketing and IT services to companies. His goal is to always look at what the
customer has in mind. In addition to earning his law degree, he is currently pursuing a
Ph.D. at Erasmus University Rotterdam with a focus on ‘Marketing the Rainbow.’ One
of Verhoeven’s special talents is his mastery of six languages, including Dutch, English,
French, German, Russian, and Spanish.
■■■■
■
Introduction
■
DANNY MOSS AND BARBARA DESANTO
■■■■■■
WHY CASE STUDIES?
What is the purpose and value in this and any other case study book? Well the obvious
answer is that in many fields, including public relations, case studies have been used with
student and practitioner learners for many years as a mechanism for sharing and learning
from real-world practical examples. Case studies provide a clear narrative surrounding a
particular set of circumstances or scenarios that may progress from problem identification
to strategy solution, perhaps illustrating how particular courses of action were chosen, how
particular circumstances affected the outcome, and how the thinking of individuals shaped
the decisions and actions taken. In this sense, case studies can offer useful and sometimes
invaluable insights into how particular sets of circumstances may affect organisational
behaviour and outcomes, and thereby offer a useful platform from which organisational
learning and knowledge can be built. Moreover, cases covering a particular industry or
sector or specific set of circumstances – e.g. financial crises, major accidents, or major
health-related scenarios, such as the coronavirus pandemic, may give rise to some more or
less universal/generic guidelines for handling such incidents more effectively in the future.
Often in the scientific realm, case study is used by scientists as a form of experi
mentation to test and come up with new theories as a result of developing hypotheses
that can be explored through different case study scenarios. Perhaps the most con
temporary example of case study work being put to important use is in the study of the
recent coronavirus pandemic, where researchers around the world sought to under
stand the transmission of the virus across different settings, and involving different
demographic groupings to help identify the most effective ways of combating the
spread of the virus ahead of the identification of an effective vaccine.
The chief challenge in using case studies as an effective learning tool or for research is
to ensure the case does not remain as a purely descriptive account of what happened in
any particular situation. Rather, it is important that the case can be probed, questioned,
and analysed from many different perspectives, including those internal and external
stakeholders, to enable the generation of additional knowledge or insight that might
benefit future courses of action and/or decisions involving similar circumstances/con
ditions. Often case studies are seen as particularly useful in providing answers to the ‘how’
and ‘why’ questions relating to a particular scenario or set of events. Thus, for example,
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-1
2 DANNY MOSS AND BARBARA DESANTO
case studies have been particularly useful in examining crisis situations to understand how
a particular crisis unfolded and the factors that contributed to the escalation of the crisis, or
to the instigation of a crisis event. Many of the so-called crisis cases have become almost
‘stock in trade’ for the training of operatives who might encounter similar scenarios in
their careers to better prepare them to deal with such scenarios. Classic crises cases such
as the Johnson & Johnson Tylenol tampering in 1982, Piper Alpha oil rig explosion in the
North Sea in 1988, the impact of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005, and the
collapse of Lehman Brothers bank in 2008 all represent classic crisis cases that are very
different in character, yet all illustrate some core characteristics of crisis scenarios along
with the principles of effective (or not so effective) crisis management. These insights
ideally will help inform the way in which firms, organisations, or governments might best
prepare to deal with any similar potential crisis situations.
While crisis scenarios invariably attract strong media and public attention, most
organisations are unlikely to encounter a significant crisis, certainly not on a regular
basis. Indeed, in most cases, organisations may never encounter a significant crisis –
one that may threaten the very survival of the organisation itself. However, it is
possible to draw on lessons from cases concerned with a whole array of other orga
nisational problems or challenges such as managing change, handling major HR issues,
or an array of marketing scenarios that may be encountered. In each case, there may
be important lessons to be learned that can help avoid the sort of damaging outcome
that might result from poor choice decisions or actions on the part of the organisation.
As suggested earlier, the recent coronavirus (Covid19) pandemic is likely to become a
classic case study in its own right in time, offering insights into how governments,
medical organisations, and the media around the world sought to respond relatively
effectively, or not so effectively, to stem the spread of the virus. Undoubtedly, such
analysis will focus on examining how different organisational strategies – in particular,
government and public affairs sectors – impacted on the speed with which different
countries have been able to control the spread of the virus and, ultimately, what lessons
can be learned in managing any future pandemics or significant healthcare issues.
USING THE CASE STUDIES
The case studies in this book offer an internationally and sectorally diverse set of insights
into the multifaceted and changing face of public relations as it is understood and
practised in different organisational, cultural, and industry settings. On one level, these
cases offer a fascinating set of narratives about the diverse ways in which public relations
is deployed in differing settings and contexts around the world. While such narratives
serve a useful purpose in demonstrating the changing face and use of public relations, the
value of such case studies is only realised fully when we move on from the narrative to
explore and analyse how the decisions, actions, and outcomes revealed in the case came
about, and perhaps, more importantly, consider what alternative decisions and courses
of action might have been followed and with what outcomes. To facilitate this process of
case analysis, we have put together a four-part framework, which serves as a relatively
simple, but systematic, approach to case analysis and interpretation.
This framework, which can be memorised using the acronym ‘C.D.A.O’, com
prises the following elements (see Figure 0.1):
INTRODUCTION 3
C-D-A-O process
Outcomes Context
Analysis of how successfully Analysis of the internal
the planned actions were in O C and external
resolving the challenges environment
or exploiting opportunities
CASE STUDY
ANALYSIS
Actions Decisions
Analysis of how key Analysis of key
A D
decisions were translated decisions taken by
into strategies and tactics management
Figure 0.1 Case Study Analysis Model – CDAO
• Context: analysis of the external and internal environment and situational

considerations affecting the focal organisation and shaping its decisions and actions
• Decisions: analysis of the key decisions taken by the focal organisation’s
management and communications professionals, including the location of indivi
duals making these decisions in the organisation’s power structure
• Actions: analysis of how key decisions were translated into specific strategies and
tactics (communications actions) and how successfully the implementation was
carried out
• Outcomes: analysis of how successfully the planned course of actions proved to be in
resolving the challenges or exploiting the opportunities the organisation faced.
Arguably, this four-part analytical ‘lens’ can prove valuable in helping to draw out from
each case the key factors that account for the outcomes to the situation examined. In
particular, we are concerned to uncover how and why things happened in the way
they did, and critically, what key factors shaped the way events unfolded and what
actions were undertaken. From this type of analysis valuable insights may emerge into
the critical factors that shaped the ultimate outcome of each scenario examined, and
hence allow us to draw out some useful lessons that can inform decision-making and
practice in similar scenarios going forward.
COMPARATIVE LOOP LEARNING FROM CASES
Individual case studies offer in-depth exploration of specific issues and events, which
results in a detailed understanding of the changing circumstances, the actions taken
and the reactions that occurred, and the planned and unplanned outcomes of the
event or situation.
Ideally, the learning derived from each individual case study can be used to
compare, contrast, and assess the successes and failures observed with other cases that
have similar components or circumstances. Thus, for example, during the coronavirus
pandemic in the UK, the impact of the gradual easing of the lockdown measures in
different areas/sectors were compared across different settings with careful checking
of how the easing of the lockdown restrictions might impact on behaviours and cri
tically on the infection rates in different locations/amongst different groups. Such case
comparisons allow trends of both good and bad practice to emerge, which, in turn,
adds to the understanding of best practices in different situations. Here the four-part
case analysis framework suggested earlier can help to identify the key points of
comparison between cases.
DOUBLE-LOOP LEARNING FROM CASES
While individual case analysis and comparative case analysis can serve to help us draw
some valuable lessons from first the individual case analysis and then perhaps from
comparing similar case scenarios, a further valuable source of learning can be achieved
by taking each case and thinking about how the scenario faced by the organisation in
question might have unfolded had the circumstances or assumptions affecting the
situation faced been somewhat different.
In effect, we can ‘re-imagine’ the case scenario and present it to students and
practitioner learners to reconstruct how they might advise the organisation to act in
light of a changed case scenario. We can then begin to work through how events
might unfold under the changed scenario, examining what new challenges might
emerge, what the implications of these challenges might be for the organisation in
question, and what alternative courses of action might be followed in response, with
what anticipated outcomes. This approach allows us to engage in a form of ‘double-
loop learning’ from our case materials.
Some broad types of changes that might be introduced to existing cases for this
double-loop learning exercise are summarised as follows:
The Situation Factors
• Changes to the array of PEST-type considerations affecting the organisation’s

industry sector: Political change, economic and social ‘climate’ and/or technolo
gical change;
• Timescales involved;
• External pressure group/stakeholder group to act in particular ways;
• Change to industry regulations;
• Internal power considerations.
Motivational Considerations
• Changes in the fundamental reasons driving the organisation’s strategy;

• Changes in the motivation of the key stakeholders – what they are each expecting
of the organisation;
INTRODUCTION 5
• Changes in the motivation of the communicator(s) thinking behind the choice and
implementation of communication tactics.
The key steps in conducting a double-loop learning case exercise:
1. Select the case of interest and familarise yourself with all the details.
2. Identify the key situational and/or motivational variables you intend to change.
3. Work through and apply the implied assumptions that these changes would have
for the organisation at the centre of the case.
4. Identify the key organisational objectives and associated communications objec
tives.
5. Identify the alternative course of action and associated communications strategies
and actions, and for each produce a clear rationale.
6. Select and put together a clear communications plan for the selected option.
7. The student group/professional team would review these alternative communica
tions plans and discuss their respective merits and consider how each might affect
the likely outcomes in comparison to the original case outcomes.
This double-loop learning approach can be further enhanced by introducing a dynamic

element to the case exercise, introducing some changes to the scenario or to key
variables in a case on a rolling and perhaps real-time basis. This type of dynamic case
study exercise is perhaps most commonly found in re-running crisis type case situa
tions where crisis scenarios can be run as simulations over a real time period to
recreate the pressure of events that surrounded the crisis. This type of case exercise
can be used, for example, to test emergency service responses and capabilities. In
simulating real events it is also possible to introduce variations on how the crisis
actually evolved and thereby keep the case ‘fresh’ and constantly challenging those
involved in the exercise to remain ‘on their toes’ and learning how best to react swiftly
and purposely to events as they unfold and perhaps how to make difficult choices
about alternative courses of action that may adversely affect some stakeholders in
order to benefit/save others.
CONCLUSION
There is no denying that traditional case studies continue to serve a valuable role
illustrating how organisations and the professionals employed by them act in different
situations, and how events and circumstances can continue to confound even the best
laid scenario planning efforts of organisations. Case studies can also play a valuable
educational and training role, helping to illustrate the breadth and potential com
plexity of the work and issues that professionals working in the field of public relations
may confront and need to deal with. Indeed, one of the recurring challenges public
relations professionals face is the need to quickly assimilate what might be quite di
verse and relatively complex amounts of knowledge in order to grasp how to advise
and respond to the challenges their organisation might be facing. This ‘industry
knowledge’ challenge is one that is particularly acute in more complex pharmaceutical
and technological industries, but change is taking place at an increasing pace across all
industries. Communication practitioners, like any other discipline, need to be con
stantly learning and updating their knowledge as the industries and organisations
where they are employed continue to evolve and change. Thus one conclusion that
emerges from a reading of the many case studies that have been published over the
years is that to be a successful senior practitioner in ‘today’s complex world’, in
creasingly you need to be something of a polymath.
In putting together this third edition of the PR casebook, we sought to avoid including
cases simply for their intrinsic diversity and, of course, we were interested in ensuring
that we were able to include a broad sweep of international cases. As we have suggested
earlier, the value of this and any other case book is only going to be fully realised when
the cases and surrounding materials can be used to enable the sort of deeper double-loop
learning discussed earlier. In suggesting some potential key questions and alternative
scenarios that educators and training instructors might utilise with each case, we hope
we have gone some way to encourage and facilitate the deeper double-loop learning
process that can make a case book so much more valuable.
■■■■
1 ■
Chester Zoo
■
‘Save Our Zoo’
WILL CONDLIFFE AND JULIE PLATT
■■■■■■
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2020, battling closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chester Zoo raised
£3.3 million in just two months, rising to a total of £3.6 million in donations and
£1.2 million in adoptions by the end of 2020, putting its COVID emergency campaign
achievement above many giants of the UK charity sector.
The ‘Save Our Zoo’ campaign saw this relatively small charity outperforming
Action Aid (£1.8 million), Tearfund (£1.7 million) and Save the Children (£1.4 mil
lion) and coming in only just behind the British Red Cross (£4.5 million). And in June
2020, ‘Save Our Zoo’ cut through the crowded news agenda of the pandemic, grabbed
the attention of the world’s media and became a viral sensation on social media.
‘Save Our Zoo’ argued that zoos, not just Chester, must reopen for the good of all,
just when the government had decreed they must remain shut. Just a week after ‘Save
Our Zoo’ launched, the government reversed its position.
This study examines the foundations of the campaign and its execution and looks at
where Chester Zoo has taken its sector-topping approach since the launch of the campaign.
Figure 1.1 ‘Save Our Zoo’ Campaign
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-2
8 WILL CONDLIFFE AND JULIE PLATT
THE STORY UP TO 2020
Chester Zoo opened in 1931. Operated by the North of England Zoological Society
(the UK registered charity), the zoo receives no government funding. It is the most
visited zoo in the UK and the most visited paid-for attraction outside London, seeing
over 2 million visits in 2019. In 2017, TripAdvisor rated Chester Zoo the best zoo in
the UK and the third-best in the world. The zoo has gone from 42,000 members in
2013 to 130,000 in March 2020. In its 90-year history, Chester Zoo has had only five
CEOs. Staff feel a genuine, long-term commitment to the zoo and its mission and this
sense of connection is shared by Chester Zoo’s communities locally, nationally and
around the world.
Chester Zoo’s mission is preventing extinction. At the heart of the zoo is animal
welfare. George Mottershead, Chester Zoo’s founder, wanted his zoo to be at the
forefront of ideas about natural habitat for animals – ‘a zoo without bars’ – and this is
how it continues to operate. Chester Zoo’s reputation as a pioneer and champion of
conservation is long established. Over half of the zoo’s species are on the ‘Red List’
(the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s list of threatened species) and
over 130 are part of a managed international breeding programme to boost numbers of
threatened species.
We make sure that the habitats within Chester Zoo are a microcosm of those in
nature, so that visitors can see the connection between what we do here in our
conservation programmes across the world. Transparency is key: we always tell
nature’s story, ‘warts and all.’
(Adapted from ‘A Conservation Masterplan for Chester Zoo 2021–2030’,
see www.chesterzoo.org/what-we-do/)
Among Chester Zoo’s ambitious future plans is the recreation of a huge new African
savannah that will be home to multiple endangered species, all living alongside one
another. The zoo believes that this highly innovative ‘Grasslands’ project will inspire a
new generation of conservationists by connecting visitors to nature as never before,
offering close-up experiences with a host of African species.
CHESTER ZOO’S SUPPORTERS
The zoo’s strong local and international connections and positioning in terms of its
importance to animal conservation strategies world-wide helped ensure that the zoo
could appeal for support to a wide range of stakeholder groups:
The Local and International Communities
In 2019, Chester Zoo welcomed 2 million visitors. Almost half were those who come
to the zoo more than once each year; 65% came from the North West or North Wales,
with the remaining 35% travelling from across the UK and overseas.
CHESTER ZOO 9
World Communities
Chester Zoo’s experts work in six regions across the globe in some of the world’s most
biodiverse habitats, and the zoo also partners with families in these areas to protect
wildlife and biodiversity.
Families and Schools
As an education charity, Chester Zoo provides a connection to the natural world for young
people. In 2020 it pivoted to embrace home-schooling and virtual classroom sessions
delivering over 150 virtual sessions to more than 45,00 learners in the Autumn term alone.
Cities
Chester Zoo led the campaign to make Chester the very first sustainable palm oil city
in the world, working with partners across the world to deliver change for wildlife.
Economies
The zoo contributes an annual average of £83.1 million to its regional economy.
For the past 15 years and more, Chester Zoo has been steadily building its commu
nities of supporters. Local people in particular have always felt strongly that this is their
zoo: visits are woven into generations of happy memories and those who come back
again and again feel a connection with the zoo’s animals and specific locations there.
This powerful emotional link to the zoo and to its conservation work is a key factor in
Chester Zoo’s ongoing strategy of engagement and clear communication. Teams across
the zoo have raised the level of emotional and intellectual connection across all
channels, looking to national and international audiences to promote conversations
about wildlife and conservation. In 2014, filming began for Channel 4’s fly-on-the-wall
documentary series, The Secret Life of the Zoo. The BAFTA-nominated programme,
which takes viewers behind the scenes at Chester Zoo, has since completed its tenth
series (69 episodes) and aired in more than 80 countries.
Visitors and friends often say how much it means to them that Chester Zoo is there,
offering everyone the chance to experience the extraordinary on their doorstep. The
conversation with its communities is one that Chester Zoo has been having for genera
tions. It started in person, and then the zoo began to add digital platforms so that more
people could join in. The zoo has built its communications strategy from the ground up,
picture by picture, word by word, post by post. Its fundraising team has moved its donor
base outwards, building on a tradition focussed on valuable legacy giving and drawing in
new supporters and income streams. Chester Zoo has consciously engaged regional and
national businesses and local people to be its advocates, and in turn, it offers them support
and advice about how they can get involved in environmental and sustainability action.
THE SAVE OUR ZOO CAMPAIGN
Origins
In January 2020 the world saw the first news reports of a virus outbreak in China. But
no one could have imagined what was about to happen in the UK and across the
world. The UK Government had to move quickly. Like so many other places, Chester
Zoo was forced to close as a lockdown was introduced. The impact was instant.
The zoo adapted in new and creative ways, boosting online engagement for visitors.
‘Live Virtual Zoo Days’ were up and running within days of lockdown, delivering the zoo
via livestream to millions on social media and giving day-long, live, accessible (and free!)
encounters with wildlife. These new channels of engagement kept the conservation
conversation going, helped those who were home-schooling, entertained a nation and
brought huge new audiences of virtual visitors to find out more about Chester Zoo`s work.
As everyone adjusted to new restrictions, with the NHS and key workers at the
forefront of the nation’s mind, no one was sure what to expect from an emergency
campaign. But Chester Zoo was very far from forgotten. There was curiosity and
concern across its supporter base: What will happen to the zoo?
The message remained upbeat, though the zoo made clear to its supporters that if it had
to remain closed for any length of time, its financial position and ability to operate would
be seriously compromised. Teams were furloughed and staffing provision was reduced.
The zoo began a light-touch fundraising campaign. This was not about pulling at
heartstrings and asking people to donate to ‘feed the animals’. Instead, the call to
action was about supporting every strand of Chester Zoo’s conservation work.
Supporters could become a member or adopt an animal, as well as making donations.
The zoo encouraged communities to fundraise on its behalf while making it clear that
it was cutting its costs wherever possible.
In May, more ways to donate were rolled out, with ‘Text to Donate’ included on
email footers and newsletters, and increased engagement with corporate sponsors.
And the zoo’s teams practised what they preached (with the CEO at the time, for one,
running 200 km for the campaign in May). Even with the zoo closed to the public,
keepers would find themselves meeting supporters who had arrived at the gates with
cheques. There was a tidal wave of care, and the team was humbled by the lengths at
which people went to show their love and support.
But at the very end of May, the crushing blow came. Along with other zoos and
aquariums, Chester Zoo was told it would not be allowed to reopen. An indefinite
period of closure loomed. Chester Zoo’s mission is preventing extinction. Now, almost
100 years after it had opened, it had to prevent its own extinction.
Action
Chester Zoo understood that its vast reservoir of support gave it a voice to lobby the
government. Without swift and serious action, zoos were not going to be okay, and
Chester Zoo knew that it needed to say so, loudly and clearly. The words it chose were
simple and powerful: ‘Save Our Zoo’. In a clearly defined approach, Chester Zoo
CHESTER ZOO 11
pushed hard. It pointed out the inconsistencies in the government’s policies, making
sure that the media knew exactly why it believed the government had got it wrong on
this one. People were finding solace in outdoor places, and Chester Zoo knew that it
and its partners in the zoo sector could offer a safe, sustainable way to give people the
access to nature they were craving.
Even those who knew the extent of support Chester Zoo had across its commu
nities were overwhelmed by the amount of help that materialised. Chester Zoo knew
that this response had not come from nowhere. The zoo’s long-term social media
strategy has centred on carefully selected content and has built by far the biggest social
media audience of any UK zoo. Chester Zoo’s digital audience is highly engaged: they
enjoy spending time with the content the zoo broadcasts. So when the time came to
ask for their help, they felt compelled to get behind the zoo.
‘Save Our Zoo’ galvanised supporters and hooked the media. It cut through a
crowded news agenda and Chester Zoo featured on tv, radio, online and in print. In just
one week, among the raft of coverage, BBC Breakfast broadcast live from the zoo twice;
Sky News three times. International media outlets contacted Chester Zoo and told its
teams that they should be proud of how they had drawn attention to the plight of zoos.
Figure 1.2 ‘Save Our Zoo’ Goes Viral
The last 24 hours have been incredible. Your support is given us a massive boost
during what is without doubt, the biggest crisis this great charity as ever face. We
must continue in our fight to save our zoo and all vital conservation work we do.
(Chester zoo tweet, 4 June 2020)
Results
‘Save Our Zoo’ saw MPs bombarded with emails, their inboxes bursting with mes
sages from Chester Zoo supporters. The zoo used its own links into parliament to set
Figure 1.3 ‘Save our Zoo’ Campaign Timeline
the stage for debate, and this led to the most heavily attended cross-party debate in the
Commons – ever! The result – a U-turn decision that zoos and safari parks could
reopen (see Figure 1.3 for the ‘Save Our Zoo’ timeline).
[This House] … recognises the enormous contribution Chester Zoo makes to the
local economy, to educating the public, as well as to wider global conservation
efforts with conservation projects in 40 countries worldwide.
(Early Day Motion (571), supported by a cross-party group of parliamentarians)
Offers of help continued to flood in, to the extent that the zoo’s teams had to be agile and
creative, opening up new avenues for would-be supporters. Keeping up with the sheer
number of posts, emails and letters was a huge challenge. Donations and animal
adoptions skyrocketed. This meant stewardship on a massive and unforeseen scale, with
the entire zoo team pulling together to ensure the best possible experience for donors
and supporters. Throughout July and August, teams responded to tens of thousands of
emails, with personalised messages of thanks to supporters often eliciting repeat gifts.
Thanks rushed in from partner zoos across the UK. When Chester Zoo reopened, staff
were met by grateful visitors offering their thanks and expressing their joy.
There was just one week between the launch of the campaign and the govern
ment’s U-turn announcement that zoos could reopen. The national media buzz was so
strong that Chester Zoo heard the news from a reporter before the announcement had
reached them through formal channels. That’s when the power of what had been
achieved together, was felt.
CHESTER ZOO 13
Benchmarking the Save Our Zoo Campaign Outcome
The success in securing the government’s U-turn on zoo reopenings was undoubtedly
the single most important achievement of the campaign in terms of enabling Chester
and other zoos to reopen to the public. At the same time, the campaign generated
huge national and international media coverage, which helped attract further, much
needed financial support for the zoo.
Table 1.1 Breakdown of the largest fundraising charities COVID

campaigns
Charity Organisation Charity COVID emergency

campaign funds raised
Red Cross £4.5 million

Chester Zoo £3.7 million
Action Aid £1.8 million
Tear fund £1.7 million
Save the Children £1.4 million
Source: ‘Covid-19 appeals at largest 50 fundraising charities have

raised more than £60 m so far’, Civil Society News 6 July 2020
(accessed 8 December 2020): www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/covid-
19-appeals-at-top-50-fundraising-charities-have-raised-more-than-
60m-so-far.html
The year 2020 saw thousands of COVID emergency appeals, from across the charity
sector. Almost all zoos launched their own campaign. Chester Zoo’s COVID emer
gency campaign success has been phenomenal, outperforming Action Aid (£1.8 mil
lion), Tear fund (£1.7 million) and Save the Children (£1.4 million), and coming in
only just behind the British Red Cross (£4.5 million) – see Table 1.1. ‘Save Our Zoo’
means that Chester Zoo has been saved. But despite the overwhelming success of the
campaign, the zoo’s long-term financial future cannot be assured. There is no denying
the reality. Chester Zoo has suffered severe financial damage and the road to full
recovery will be long and uncertain. Chester Zoo’s conservation programmes are still
running, but during COVID, many have had to go into ‘tickover’ mode. ‘Save Our
Zoo’ is only the beginning.
Chester Zoo is the largest and most popular zoo in the UK. Along with the
Zoological Society for London (ZSL – London) and Royal Zoological Society for
Scotland (RZSS – Edinburgh), Chester Zoo is one of the only charitably run zoos with
an average annual income of over £15 million in an average year. The zoo’s visitor
messaging is similar to that of smaller, regional zoos, with a ‘family first’ focus on
visitor experience and fun. At the same time, its conservation programmes bear close
comparison with the programmes of other global wildlife organisations. Chester Zoo’s
expenditure on fundraising is lower than at most other zoos. Varying accounting
procedures across partner organisations make it difficult to give a like-for-like analysis
of performance against fundraising income, but we can say that Chester Zoo’s per
formance is very close to that of other similar high-profile organisations. A number of
Figure 1.4 ‘Save Our Zoo’ in Numbers
key success indicators can be seen in Figure 1.4, which indicate just how effective the
campaign was in not only helping to keep the zoo open but in cementing Chester
Zoo’s position in the hearts and minds of its stakeholders and the wider public.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Of course the zoo is proud that peer organisations are now seeking its advice, asking
‘How did you do this?’ But it’s never only about what one organisation has achieved.
Chester Zoo’s challenge is to raise everyone’s game even higher, for the sake of
wildlife the world over. Live Virtual Zoo Days will continue, offering interactions with
wildlife in real time, and continuing to engage the zoo’s new audiences. Through
meaningful involvement, Chester Zoo will take its donors on the ambitious and critical
journey towards preventing extinction.
The challenge now? To build on the success of ‘Save Our Zoo’ and move
forward with existing friends and supporters and the new audiences that the
campaign has brought. The zoo will mobilise its power base of support to take
its conservation programmes back to their work before the pandemic hit and to
make sure they can take on new work too. The world’s COVID crisis is very
far from over and Chester Zoo is helping to build a shared vision for a new future.
The zoo’s aggregate readership for ‘Save Our Zoo’ coverage in June 2020 was
4.8 billion impressions across all media outlets. With a mission to prevent ex
tinction, engagement is power.
Chester Zoo’s strategy for the future is bold, ambitious and scientific, with clear,
measurable conservation and sustainability outcomes. The zoo’s 2021 exhibition – ‘Love
CHESTER ZOO 15
It For Longer’ – will showcase ideas for a sustainable, circular economy and the zoo is now
finalising its Strategic Development Plan, having already launched its global Conservation
Masterplan. Harnessing the power of young people’s passion for saving the planet, Chester
Zoo has set up its own Youth Board.
The Message is That Saving Our Zoos is About Saving Our World
This is about programmes to save individual species. But it is also about influencing
what happens in the wider world. Big names want to work with Chester Zoo to learn
more about sustainability, and the zoo knows it can encourage them to change un
sustainable behaviours, whether that’s about palm oil or planting. Now that Chester
Zoo has used its voice so powerfully, it will use it again and again.
Our long-term plans for the zoo and our masterplan for global conservation will
require financial support, now more so than ever. As we move slowly towards
commercial recovery, fundraising will remain crucial to ensure we can always
deliver more and move towards fulfilling our mission of preventing extinction.
(‘Preventing Extinction in a Changing Word: A Conservation Masterplan
for Chester Zoo 2021–2030’, see www.chesterzoo.org/what-we-do/)
WHAT MATTERS?
Chester Zoo’s Crisis response takeaways:
Communities. It’s a conversation, and if it’s done properly, it lasts. Take the time
to build relationships with all your communities. Give the love to feel the love!
Teams. Choose your people wisely, and grow them well. Spend time building trust
and connections across teams. When the chips are down, trust will get you to
places you never thought you could reach.
Agility. When a crisis hits, your teams need to have the confidence and
communication skills to act and act fast.
Saying ‘Thank you’. Thank your teams. Thank your supporters. Together, they
are your organisation’s family and friends, and they deserve to know how
much they mean to you.
Mobilise your fundraising. Once you have the attention of your supporters, new
and existing, keep it and use it to reach for your goals and push your mission
outwards. Widen the debate, widen the audience, steward hard, talk more and
raise your game again.
■■■■
2 ■
Moms Demand Action
■
Using Public Relations to
Combat Gun Violence
BARBARA DESANTO
■■■■■■
I began each meeting with ground rules that emphasized that we are nonpartisan …
we are brought together for one very important reason: gun violence prevention.
Jenny Stadelmann, MDA volunteer (Watts, 2019, p. 221)
… we are not anti-gun, we are anti-gun violence.

Shannon Watts, MDA founder (Watts, 2019, p. 117)
Figure 2.1 Fight Like a Mother (2019) Book

Cover
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-3
MOMS DEMAND ACTION 17
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This case outlines how one woman took a small step that grew into a strong move
ment for social change. Along the way this woman’s strength, skill, and commitment
was the impetus for a specialized stakeholder group that is achieving small but
consistently important results in their battle to save lives from gun violence in the
United States.
It is an organizational story about the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in
America (MDA) successes by remaining true to its one core mission: Ending gun
violence in the U.S.
And, it is a testament to the power of an effectively created and managed strategic
communication program, using solid communication research to advocate for a clearly
defined cause.
INTRODUCTION
When Shannon Watts saw the carnage of a school mass shooting that left 20 first
graders and six educators dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012,
she used her own prayers and thoughts as fuel to create her own Facebook page,
starting an online conversation with other mothers feeling the same outrage and grief
she was. “Then I typed the words that would change my life – and create the nation’s
first and largest counterweight to the gun lobby, words that I hope will continue to
impact the story of America’s gun violence crisis” (2019, p. 7). From Watts’ individual
account with 75 Facebook friends, the social media page grew into a grassroots or
ganization effectively engaging moms, and their significant others, to become Moms
Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (MDA) advocates through individual and
group local, state, and national actions.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
Unrelenting and increasing gun violence in the United States continues to be a pro
blem. The first five months of 2021 saw more than 270 mass shootings, the category
of gun violence the 2012 Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act defines as
three or more killings in a single incident (Gun Violence Archive, n.d.). From the
horrifying pictures of Sandy Hook students marching out of their elementary school to
the Orlando Pulse Club shooting that killed 49 and injured 53, the carnage continues.
Gun violence is a top news story every week in the U.S. Many media outlets now
routinely report gun violence mass shootings and exceptional gun violence incidents,
along with a count of the number of victims, much like the coronavirus pandemic
death total, every weekend.
Current United States law does not have any consistent, overarching federal
standards or regulations about gun issues, despite hundreds of proposed bills presented
in the U.S. Congress each session. In fact, the past three decades have seen more
federal government restrictions against different types of legislation that many see
18 BARBARA DESANTO
as infringing or diminishing the rights stated in the U.S. Constitution’s Second

Amendment, including:
• Restrictions on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (AFT) on collecting

and distributing gun violence data.
• A variety of loopholes on background checks. Currently only the nation’s 59,000
federally licensed gun retailers are required to conduct standard background checks
on individuals purchasing firearms; guns purchased at gun shows and private gun
sales are not subject to background checks. Additionally, individuals convicted of
domestic violence can still purchase and/or possess firearms through the dating
partner loophole, the misdemeanor stalking loophole, or the temporary restraining
order loophole.
• Specifically prohibiting the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to fund gun violence
as a public health issue (this freeze was lifted in 2020, with an appropriation of
$25 million for gun violence research).
• Periodic legislative repeals of laws banning sales of assault weapons.
That leaves each state and U.S. territory to address gun ownership, licensing, gun-
safety training, and other regulations on a state-by-state basis, resulting in more than
50 different state and territory policies. It has become commonplace for individuals
who are prohibited from owning a gun in one state to purchase a gun in another state
with fewer or weaker regulations.
Additionally, the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court has a checkered re
cord of dealing with gun issues, in great part because U.S. political candidates depend
on complex lobbying/campaign contribution schemes. The U.S. Supreme Court 2010
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case established that campaign
dollars are free speech and non-profit organizations, and cannot be limited under the
First Amendment. This was a boon for pro-gun rights organizations, including the
National Rifle Association (NRA), the most well-known, high-profile U.S. gun rights
organization, as it greatly expanded its Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) to ag
gressively pursue federal, state, and local lobbying and campaign contributions to gun
rights candidates. A 2016 study reported the NRA spent more than $3.3 million in
2014 on lobbying on “ … issues of firearms, guns, and ammunition, federal budget
and appropriations, civil rights and civil liberties … ” (Musa, 2016).
MOMS DEMAND ACTION (MDA) CHRONOLOGY
This was the situation in which Watts found herself after the Sandy Hook school
shooting. Watts’ Facebook page resonated with mothers who were also concerned
about protecting their children from gun violence, evidenced by the hundreds of
moms who immediately responded to her page asking how they could help. “Women
everywhere were asking how they could join my organization, and I didn’t even
realize I’d started one,” Watts wrote (2019, p. 8).
The next week, Cable TV’s MSNBC Indiana-affiliated station invited Watts to attend
the NRA’s press conference about the Sandy Hook shooting and provide a reaction to the
NRA’s statement. Her MSNBC appearance was picked up by a USA Today reporter who
told her story. Five and a half weeks later, Watts spoke at the January 2013 March on
Washington for Gun Control, followed by other high-profile appearances across the U.S.,
including testimony before an Indiana legislative committee.
Watts realized that MDA needed the support and assistance of other anti-gun vio
lence organizations. She capitalized on her instant fame by reaching out to established
advocacy organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for guidance on
organizing and empowering state and local chapters, managing volunteers, and gen
erating action. In 2013, MDA partnered with Mayors Against Illegal Guns to become the
multi-faceted organization Everytown for Gun Safety, which began its life as a repository
for collecting and organizing gun violence statistics, effects, and stories in one place.
These collaborations allowed Everytown for Gun Safety and MDA to create robust di
visions that focus on conducting and reporting research; designing strategy and tactics to
communicate with stakeholders; developing, promoting, and supporting policies to end
gun violence; supporting gun violence victims in court; and managing the grassroots
volunteer advocates to take coordinated action on local, state, and national issues.
MDA is registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(4), a tax-
exempt organization operated exclusively to promote social welfare; its stated mission
on the IRS webpage is: “To promote gun safety legislation & initiatives; to reduce gun
violence through the education of policymakers, the public, & the media; and to or
ganize communities in support of gun safety” (IRS, n.d.).
In 2019, Watts, with co-author Kate Hanley, wrote Fight Like a Mother, a book
describing the goals, objectives, strategies, tactics, and successes and failures of
creating a successful, sustainable grassroots organization. Watts drew on her profes
sional experience as a communication executive and her personal passion as a mother,
which provided the fuel that lit the fire that, in less than a decade, grew into the U.S.’s
most recognized anti-gun violence organization.
The next section of this case study draws heavily on Watts and Hanley’s book,
highlighting the organization’s research, strategy, tactics, and messages that are ex
plained in more detail in their book.
TARGET AUDIENCES
Like any grassroots, the key to any degree of success lies in building and sustaining
alliances with a range of different stakeholders:
• Collaborative and related organizations: Everytown, Giffords Law Center, etc.

• Volunteers
• Media
• Legislators
• Any organization that says gun regulation is unnecessary or bad or threatens the
U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. The NRA is the most prominent
stakeholder because of its long history, its active legislative involvement (with
money) beginning in 1975, and its position as the media’s primary pro-gun
supporter for any gun-related stories.
20 BARBARA DESANTO
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
For MDA, the obvious overall goal was that of reducing gun violence in the United States.
The more specific objectives:
• Promote gun safety legislation and initiatives.

• Reduce gun violence through the education of policymakers, the public, and the
media.
• Organize communities in support of gun safety.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND TACTICS
To achieve the overall goal and specific objectives, a well-crafted strategy and tactical
plan was needed:
Strategies:
• Organize and empower volunteers (enabling them to work to their strengths,

capabilities, and time and place constraints): guide actions, stay on track, stay
motivated.
Tactics:
– Create a comprehensive guide for volunteers.1
– Empower individual volunteers to keep track of and in contact with their
individual legislators when in-and-out of session.2 Volunteers should attend as
many legislative sessions dealing with gun violence as possible.
– Treat each volunteer as an agent of change.3
– Create an inclusive environment with “Mothers and Others”.4
• Develop clear, fact-based messages about gun violence: use research-based
statistics; tell stories; respond to “myths” and unfounded rhetoric.
Tactics:
– Respond to NRA myths.
– Use Everytown research data to support each message.
– Pay attention to semantics: not “Gun Control” but “Gun-Sense,” not “Anti-
Gun” but “Anti-Gun Violence.”
• Media Strategy: use traditional and social media to create conversations, engage
in dialogue, and request action. “We were weaponizing social media to get illegal
weapons off social media.”5
Tactics:
– Be vocal about where moms shop and moms’ purchasing power: Panera, Target,
Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart.6
– Hashtag #EndFacebookGunShows. Facebook and Instagram were hosting
24/7 online gun shows; research showed that Facebook was a major channel
for unlicensed, unchecked gun sales, including domestic abusers.
– Result: In 2014, Facebook implemented nine new gun sale policies, including
deleting posts about sales without background checks and restricting gun sale
ads for 18 and under.
– Create a “media trifecta” for each event or public demonstration: leading with a
press release, a petition, and a catchy hashtag. Members would then post pictures of
themselves shopping with a competitor, eating at competitive restaurants that had
better gun-sense policies. Examples include Chipotle #BurritosNotBullets; Chili’s
#RibsNotRifles; Sonic #ShakesNot Shotguns; Starbucks #SkipStarbucksSaturday;
and Target #OffTarget.
– Result: Chipotle, Chili’s, Sonic, Starbucks, Target, and other businesses changed
their policy on open carry, which is the legal right to openly carry a gun into any
public entity that does not expressly prohibit it.
– Use social media to create awareness and thank retail stores for their gun-sense
measures, such as conducting background checks, raising age limits for gun
purchases, and not selling assault weapons in their stores.
• Legislative and Voting Strategies: ultimate action comes through legislation and
policies, and electing legislators who openly support the MDA agenda.
Tactics:
– Call, write, email, visit legislators, and show up for legislative meetings
and hearings in their local, state, and national offices asking for gun-sense
support.
– Participate in legislator home district constituent events, like town halls and
issue forums.
– Attend court hearings to support victims of gun violence.
– Create a rapid-response team to show up at statehouses on short notice.7
– Result: MDA has a 90 percent track record of killing NRA-supported bills
every year.8
• Building the MDAs Brand Strategy: Being persistently visible and instantly
recognizable establishes a presence that makes you part of each important
environment.
Tactics:
– Created and trademarked their logo and graphics.
– Chose symbolic colors: Orange for gun violence prevention movement and red
for advocacy.9
– Created a style bible outlining the parameters of the organization, from wearing
the shirts to personalizing local and regional brand additions.
– Developed and monitor their own social media policy.10
– “Prioritize evidence over anecdote.”11
OUTCOMES
• Six million MDA members.

• High visibility.
• One pro-MDA legislator in all 50 state legislatures.
22 BARBARA DESANTO
• “Eleven states have passed laws requiring background checks on all gun sales or on
strengthening existing background check requirements.”12
• Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have passed law to help keep guns
out of the hands of domestic abusers.”13
• “Eleven states have made bump stocks illegal.”14
• Endorsements by high-profile legislators and others, including U.S. Speaker of House
Nancy Pelosi, actress Julianne Moore, and Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy.
• From 2015 through 2018, MDA helped defeat bills keeping guns out of a
multitude of elementary and high schools, and off some college campuses.
• In 2018, MDA gave out thousands of Gun Sense Candidate questionnaires to candidates
in all 50 states to get candidates on record about their gun violence positions.15
• In 2018, 40 active MDA volunteers ran for office, 16 of them won.16
THE NRA VERSUS MDA
MDA did not set out to specifically take on the NRA head-to-head; the mission is to
work with any organization to minimize or stop gun violence, including gun manu
facturers, retail gun stores, etc.
However, almost all gun violence incidents see the media reach out to the NRA for
their viewpoints on the part guns played in what happened. MDAs saw an opportunity
to join this conversation, particularly by using Everytown data to refute and/or con
tradict the NRA’s traditional responses and positions.
• The NRA specifically called out MDA, which gave the organization the opportunity
to promote its mission.
• The NRA has created its own set of “facts” to oppose any gun control and/or
regulation. Using research generated by Everytown, MDA has created its own
specific responses to these myths.
• MDA created the position “You can be proactive as you mourn” in response to the
NRA mantra that it is not proper to talk about reform right after a gun violence
incident, “wait until things calm down.”17
• MDA countered the NRA efforts to discredit women as knowledgeable, legitimate
advocates by consistently and firmly stating MDA’s core mission of reducing gun
violence.18
You can’t wait until you, your message, or your circumstances are perfect to start
creating the change that you know you’re here to play a role in making. Build the
plane as you fly it.
(Shannon Watts, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America Founder19)
LESSONS LEARNED
• Having a clearly defined goal keeps the focus on what can and should be done, thus
minimizing straying off-topic and/or getting involved in non-productive matters.
• While important to staying solvent, money is not the most important organizational
resource, people are.
• Let organization members and volunteers know that every contribution of time and
talent, however small, is appreciated and adds value to the organization’s efforts.
• Partnering with other like-minded organizations can extend your message.
• Doing your homework to establish the facts creates organizational credibility.
NOTES
1 For more detail see Watts (2019, p. 233).

6 For more detail see Watts (2019, pp. 106–7).
18 For more detail see Watts (2019, pp. 70–1).
SELECTED WEB RESOURCES
Everytown for Gun Safety: www.everytown.org/

Moms Demand Action: https://momsdemandaction.org/
National Rifle Association: https://home.nra.org/
REFERENCES
Gun Violence Archive. (n.d.) General Methodology. https://gunviolencearchive.org/methodology.

Accessed July 10, 2021.
IRS. (n.d.) Social Welfare Organizations. www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/other-non-profits/
social-welfare-organizations. Accessed July 8, 2021.
Musa, S. (2016). The Impact of NRA on the American Policy. Journal of Political Sciences and
Public Affairs: DOI: 10.4172/2332-0761.1000222. Accessed July 8, 2021.
Watts, S. (2019). Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby
and Why Women Will Change the World. HarperOne, First Edition.
■■■■
3 ■
Crowdsourcing Potential
■
Developing the Right Formula for
the Prevention and Intervention
Strategy Against Drug Abuse in
Malaysia
JAMILAH AHMAD
■■■■■■
With its slogan, Perang Dadah Habis-habisan 2.0 (War Against Drugs 2.0), the National
Anti-Drugs Agency (NADA) in Malaysia, also known as Agensi Antidadah Kebangsaan
(AADK), has successfully involved the community fighting against the nation’s number
one social ill. But despite this commendable effort, the statistics of drug abuse have
continued to increase dramatically within a short period of 6 years, from 541 cases in
2014 to 20,313 cases in 2020 (National Anti-Drugs Agency, 2020). It had also been
reported that 14,850 of the 20,313 registered drug cases in Malaysia involved youths
below 39 years old (National Anti-Drugs Agency, 2020). The disturbing state of the
escalating trend of youth involvement in drug abuse unquestionably called for an urgent
and critical solution. Crowdsourcing has advanced to be one of the most effective means
of reaching and engaging millions of people in a short period. Driven by new technol
ogies and networking abilities, crowdsourcing has made a collective contribution of
ideas, time, expertise, and even a means for community initiatives for problem-solving to
become considerably easier and omnipresent. This case study examines the potential of
crowdsourcing as an intervention and prevention tool in the design and implementation
of public relations communication strategies specifically to combat drug abuse and illicit
drug taking among youths in Malaysia.
INTRODUCTION
With the advancement and growing use of technology, crowdsourcing has turned
into a buzzworthy problem-solving and sourcing model for many. Although the
concept of crowdsourcing is not something new, it is only recently that the practice
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-4
CROWDSOURCING POTENTIAL 25
of crowdsourcing was rigorously explored as a means for effective information

gathering and sharing. Driven by the vast technological growth, the practice of
crowdsourcing has paved the ways for individuals and communities across the globe
to share information on public areas of interest with relatively low geographical and
socio-economic restrictions.
Due to its adaptability and flexibility, crowdsourcing has, over the years, been
transformed beyond its orthodox functions. From merely coding and information
sharing, the role of crowdsourcing now extends to supplying growing connectivity and
ease in mobilising groups of people or communities who share a common goal of
contributing towards a particular cause, person, or organisation. In this respect,
crowdsourcing can be described as outsourcing an activity to the crowd and being
regarded as a sourcing model that lies at the intersection of outsourcing and tech
nological growth (Saxton, Oh, & Kishore, 2013).
Through the mechanism of crowdsourcing, individuals, a group, or a community
can contribute in terms of money, information, skill, or just support. Subsequently, this
contribution may then be collectively turned into a substantial shift in momentum and
impact. The concept of crowdsourcing concerning collective contribution has had
multiple implications as it has shifted how organisations or institutions usually operate.
Now, crowdsourcing can take the form of organisational practice of outsourcing a job
initially and traditionally performed by a designated person to a larger group of people
by broadcasting an open call (Saxton, Oh, & Kishore, 2013).
Prominent organisations have also used the concept and practice of crowdsourcing
to develop and implement campaigns built on lucrative rewards. Netflix, for instance,
offered a reward of 1 million USD for an algorithm that can assist them in forecasting
accuracy. Meanwhile, Google announced the Lunar 2782 where 30 million USD is to
be awarded to the first private team that sends a robot to the moon (Simula, 2013).
Another successful crowdsourcing campaign was Lay’s “Create your flavour of potato
chips” in 2011. The campaign, which was held in Belgium, used crowdsourcing to
invite consumers to invent a new flavour for their potato chips. As a result, the
company discovered 108,729 unique flavours among the proposed 245,825 flavours
from the crowd. In the end, only two flavours were chosen by Lay’s to be sold in the
stores. Nevertheless, Lay’s crowdsourcing campaign in their search for unique flavours
has led to the company’s increase in sales and profits.
The success of crowdsourcing campaigns by organisations in the past (i.e., Netflix,
Google, Lay’s) has undoubtedly proven the effectiveness of crowdsourcing in reaching
more large-scale contributing crowds. Given this potential, it seems logical to explore
the ways that public relations communication can adapt and incorporate crowdsour
cing as one of its core strategies, in this case, to combat the epidemic of drug abuse
among youths in Malaysia.
DRUG ABUSE IN MALAYSIA
Drug abuse in Malaysia is not a recent phenomenon. On the contrary, drug abuse
and illicit drug intake have always been Malaysia’s number one problem (National
Anti-Drugs Agency, 2020). Currently, drug abuse has changed from conventional
26 JAMILAH AHMAD
plant-based drugs to synthetic drugs that are more harmful (Harun, 2020). The growth
of substance and drug abuse, misuse, and associated behaviours among adolescents
and youths led the Government to officially declare this social problem a national
disaster on 19 February 1983. In the nation’s effort to fight this epidemic, various
means of initiatives, from forceful measures to treatment approaches, were im
plemented by the Government and authorities like the National Anti-Drugs Agency
(NADA). These initiatives include stringent laws by enacting Dangerous Drug Acts
1952, and rehabilitation programmes for addicts.
In addition to the rehabilitation treatments, the Malaysian Government also
established a National Anti-Drug Policy specifically designed to prevent drug abuse
and teach a healthy, safe, and productive lifestyle among Malaysians. According to
the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), out of 70% of adolescents who drank
alcohol, 50% had taken an illicit drug, 40% of them smoke, and 20% had used a
prescription drug for recreational or non-medical purposes (National Institute on
Drug Abuse, 2014).
Following this report, the implementation of awareness about drug prevention
was emphasised among teachers and school students. For the policy to be carried by
the school, it was necessary to implement a training programme to help teachers
manage their students’ drug-related cases. Between the years 2002 and 2010,
education on drug prevention was implemented and incorporated into the school
curriculum at pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, and higher education
institutions (How, 2009). In 2012, an evaluation of the Anti-Drug Campaign in the
district of Kuala Muda Kedah, Malaysia, was identified as the only successful
campaign (Shahjahan, 2012; Rundle-Thiele, 2015). The study found that 97.5% of
the 300 respondents were aware of the Anti-Drug Campaign, while 25.5% re
sponded that the campaign had successfully convinced them to turn away from
drugs (Shahjahan, 2012).
But despite the success of past campaigns and the aggressive enforcement measures
through Dangerous Drug Acts 1952 and Drug Rehabilitation Programme, the statis
tical report by the National Anti-Drugs Agency for the year 2020 still indicated a
serious widespread trend which reported that the volume of drug abuse among
adolescents aged between 13 to 18 years old was 325 cases. Furthermore, the in
volvement of youths aged between 19 to 39 years old amounted to 15,087 cases
(National Anti-Drugs Agency, 2020).
This disturbing scenario on the volume of adolescents and youths involving in
drugs abuse has certainly posed a grave concern to not only the Government but also
Malaysians as a whole, particularly in regards to ascertaining and establishing the
effectiveness of the initiatives implemented by the Government to combat the nation’s
war against drugs abuse.
Table 3.1 Reported Cases of Drug Abuse
Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Adolescents (13–18 years old) 829 694 550 437 325

Youths (19–39 years old) 22,709 18,823 18,417 18,986 15,087
CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUGS IN MALAYSIA
It is undeniable that the Malaysian Government, through NADA, local authorities, and
non-governmental agencies, have been aware of and responded aggressively to fight
drug abuse cases plaguing Malaysians. Various initiatives and compelling efforts have
prevented drug abuse, as seen through the implementation of national policy and the
transformation of rehabilitative approaches. But despite these multipronged strategies,
one needs to question why the issue of drug abuse continues to increasingly affect
society at all levels? Also why have education and prevention efforts failed to help the
agency and government resolve drug issues, especially among youths in Malaysia? It
was recognised that the situation called for an urgent re-evaluation of the effectiveness
and quality of the initiatives taken to curtail drug abuse problems in Malaysia.
There are many factors and determinants that affect and determine the effec
tiveness of anti-drug abuse campaigns and programmes. Ibrahim (2014) detected
that the incompetency of the organisation that handles the programmes is one of the
main reasons, noting that inefficient management of the anti-drug organisation at
the state level was one cause of the organisation’s failure to accomplish the mission
of the programme. This incompetency had led to more problems that have directly
affected the programme participants. The participants, who consisted of sober drug
victims, were not as actively involved and committed to the programmes, which
resulted in a lack of human resources and support required to fulfill the pro
gramme’s ultimate objective.
According to Ahmad et al. (2018), based on their study involving 1,000 re
spondents involving drug victims, involvement of successful ex-drug victims, youth
religious representatives, and opinion leaders from youth associations could sig
nificantly impact the effectiveness of the anti-drug campaigns. The sharing of success
stories by these groups of individuals was identified as the respondents’ most preferred
approach. This study also found that the chief factors contributing to drug and illicit
substance abuse by the majority of the victims were peer pressure, family problems,
and their urge to try something new despite knowing the danger of drugs.
Current communication campaigns on drug abuse prevention through promo
tional material such as television, radio, and newspaper advertisements; talks; ex
hibitions in learning institutions such as primary, secondary, and tertiary;
roadshows; billboards; brochures; Public Service Announcements (PSAs); and pro
duction or publication materials to raise awareness were not as effective in the
social media era (Ahmad et al., 2021).
In addition, social media platforms using experimental video and publicity through
YouTube channels were recommended as well-used methods by AADK to connect and
communicate with the public. It was reported on the NADA (also known as AADK)
official website (www.adk.gov.my/, 2021) that AADK online platforms managed to
attract and receive public attention and interest as indicated by the number of “likes”
obtained in the AADK Malaysia’s Facebook page (66,456 likes), SKUAD AADK’s
Facebook page (18,232 likes), AADK Twitter (150,976 visitors), No Drug Please
BlogSpot (253,130 likes), and AADK YouTube (1,458,713 visitors). In addition to the
social media platforms, programmes, and campaign initiatives conducted by AADK there
was also the usage of conventional methods like presentations and exhibitions.
28 JAMILAH AHMAD
Presentations, talks, and exhibitions are among the most commonly used drug abuse
prevention mechanisms that have been continuously carried out in targeted tertiary in
stitutions. Despite this consistent effort, more practical means and approaches to the pre
vention programme seemed to be needed. Ibrahim (2014) pointed out that conventional
methods have proved ineffective due to the formality embedded within the programme’s
setting. The formal setting in which presentations, talks, and exhibitions often occur does
not seem apropriate or effective with the drug-using youths who may be found among the
targeted audience. On this note, it is essential to acknowledge that a suitable ‘environment’
holds the key to determining the effective drug abuse prevention programme. As such,
programmes organised to curb drug abuse among youths should consider developing a
prevention programme that could work efficiently in both school and community settings.
This suggestion focused on the likelihood of youths being quickly drawn into and influenced
to consume drugs and illicit substances due to peer pressure, which could easily occur
within the youths’ surrounding environment like schools and neighbourhood.
8,893
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
4,723
5,000
4,000
3,000 2,428
2,000
1,000
0
Peer Influence Curosity Fun
Figure 3.1 Top Three Initial Reasons for Drugs Consumption in the Year 2020
Source: National Anti-Drugs Agency, 2020
Figure 3.1 identifies ‘Peer influence’ (8,893 cases), ‘Curiosity’ (4,723 cases), and ‘Fun’
(2,428 cases) as the top three initial reasons for drug consumption in the year 2020
(National Anti-Drugs Agency, 2020). These reasons indicate the vulnerability that
youths could face in their fight against drug abuse. Thus, the report suggested parents
and family members should consider using a more intimate and personal approach to
protecting their children: by developing an intervention and prevention initiative built
upon the religious standpoint of the individual and focused on the danger and ill
effects of illegal drug use.
Rationalising the danger of drug abuse from the religious angle with emphasis on
strong family values and cohesion would, it was hoped, reinforce youths’ understanding
and awareness of the importance of drug prevention. The use of religious content and
positive social values and norms have long been incorporated in NADA advertisements
since 2014. But despite the rigorous effort of putting various strategies in place, the cases
of drug abuse have continued to increase dramatically in a short frame of time: from 541
cases in 2014 to 13,879 in 2020 (National Anti-Drugs Agency, 2020).
CROWDSOURCING AS A SOLUTION
There is no doubt that the fight against drug abuse is a common goal that can only be
achieved through the consolidated effort from the government and society.
Crowdsourcing is regarded as a suitable tool and a practical approach for this purpose
due to its effectiveness in drawing more extensive and diverse collective contributions
from different actors in society. These actors can range from individuals, the media,
corporate organisations, local authorities, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
to independent institutions. Driven by connectivity, crowdsourcing could potentially
serve as the most effective strategy to obtain a better and holistic understanding of what
could benefit the nation’s best interest, particularly in its fight against the epidemic of
drug abuse. Figure 3.2 indicates the Public Relations campaign stages in developing the
prevention and intervention strategy on Malaysia’s war against drug abuse.
01 IDENTIFYING PROBLEM AND

DEFINING OBJECTIVES
02 DESIGNING RESEARCH METHOD

Survey
In-depth Interview
03 OVERVIEW OF FINDING
Types of Messages
Types of Media
Target Audience
04 IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

CAMPAIGNS
Using Social Media for Public Relations Campaign
Using Crowdsourcing Contributes to Public
Relations Campaign
Figure 3.2 Stages of Building a Public Relations Campaign Strategy against Drug Abuse
However, the full potential of crowdsourcing as a strategy for combating the drug abuse
epidemic in Malaysia can only be realised with the development of an operational fra
mework specifically designed for this purpose. Therefore, the adaptability and flexibility
of crowdsourcing as a specific tool to create an effective intervention and prevention
drug abuse programmes needs to be developed in more detail. Here one starting point
that might prove helpful is to examine the use of crowdfunding through the lens of the
Prevention Institute’s (2018) four related strategies – 1) enhancing place, 2) connecting
people, 3) fostering prosperity, and 4) expanding partnerships. The key features of each
of these strategies are summarised through experimental videos posted through
crowdsourcing to combat the war against drugs in Malaysia. See Figure 3.3.
30 JAMILAH AHMAD
Figure 3.3 Screenshots and Description of Experimental Video-based Crowdsourcing Campaign

Tactics in Malaysia’s Anti-Drug Abuse Strategy
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
This case has focused on exploring how crowdsourcing methodologies might be used
to help tackle issues of public interest; in this case, examining how this approach
might support public relations campaigning to address the issue of drug addiction/
abuse in Malaysia. One quick caveat is raised by Johnson (2017). While acknowl
edging that crowdsourcing could benefit the Public Relations industry by exposing
public interest issues, he points out that public interest is a ‘vexed concept.’ There is
no formula for determining what is in the public interest because it is ambiguous and
complex in practice and theory despite its name’s distinctiveness.
The question that follows is what Public Relations can gain from Public Interest?
The answer is twofold. First, as public relations works within the cultural, social,
legal, and political structures in which the public interest exists, the discipline
would benefit from a clearer understanding of the concept theoretically and func
tionally. Second, the public interest has been found to contribute to the public
relations discipline (Johnson, 2017).
The main challenge with crowdsourcing is understanding the most effective time to
include it and how to deal with any potential resistance. Any attempt to adapt crowd
sourcing methods to mobilise collective support from the public for policies and/or
action has to consider the crowd’s composition to ensure collective input, wisdom, and
support are being sought. Changes in technology, and particularly the internet and social
media, have redefined the physical boundaries of those likely to be engaged with an issue
affecting, for example, the local environment or drug abuse issues within sections of
Malaysian society. Thus, crowdsourcing approaches might require filtering of partici
pants, mainly through predominantly online or virtual channels.
Where crowdsourcing is focused on attracting support for an initiative, crowd
sourced online communities can provide the basis for fruitful and meaningful inter
actions with consumers who wish to collaborate, share knowledge and experiences,
and build a community that respects the diversity of its participants. However, an
individual will only choose to engage in collaborative value co-creation in crowd
sourced online communities on an ongoing basis if their expectations are met and if
their contributions and efforts are appropriately recognised.
Crowdsourcing may be a tool to contribute to Malaysia’s war against drugs.
However, it is not free of risks. There are also concerns in the quality control of the
crowd, typically composed of people with unknown and diverse abilities, skills, in
terests, personal objectives, and technological resources. The content sourced from the
public could include misinformation and mishandling of sensitive situations like drug
addiction. Hence, it is subjected to deciding whether an issue such as drug addiction
should be open to the public for a solution. Once a problem is allowed to be
crowdsourced, it will lose certain degrees of control. Conflicting views and opinions
from around the public could worsen the situation. On the other hand, crowdsourced
information could also pose an ethical challenge where the integrity of the data could
be jeopardised. Mishandling of data from the crowd could give rise to another issue.
Crowdsourcing may solve social issues by encouraging people to show support
through online platforms that are easily accessible, free, and instantaneous. Adapting
the concept of crowdfunding is a method of raising awareness to capitalise on projects
32 JAMILAH AHMAD
of various kinds. Crowdfunding draws on the networking capabilities of the internet

and software platforms so initiatives involving social issues among youths in Malaysia
can be assessed and examined by society and not only the authority’s concern. It is
expected that through crowdsourcing the communication campaign, the message and
strategies will receive a public response from the larger public in Malaysia. The public,
in general, must be made to realise the importance of the war against drugs which can
have a devastating impact on all walks of life, especially youths. An effective campaign
through crowdsourcing can facilitate NADA to combat these immoral activities da
maging Malaysian youths. These youths have significant roles as the future human
capital and leaders of Malaysia; hence they need to be protected.
KEY LESSONS LEARNED
• Crowdsourcing can be a form of approach and technique used in public relations as

a modern and highly effective technique in solving the challenge of reaching the
public or society in order to understand further, handle, and eliminate issues
occurring in society.
• The case illustrates the benefits of adopting a hybrid communication campaign that
uses advertisement, billboard, posters, talks, Facebook, and crowdsourcing as
essential techniques to reach strategic stakeholders.
• Getting support from multiple and different entities and agencies is crucial. It
should be one of the most critical strategies to eradicate and combat drug issues
among Malaysian youths.
• Crowdsourcing is an effective medium that public relations practitioners can
extensively use as an agent that can reach a large group of people without using a
massive budget.
• Crowdsourcing can be a helpful way to engage with the youth sector as youths
tend to be willing to share many common issues on their social media sites. In
general, youths prefer to share their activities, post photos, express their feelings,
share videos and music, post new links, and follow their friends’ current status,
social media influencer, and their favourite artists.
REFERENCES
Ahmad, J., Nasir, N. N. A. M., Saad, S., Ismail, N. & Mohd, H. @ Maasom (2018). Penggunaan
Media Sosial Dalam Membantu Pihak Berwajib Menangani Isu Penyalahgunaan Dadah
Dalam Kalangan Belia Di Malaysia. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. ISBN
978-967-394-328-9
Ahmad, J., Md Taib, F., Saad, S., Lim, G., Krishna, M. & Ahmad, M. (2021). Video
Eksperimental Sosial Sebagai Medium Efektif Untuk Kempen Antidadah di Malaysia: Pusat
Pengajian Komunikasi, USM. ISBN 978-967-19629-1-6
Harun, H. N. (2020). Government to review drugs laws, says PM. New Straits Times. www.nst.
com.my/news/nation/2020/02/566757/government-review-drug-laws-says-pm” www.
nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/02/566757/government-review-drug-laws-says-pm
How, T. B. (2009). Drug prevention education in schools: The Malaysian experience Drugs:
Education, Prevention and Policy, 6(3), 343–351.
Ibrahim, M., Dara, A., Al Abdul, M. M., Sontang, M., & Mohamad, N. A. A. (2014). Factors
determining the efficiency of the drug prevention program of youth volunteers in Kuala
Terengganu, Malaysia. Journal of Environmental Research and Development, 8(3A), 767.
Johnson, P. A. (2017). Models of direct editing of government spatial data: challenges and
constraints to the acceptance of contributed data. Cartography and Geographic Information
Science, 44(2), 128–138.
National Anti-Drugs Agency (2020). Drugs Statistics. www.adk.gov.my/en/category/drugs-
statistics/
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014). Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder
Treatment: A Research-Based Guide. www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-
adolescent-substance-use-disorder-treatment-research-based-guide/introduction
Prevention Instititute. (2018, October 1). Health, safety, and wellbeing for all: Prevention
Institute’s strategic framework. Retrieved June 24, 2022, from www.preventioninstitute.
org/publications/health-safety-and-wellbeing-all-prevention-institute-strategic-framework
Rundle-Thiele, S. (2015). Social marketing: Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. In Ethical and
Social Marketing in Asia (pp. 131–144). Chandos Publishing.
Saxton, G. D., Oh, O., & Kishore, R. (2013). Rules of crowdsourcing: Models, issues, and
systems of control. Information Systems Management, 30(1), 2–20.
Shahjahan, R. A. (2012). The roles of international organizations (IOs) in globalizing higher
education policy. Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, 369–407.
Simula, H. (2013, January). The rise and fall of crowdsourcing?. In 2013 46th Hawaii
International Conference on System Sciences (pp. 2783–2791). IEEE.
■■■■
4 ■
A perfect storm
■
The challenge of public relations in
the health and social care sector
PETER OSBORNE
■■■■■■
CONTEXT
• Established in 1992, Alternative Futures Group (AFG) is a leading health and social
care not-for- profit charity supporting some 1,200 people and employing 2,500 staff
predominantly in Northwest England. It has a turnover of about £60M.
• AFG provides high quality community mental health services to the NHS
through its independent hospital network and supported living services. AFG
also provide person-centred social care and supported living services to
individuals with a diverse range of care needs including learning disabilities
and young people in transition. AFG is ‘passionate about creating a world where
people control their lives.’1
• This case study explores how PR strategy and tactics have been adapted to address
a more turbulent environment (union action, national under-funding of healthcare,
MP and other key stakeholder criticisms of AFG’s actions and the sudden death of
AFG’s CEO), compared to a previously calmer environment of adequate funding,
no industrial action and stakeholders generally willing to give AFG the ‘benefit of
the doubt.’ As the largest NW-based social care provider, AFG became an easy
high-profile target for union campaigning about fair pay for carers.
• The case study explores the delicate balancing act (with limited resources) between
marketing the brand and the need to engage effectively with political stakeholders
during a slow-burn crisis to help preserve AFG’s ‘license to operate’ against a back-
drop of significantly reduced communications resources.
• It describes how a new political and media engagement strategy was implemented, at
both a national and local level, to a more strategic, partnership-based approach to get
AFG back onto the ‘front foot’ – positioning AFG as a leading national campaigner for
fair pay for care workers as well as a thought leader in the care sector; moving away
from a confrontational approach to a consensus-building relationship.
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-5
A PERFECT STORM 35
AFG: PAST AND PRESENT
After a period of sustained growth since AFG’s formation in 1992, the care sector has
now become highly competitive. National funding fails to meet the nation’s social
healthcare needs due to an ageing population and other demographic factors causing
severe cost pressures and several restructures of AFG. The Communications depart
ment, in common with the wider world of PR, has more than halved in size in recent
years. When the author was recruited in February 2018, he replaced his predecessor
who had sole responsibility for all internal and external communications for AFG.
Before early 2018, AFG primarily invested in its website, social media and media
relations to build its reputation with stakeholders, allied to employee communications
and the introduction of a new vision, values and behaviour programme.
Although AFG held regular contract meetings with its Commissioners (local au
thorities), which pay AFG to provide healthcare support to adults with learning dis
ability and mental health needs, there had been limited engagement with politicians
(MPs and councilors) to invest in the ‘bank of goodwill’ for future ‘difficult times’.
Social media was chiefly used to support recruitment of care workers in a highly
competitive care market. Nearly all care workers are paid around the National
Minimum Wage (NMW) so external communications is an important ingredient in
differentiating AFG from its competitors ‘as the natural employer of choice.’
The UK health and social care sector has been going through an unprecedented
period of change and uncertainty. In addition to demographic factors including an
aging population and more adults with learning disabilities, there is a growing funding
gap between the actual costs of delivering social care and Government funding of
Commissioners (local authorities) resulting from the government’s austerity measures.
There is also a “policy vacuum” in the sector. A Government Green (consultation)
paper on the future of health and social care (including funding and professionalisation of
the sector) was first due to be published in 2017 but has been postponed several times.
At the time of writing (November 2019), the Green paper had still not been published.
The Local Government Association (LGA) commented in April 2019: ‘With people
living longer and more people with disabilities needing support, increases in costs and
decreases in funding, the current system of adult social care is at breaking point.’ (1) In
November 2019 the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) reported that ‘Councils will need
billions of pounds in additional funding to meet the rising costs of adult social care’ (2).
A direct consequence of this funding gap was that the AFG was stuck ‘between a
rock and a hard place.’ Its Commissioners (local authorities), which pay AFG to
provide support to service users, were failing to provide enough funding to pay its
dedicated care workers the NMW for sleep-ins (overnight support for adults with
learning disabilities). Since a High Court ruling in July 2018, AFG has not been re
quired by law to continue to pay the NMW to its support workers and stopped doing
so in December 2018. Up to this point, AFG built up a deficit of more than £8 million
since 2015, effectively subsidising inadequate council funding over this period, and
placing the charity in an unsustainable position. The union representing AFG’s care
workers (about 10% of its workforce) called several increasingly longer strikes in
protest at the perceived cut in pay for its members – attracting sustained media, social
media, Commissioner and political criticism of AFG for not paying the NMW.
36 PETER OSBORNE
These new external threats to AFG’s reputation drove the need for AFG to engage
more directly with politicians and the media. Previously, timely media responses were
always provided to news outlets but generally in a reactive manner. There was interest
from The Guardian and a series of critical articles in Civil Society, several regional
newspapers across the Northwest, including the Liverpool Echo, and on regional TV
and radio news.
This new approach was spearheaded by the new Communications Lead who, with
the advantage of being new in the post (recruited in February 2018), was able to take a
fresh look at the new external conditions facing AFG. Previously, AFG had not felt
pressured to develop and maintain a network of political and other stakeholders because
the business, political and media landscape was relatively benign – business as usual. The
previous incumbent (at that time the only communications person in the organisation)
was employed to deliver more tactical communications, both internally and externally,
concentrating more on social media posting and communicating the new AFG Vision,
Mission, Values and Behaviours (see Figure 4.1, AFG’s refreshed values). The latter was
crucial in creating a common purpose for the organisation, following a major organisa
tional transformation (and resource reduction) in 2016, and in building a positive re
putation as an employer of choice.
NEW CORPORATE VALUES
Consequently, AFG had been looking more inwardly than externally because of a re
cognised need to constantly improve its services. The communication was understandably
focused on the ongoing transformation of culture and sought to ensure AFG’s
communications model remains properly responsive, agile, engaging and timely.
Moreover, the communications team sought to develop and embed far-reaching
strategies in line with AFG’s overall business objectives and in tandem with HR
management’s people and organisational development, wellbeing and engagement
and recruitment strategies.
The People and Organisational Development Director empathised the central im
portance of inculcating the core values throughout the organisation, acknowledging
that as a charity and public service provider, they needed to ensure these values were
demonstrated in how the organisation behaved and was seen to behave.
The new communications lead was recruited as a strategic role, focused pre
dominantly on internal communications, which reflected AFG’s focus on internal is
sues. The role involved working as an enabler rather than a ‘doer’ – generating
proactive communications, media relations and social media opportunities to promote
the organisation’s strategic objectives. The job holder would act as the brand guardian
for AFG ensuring a strong brand presence, including managing the development of the
website and developing the corporate brand. There was no direct reference in the job
description to monitoring political activity or engaging with MPs, councilors or other
health sector influencers.
A Marketing and Engagement (internal communications) Lead was recruited to AFG
later in 2018 to improve engagement with the workforce, of which 1,800 staff were care
workers spread across the North West of England. She was responsible for colleague
A PERFECT STORM 37
Figure 4.1 AFG Vision and Values
experience; leading on engagement, ensuring colleagues have a clear voice within the
business and delivering in line with our commitment to be an employer of choice.
An internal communications audit in August 2018, project-managed by the
Communications Lead, had concluded that two-way communications with care
workers needed significant improvement.
AN EMERGING COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
Although at this point there were routine business challenges to manage, including
controlling costs in a highly price-responsive market, there were no dramatic threats to
AFG’s reputation. Daily communications activities chiefly revolved around updating
the AFG website and marketing materials (brochures), responding to media calls (few
at that point), drafting case studies and producing a bi-monthly newsletter for
Trustees. The author project-managed an internal communications audit. He was also
asked to review AFG’s marketing strategy and brand – producing a strategy review
paper for the Marketing and Corporate Development Director. The new Marketing
and Corporate Development Director, recruited in January 2018, was charged with
developing a new five-year business strategy and involved the Communications Lead
in ‘situational analysis’ exercises involving key players from the business.
SUDDEN DEATH OF AFG’S CEO
The untimely death of AFG’s CEO in September 2018 was a shock to the charity. He
had been at the helm for six years and was widely respected across the health and
social care sector. The Trustees, who ultimately govern the business, appointed the
38 PETER OSBORNE
Marketing and Corporate Development Director as the acting CEO. He was appointed
the permanent CEO in early 2019, taking a more hands-on approach to engaging with
political and media stakeholders. The PR and Marketing strategy recommended a
brand review and an overhaul of the website. Initial indicators were that, compared to
its competitors, the website had fewer hits and wider awareness of AFG was low. But
the changing external political and media environment and tighter budget restrictions
forced a change to these identified priorities.
POLITICAL COMMUNICATION – BEGINNING TO SHAPE THE

CONVERSATION
At this point, there was an increasing realisation that, on the back of strikes over pay
by care workers, local politicians, the media and Commissioners were criticising AFG,
and its reputation was suffering. The union ran a well-funded and sustained campaign,
‘Care at night, pay us right’, across several social media platforms, accusing AFG of not
paying the NMW. Its on- and off-line well-oiled publicity machine regularly churned
out carefully researched press releases highly critical of AFG and held a series of high-
profile mass meetings across the North West of England, including one in Liverpool
attended by Unison’s General Secretary. A growing network of critics included the
Metro Mayors of Liverpool and Greater Manchester who wrote to AFG and raised
their concerns on social media.
AFG badly needed to get off the back foot and to be more proactive with its
communications. The Communications Lead advised that, instead of just responding
to a steady stream of critical letters from half a dozen MPs, Metro Mayors and union
claims, AFG needed to go on the PR offensive.
A mailshot of all North West MPs, putting the rationale for a reduction in sleep-in
payments (a national care funding crisis causing a squeeze on care providers like AFG),
pre-empted the inevitable criticisms of AFG by Unison, politicians and the media. The
letter stressed that AFG genuinely wished to pay the NMW to all its dedicated care
workers, and that it wanted to work with MPs, local authorities and the unions on a
national campaign to raise awareness of the seriousness of the care funding issue, and
to demand action from the Government, which held the purse strings. This pre-
emptive action allowed AFG to take back control of the message from the union. But
there was a lot more to do and in a more strategic way.
On the national political front, on the prompting of the Public Affairs Lead, AFG’s CEO
wrote to the Chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and the Select
Committee on Social Care to urge government action to improve funding for health and
social care, explaining how this unsustainable squeeze on AFG’s finances could put it out
of business if it continued. It also offered AFG as a subject matter expert for the Committees
to draw upon and to build engagement. These letters were positively received.
Letters were also sent to the Secretary of State for Health, junior Health Ministers
and Shadow Ministers, urging a date to be fixed when the much-delayed Green paper
on health and social care would be published. Importantly, this kicked off a con
versation which had not happened before and opened up the possibility of engaging
with them in the future.
A PERFECT STORM 39
MP engagement
The Public Affairs Lead scanned social media daily. In May 2019, he spotted a local
MP’s tweet of a speech given in the House of Commons, passionately criticising the
‘broken’ health and social care funding model and criticising AFG for being in dispute
with Unison for not paying NMW for sleep-ins. Proactively bringing this to the at
tention of AFG’s CEO, the latter requested a meeting with the Crewe and Nantwich
MP Laura Smith. The meeting was highly positive – directly resulting in the MP citing
the meeting with AFG when she called on the then Prime Minister Theresa May,
during Prime Minister’s Questions, to pay local authorities enough so that care
workers could be paid a fair wage.
AFG’s CEO also met Wirral MP Alison McGovern to discuss sleep-in payments.
Together with employee representatives, he had a positive meeting with the MP who
asked if she could visit one of AFG’s services. At the MP’s request, AFG produced a
briefing document identifying ‘Five Key Risks of Inadequate Government Funding for
Learning Disability’, asking that the MP bring it to the attention of Government.
MEDIA WORK
It was decided to proactively contact the editor of Civil Society, an influential UK

digital news site dedicated to the charitable sector, to formally launch AFG’s NMW
campaign for fair pay for care workers – putting the issue in the context of the national
funding crisis in adult social care and the urgent need for a national Government
solution.
This marked the beginning of a more strategic, focused approach. AFG’s CEO and
HR Director gave an exclusive interview to the editor. The news angle was the threat
of further strike action by Unison. We discussed beforehand what our preferred
headline would be and that the article should be used to launch AFG’s new national
campaign for fair pay. The resulting headline met our expectations: ‘AFG plans
campaign as pay dispute continues.’ Importantly, AFG was now leading the con
versation – reversing a previous pattern with Civil Society where AFG tended to
respond to Unison claims, which were setting the agenda, and marked the beginning
of a more constructive relationship with the news site.
To keep AFG on the front foot, the Communications Lead has continued to offer the
editor updates on AFG’s campaign – hitting the jackpot when the Communications Lead
provided a speculative news report to the site on progress meetings with North West
MPs about sleep-ins, coinciding with a key story on healthcare funding. AFG’s report,
including quotes from AFG’s CEO, slotted perfectly into a positive news piece.
BUILDING STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT INTO THE DNA OF AFG
By June 2019, the coordinated Public Affairs strategy was beginning to bear fruit.
A series of increasingly lengthy strikes by Unison were called off after it was finally
acknowledged that the not-for-profit charity could not afford to pay the NMW that it
40 PETER OSBORNE
was demanding for sleep-ins – following independent verification of its financial ac
counts under the auspices of ACAS.
This strategy, developed by the Communications Lead, was further built on by the
CEO following the announcement that the Unison strike action had finished. At this
stage, the CEO was increasingly embracing the value of public affairs activity and re-
named the Communications Lead as the Public Affairs Lead. On the back of this
progress, a more detailed political and media engagement strategy was developed by
the Public Affairs Lead and agreed for both head office and local level implementation
to build relationships which had largely lapsed.
The strategy focused further on key Westminster and Government stakeholders
to communicate AFG’s fair pay campaign, developed an earlier concept to organise a
local Round Table event with key players to highlight the care funding crisis, and
sought to raise the profile of AFG’s brand through targeted CEO appearances in the
media.
Operationally, the Public Affairs Lead developed an engagement strategy to en
courage regional Heads of Operations to regularly communicate with local MPs and
lead councillors using email and social media to share organisational successes –
sending invitations to events and having one-to-one meetings to discuss any issues.
The aim was to build relationships and trust – so that these key influencers were more
likely to give AFG the benefit of the doubt when issues inevitably arose. The Public
Affairs Lead managed a ‘tracker’ of all contacts with political stakeholders which was
shared with senior managers.
However, the lack of communications resource to deliver these and other im
portant communications initiatives continued. The Public Affairs Lead continued to
scan digital platforms daily, generate case studies and news for the website, respond to
media requests and lead on Parliamentary and Government communications strategy,
counsel and implementation. He also championed and wrote all AFG’s health and
social care awards entries – delivering three wins from four entries and generating
considerable positive local publicity as an award-winning care service provider, off-
setting the negative media coverage.
A Marketing and Communications Officer, recruited in September 2019, gave the
Public Affairs Lead more time to devote to political and media engagement opportu
nities by taking on some social media responsibilities. But it was important for him to
retain access to Twitter and LinkedIn to build engagement with political and other key
influencers.
FUTURE BRAND CONSIDERATIONS
AFG’s reputation did suffer because of stakeholder criticisms, although some of the
comments were undeserved or inaccurate. A brand re-fresh was needed and re
commended – requiring a benchmark survey of stakeholder awareness and perceptions
of AFG as a starting point. This should involve a new website overall at minimum. At the
time of writing, this was considered to be a communications project lasting up to two
years to build on the important reputational work carried out up to that date.
A PERFECT STORM 41
LESSONS EMERGING
Several key communication lessons emerged during the period of this case study of
potential interest to other health and social care providers:
• The importance of environmental scanning – a key requisite of public relations for

all organisations – and the need for constant vigilance to identify any new issues on
the horizon which could pose a threat to the organisation. The communications
function is ideally placed to listen to what the outside world is saying (good and
bad) and to flag potential issues to senior management.
• That all organisations need to ensure that channels of communications – to build
and maintain relationships – are in place with key stakeholders such as the media,
MPs and Metro Mayors. This ‘bank of goodwill’ pays dividends when rocky waters
are experienced and stakeholder support is needed. These relationships need to be
constantly nurtured, otherwise the organisation is at risk of being perceived as a
‘cold caller’.
• Organisational restructures can lead to some areas, e.g. Public Affairs functions
becoming depleted or even disappearing, leaving them under-resourced to
adequately pre-empt or respond to major external reputational threats. The effect
can be so significant as to leave the function purely tactical, non-strategic or non-
existent. The reputational damage to the organisation can outweigh the cost-saving
of funding the communications resource in the first place, a short-sighted saving.
• Social media can be regarded as the ‘silver bullet’ of communications because it’s
perceived to be a ‘free’, quick and easy way to engage with key stakeholders such
as the media and politicians. Although social media has the advantage of being
easily ‘measurable’, ultimately it can only build awareness. It does not win over
hearts and minds. Therefore, the need to plan and invest in face-to-face
communications with key influencers continues to be crucial.
NOTE
1 From AFG website: https://afgroup.org.uk/who-we-are/what-were-about/
REFERENCES
1. Social care: Homeowners urged to pay £30,000 towards care by downsizing (BBC News,
29 April 2019) www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48090944
2. IFS press release ‘Councils will need billions of pounds in additional funding to meet the
rising costs of adult social care’ (11 November 2019). www.ifs.org.uk/publications/14559
■■■■
5 ■
The Comeback Niño
■
Puerto Rico’s Tourism Industry
on the Re-bound, Post-Maria
META G. CARSTARPHEN
■■■■■■
BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM
Puerto Rico has long enjoyed a relatively viable economy and a preferred destination
spot in the Caribbean. As a territory affiliated with the United States and an in-
dependent commonwealth, Puerto Rico is a self-governing island that nevertheless has
a unique status. Its people are born U.S. citizens, and both English and Spanish are its
official languages. Colonized by Spain in 1493 after the arrival of Christopher
Columbus, Puerto Rico remained under Spanish control until the United States ac-
quired it in 1898. Puerto Rican culture celebrates its “tres raices” or “three roots” of
its cultural history: Indigenous, African and Spanish (Dinzey-Flores, 2018). Up
through the first half of 2015, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization,
unique tourism visits had increased by a modest 4 percent, while competing desti-
nations, such as Antigua & Barbuda and Bermuda, suffered decreases of −4.2 percent
and −4.1 percent, respectively. While not reflecting the highest demand in the region,
tourism in Puerto Rico was nevertheless steady and poised for more growth during the
latter half of the decade (Caribbean Tourism Organization, 2015).
In 2017, the song, “Despacito,” became a hit, establishing itself at the top of the
“Billboard Hot 100” list starting in late May (Cobo, 2017b). Infused with the rhythmic
Reggaeton beats that originated in Puerto Rico and barrowed from hip-hop ad reggae,
“Despacito” (trans. “Slowly”), features colorful shots of popular Island destination
locales such as Old San Juan against decidedly “party” environments. When
“Despacito,” created by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee (later with an English
version highlighting Justin Bieber), exploded in popularity, many international news
outlets credited the song with an uptick in tourism for Puerto Rico. Although a
Washington Post article later debunked a direct correlation between this song and
actual increases in tourism revenues for the Island, Internet searches around travel to
Puerto Rico had increased.
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-6
THE COMEBACK NIÑO 43
With so much momentum leading into the summer of 2017 and beyond, the
unthinkable happened. In September, Puerto Rico was the target of two fierce hur-
ricanes in rapid succession: Hurricane Irma, followed by a Category 5 storm,
Hurricane Maria. Combined, these two storms created the worst devastation for the
Island in recorded history. Hurricane Maria alone, according to a Harvard University
study released months later in May 2018, caused more than $90 Billion in damages
and contributed to an estimated 4,465 deaths (Herná ndez & McGinley, 2018).
KEY PROBLEM: MEDIA, MONEY AND TOURISM
Since it was established in 1970, the government founded the Puerto Rico Tourism
Board as a way to centralize efforts to develop and manage the Island’s tourism ac-
tivities. Its offices rest in a stately building near the ocean in Old San Juan, an area
within the capital city that is home to much history, art and commerce. Its estab-
lishment reflected more economically stable times for Puerto Rico, when it reigned
(from the 1960s through 1990) as the most economically stable country in the
Caribbean, thanks to massive “infrastructural and development investment” (“Puerto
Rico Tourism,” 2018).
But as all parts of the Island worked to recover and rebuild from the 2017 storm
season, the news dominating national and international media about Puerto Rico re-
mained dire. Puerto Rico’s overall economy suffered great stresses, as the Island battled
with debt reported to be more than $70 Billion before the 2017 hurricanes, thanks to
years of shifting business fortunes, higher individual taxes compared to mainland re-
sidents, alleged corruption and mismanagement over time (Kranz, 2017). Coinciding
with global recession trends, Puerto Rico’s population decreased by 10 percent over the
decade prior to Hurricane Maria due to a steady attrition of families and adults moving to
different states in search of better employment opportunities (Kranz, 2017).
Additionally, two laws overseen by Congress and affecting only Puerto Rico have
leveraged specific and damaging effects to the overall economy. One, a 1976 tax
loophole that was phased out in 2006, provided generous incentives for manufacturers
who built operations there. The economic boosts allowed a large pharmaceutical in-
dustry to blossom in Puerto Rico; however, the same industry shrunk after the tax
abatements ended. Two decades prior to this, the 1920 Jones Act prohibited Puerto
Rico from receiving and shipping goods from any source unless these go to a mainland
U.S. source first. This zig-zag policy has forced high tariffs on Puerto Rico and its
people, including on agricultural goods that it once grew. One source, for instance,
estimates that Puerto Rico imports 85 percent of its produce (Kranz, 2017). And over
the years, Puerto Rico has sought loans to cover its ever-growing expenses in the face
of declining taxes and business revenues (Weiss et al., 2018).
After Hurricane Maria, the cost of recovery, both economic and physical, for Puerto
Rico ballooned, with estimates ranging from an additional $43 Billion to $159 Billion,
all to address the challenges of repairing, rebuilding and reimaging more modernized
infrastructures for electricity and travel (Schulman, 2019). Ironically, Puerto Rico’s
“balanced” economy (that of depending upon other industries besides tourism) is now
looking to expand its reach and impact.
44 META G. CARSTARPHEN
For example, in 1995, Puerto Rico topped all other destinations in the Caribbean,
with a 22 percent market share of all travel to the region (Warren, 2020). By 2017,
Puerto Rico registered a minimal 1.6 percent growth rate in tourist arrivals and
overnight stays (Ibid). Overall, statistics from that year showed that Puerto Rico had
only 12 percent of the Caribbean tourism market share, and it was in third place
behind Cuba and the Dominican Republic (Ibid).
Currently, revenues from tourism account for about 7 percent of Puerto Rico’s
GDP—industry analysts projected that Puerto Rico could double the impact of tourism
on its economy to 14 percent, but it is a change that would not happen overnight, nor
without a viable strategy.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY: A NEW VOICE FOR TOURISM
Puerto Rico has remained steady as an appealing locale for tourism. Besides a diverse
topography that includes beaches and mountains, a dry forest and a rainforest, mu-
seums and centuries-old archeological structures, Puerto Rico has diverse cultural
assets. For one, the blend of Spanish and English as the country’s official languages
makes navigating the logistics of island travel accessible for many. Also, many famous
names hail from Puerto Rico, including Roberto Clemente, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky
Martin and Lin Manuel-Miranda. Finally, Puerto Rico’s own cultural mix, reflected in
its food, clothes, music, dance and more, offers its own allure. After Hurricane Maria,
these cultural assets became tools for relief fundraising through cultural and artistic
activities spearheaded by Puerto Ricans (Cobo, 2017a).
Enter an additional partner in the quest to promote tourism to Puerto Rico—a
newly formed Destination Marketing Organization called “Destination Puerto
Rico.” In March 2017, then-governor Rosello authorized the creation of this public/
private venture (Turner, 2019). Unlike the already established Puerto Rico Tourism
Board, this new organization would coordinate with the government, but not be
funded by it, allowing it to avoid the vagaries of changing administrations and
priorities (Turner, 2019).
Instead, the new organization would focus single-mindedly on consistent
“branding” for Puerto Rico tourism, working with media and other influentials to
tell the Island’s story, and boosting tourism investments and visits to the Island in
measurable ways. On July 1, 2018, Discover Puerto Rico debuted its official name,
staff and new website designed to promote tourism. The organization also faced a
crucial deadline, as the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria on September 17,
2018, with its expected torrent of one-year-later media coverage (“Discover Puerto
Rico,” 2018).
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN:

#COVERTHEPROGRESS
After July 1, 2018, Discover Puerto Rico had an official name, a staff, a budget and a
mission: to focus on establishing a clearer “brand” identity for Puerto Rico. A long-time
nickname, “The Isle of Enchantment,” seemed to capture the essence of the Island’s
natural beauty, including plentiful public beaches and a U.S. national rainforest
(“Puerto Rico Tourism,” 2018), Enchantment Isle. But on August 21, 2018, Discover
Puerto Rico’s CEO Brad Dean announced the launch of its first campaign,
#CoverTheProgress (Alderton, 2018). Further information and images/video coverage
showing progress made to restore and rebuild tourism in Puerto Rico after the de-
vasting Hurricane Maria can be found by following the website links provided at the
end of this case.
Puerto Rico Tells Comeback
Aimed at its primary publics, national and international media, the #CoverTheProgress
campaign aimed to challenge media to include stories of Puerto Rico’s resilience, as
well as its struggles, of Puerto Rico’s recovery one year after Hurricane Maria. The
goal was shrewd and targeted. According to Dean, Discover Puerto Rico wanted to
share messages about “the vibrancy of Puerto Rico as a tourism destination,” but it
needed a compelling way to refocus the story of Puerto Rico, both visually and
narratively, away from the stark images of Hurricane Maria’s destruction to some-
thing else (Alderton, 2018).
CAMPAIGN: AN EMPHASIS ON CULTURE
When officials in Melbourne and Sydney wanted to create impactful messages about
mental health challenges and solutions, they partnered with Indigenous residents for a
campaign that would resonate authentically (Carstarphen, 2008).
Similarly, Jean Paul Polo, director of Creative Strategy and Production at Discover PR,
had an inspired idea. A Puerto Rican native and experienced filmmaker, Polo focused on
one image that had recurred in previous media coverage frequently. It was an aerial shot
of residents in one of Puerto Rico’s older, historic neighborhoods painting “S.O.S.” on a
sidewalk to highlight their plight immediately after the storm. Polo went to the Punta
Santiago neighborhood and met with community leaders and residents. Surprised that
their previous sidewalk message had gone viral, they responded eagerly to Polo’s in-
vitation to replace the now-faded writing with new messages of their resilience. Instead
of “S.O.S. Necesitamos Aqua/Comida!!” (Help We Need Water/Food), they decided to
embrace a new message of “Bienvenidos” (Welcome) with the campaign’s hashtag,
#CoverTheProgress. In addition, neighborhoods wanted to add their own messages and
artistic flourishes.
Three weeks after Polo’s meeting in Punta Santiago, he returned with a crew to
record the process of renovation, starting with the neighbors “power washing” the old
S.O.S. sign.
Later, muralist Fernando Lopez-Cepero Ortiz painted the new slogans into a new
image. All told, the campaign cost $12,000 and yielded a two-minute video capturing this
process against the background of Hurricane Maria’s destruction. #CoverTheProgress did
not shy away from the inevitable images of storm and destruction. However, it pushed the
story further by spotlighting the vibrancy of the Puerto Rican people and their culture, and
it challenged the media to do the same.
Results
New York-based Ketchum PR teamed up with Discover Puerto Rico on the

#CoverTheProgress campaign. Over the year since its launch in 2018, the
#CoverTheProgress campaign won international recognition, including as a winner
in the 2018 World Travel Market and City Nation Place awards for “Best
Communications Strategy,” and 2019 finalist in the “Best in Public Awareness Cause
Campaign” for the 2019 “Campaigns for Good Awards.” For further insights into the
PR campaign tactics supporting the Discover Puerto Rico recovery strategy, follow the
links at the end of the case.
Direct results, according to Ketchum and Discover Puerto Rico, were impressive.
They included 14.5 billion media impressions, including positive coverage about its
tourism revival in such outlets as Condé Nast Traveler, The New York Times, Vogue,
Travel & Leisure and Thrillist.
Analyses of perception of Puerto Rico as a travel destination increased by 23 per-
cent, sales of vacation packages increased by 12 percent and airline flights and cruise
ship arrivals jumped (Warren, 2020).
These results showing a growth in positive perceptions of Puerto Rico continued,
despite the unexpected political crisis the Island encountered during the summer of
2019. On July 24, 2019, after weeks of protest following the release of unflattering
text messages and emails, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced his decision to resign as
governor of Puerto Rico, effective August 2. After three politically fraught weeks,
Puerto Rico Wanda Vá zquez Garced became governor on August 7, 2019 (“Wanda
Vá zquez,” 2019). Follow the weblinks at the end of the case for further insights into
the success of the Discover Puerto Rico PR campaign.
NEXT STEPS: BUILDING THE FUTURE
Despite the challenges presented by the political protests and continuing frustration
about redevelopment and recovery in Puerto Rico, the message of #CoverTheProgress
continues to unfold. Discover Puerto Rico continues to communicate with potential
travelers through an expanded website presence that highlights new tourism oppor-
tunities as they develop. Discover Puerto Rico has launched a new series of short
videos, featuring “chapters” by Hamilton creator and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda as he
shares a personalized tour of the Island in short segments. Finally, to capture the
cultural identity and resources of the Island, Discover Puerto Rico has launched other
short videos featuring local voices and stories inviting potential visitors to take another
look at Puerto Rico, including “Have We Met Yet?” and “Discover Puerto Rico Like a
Local.” And, while Puerto Rico still faces some challenges in its efforts to re-build, its
tourism industry offers a strategic path forward that will surely be part of the Island’s
“comeback” from disaster.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Alderton, M. (2018). Puerto Rico Tells Comeback Story in Advance of Hurricane Maria
Anniversary. Successful Meetings. August 21, 2018. Retrieved from Successful Meetings:
International website: www.successfulmeetings.com/News/Destinations/International/
Puerto-Rico-Comeback-CoverTheProgress-Hurricane-Maria-Anniversary/
Barreto-Orta, M., Mé ndez-Tejeda, R., Rodríguez, E., Cabrera, N., Dî az, E., & Pé rez, K. (2019).
State of the beaches in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria (2017). Shore & Beach, 87(1),
16–23.
Caribbean Tourism Organization. (2015). Caribbean Tourism Review. Retrieved from St.
Michael, Barbados: www.onecaribbean.org
Carstarphen, M. G. (2008). Australia’s “Together We Do Better” Campaign Diversifying Mental
Health Benefits for Local Communities. In J. V. Turk & L. H. Scanlan (Eds.), The Evolution of
Public Relations: Case Studies from Countries in Transitions (2nd ed., pp. 60–72).
Gainesville, FL: Institute for Public Relations.
Cobo, L. (2017a). Lin-Manuel Miranda on His Love Song for Puerto Rico and Unity in the Face
of Insufficient Government Aid. October 6, 2017. Billboard.
Cobo, L. (2017b). The Latin Takeover Has Just Begun. Billboard, 129(25). November 11, 2017.
Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1963422062?accountid=12964
#CoverTheProgress/Ketchum. (2018). Ketchum. Retrieved from www.ketchum.com/work/
covertheprogress/
Dinzey-Flores, Z. Z. (2018). The Development Paradox. NACLA Report on the Americas, 50(2),
163–169.
Discover Puerto Rico: Island DMO’s New Name Announced. (2018). Caribbean Business.
Retrieved from https://caribbeanbusiness.com/discover-puerto-rico-island-dmos-new-name-
announced/
Friedman, M. (2017, July 18). No, ‘Despacito’ is not actually driving a boom in tourism to
Puerto Rico. The Washington Post. Retrieved from PostEverything: The Washington Post
website: www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/07/18/no-despacito-
is-not-actually-driving-a-boom-in-tourism-to-puerto-rico/
Herná ndez, A. R., & McGinley, L. (2018, May 29). Harvard Study Estimates Thousands Died in
Puerto Rico Because of Hurricane Maria. The Washington Post. Retrieved from www.
washingtonpost.com/national/harvard-study-estimates-thousands-died-in-puerto-rico-due-to-
hurricane-maria/2018/05/29/1a82503a-6070-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html
Kranz, M. (2017). Here’s How Puerto Rico Got into So Much Debt. Business Insider. Retrieved
from Business Insider website: www.businessinsider.com/puerto-rico-debt-2017-10
Levine, A. (2018). After the Disaster: Lessons from Puerto Rico’s PR Playbook. Forbes. Retrieved
from Forbes website: www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2019/10/21/to-regain-power-
cmos-must-earn-it-back-a-qa-with-9th-wonders-jose-lozano/#253e7068390c
Puerto Rico Tourism Co. Recognized at World Travel Market and City Nation Place Awards
(2018, November 9). Caribbean Business. Retrieved from https://caribbeanbusiness.com/
puerto-rico-tourism-co-recognized-at-world-travel-market-and-city-nation-place-awards/
Schulman, M. (2019, January 17). What “Hamilton” in San Juan Means to Puerto Rico. The
New Yorker. Retrieved from The New Yorker website: www.newyorker.com/culture/
culture-desk/what-hamilton-in-san-juan-means-to-puerto-rico
Skift, I. C. (2019). Culture is Central in Puerto Rico’s New Marketing Campaign. Retrieved from
https://skift.com/2019/04/24/culture-is-central-in-puerto-ricos-new-marketing-campaign/
Turner, M. (2019). Discover Puerto Rico Aims to Lead Comeback of the Island. Retrieved from www.
travelagentcentral.com/destinations/discover-puerto-rico-debuts-new-destination-website
Wanda Vá zquez: Puerto Rico Swears in New Governor After Ousting Predecessor. (2019). The
Guardian. Retrieved from The Guardian website: www.theguardian.com/world/2019/
aug/07/puerto-rico-governor-ousted-pedro-pierluisi
Warren, K. (2020, June 30). AMERICAN RESILIENCE: How Puerto Rico rebuilt its tourism
industry after Hurricane Maria, from revitalizing its hotel scene to bringing hit musical
‘Hamilton’ to the island. Business Insider. Retrieved from the Business Insider website:
www.businessinsider.com/puerto-rico-tourism-recovery-after-hurricane-maria-2020-6
Weiss, L., Lebró n, M., & Chase, M. (2018). Eye of the Storm. NACLA Report on the Americas,
50(2), 109–111.
WEBLINKS AND VIDEO
Specific campaign links and videos pertaining to this campaign.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company “About Us”: www.prtourism.com/dnn/About-Us
Discover Puerto Rico—Destination Marketing Organization: www.discoverpuertoricom.com/
https://creativepool.com/ketchum/projects/covertheprogress-for-discover-puerto-rico
This website provides pictures of the progress made to restore and rebuild tourism in Puerto Rico
after the devasting Hurricane Maria. There are also insights into the success of the PR campaign.
https://business.adobe.com/blog/perspectives/cmocom-interview-leah-chandler-discover-
puerto-rico
This website features the development of the new organization, Discover Puerto Rico, that grew
from the PR agency Ketchum’s crisis work after Hurricane Maria.
■■■■
6 ■
Farm Town Strong
■
Overcoming the Rural Opioid
Epidemic
RAY ATKINSON
■■■■■■
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic that is in
creasingly affecting rural communities. Opioid addiction is often seen as an urban
problem, but rural areas have been hit much harder than the rest of the country.
The nation’s two largest general farm organizations – the American Farm Bureau
Federation (AFBF) and National Farmer’s Union (NFU) – joined forces in 2018 to
find out why, and how to begin to address the public health crisis in rural
America.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Secondary Research
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids
(including prescription opioids, heroin and fentanyl) killed more than 42,000
people in 2016 – more than any previous year on record, and more than the
number of people who died from gun-related violence or motor vehicle accidents
that year.
An October 19, 2017, press release, “CDC Reports Rising Rates of Drug
Overdose Deaths in Rural Areas,” states that drug overdose death rates are higher
in rural areas than in urban areas. And, although the percentage of people re
porting illicit drug use is less common in rural areas, the effects of use appear to
be greater.
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-7
50 RAY ATKINSON
Figure 6.1 Farm Strong Opioid Statistics
Source: Farm Bureau, n.d.

FARM TOWN STRONG 51
PRIMARY RESEARCH
To gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the opioid epidemic in farm country,
AFBF and NFU commissioned a Morning Consult research poll of 2,201 rural adults in
October 2017. This was the first research focusing on the impact of the crisis in rural
Figure 6.2 Farm Strong Research Chart
Source: Farm Bureau, n.d.

52 RAY ATKINSON
America and specifically on farmers. The results showed that three in four farmers and
farm workers (74%) are or have been directly impacted by opioid abuse, and three in four
(77%) said it would be easy for someone in their community to access opioids illegally.
Rural adults were largely unaware that rural communities are impacted the most by the
opioid crisis (31%) and said opioid abuse is a major problem in urban communities more so
than rural communities by a 10-point margin (57% vs 47%). Three in five rural adults
(61%) said there is stigma associated with opioid abuse in their local community, and it
contributes to the opioid crisis (61%). And a strong majority of rural Americans said
increasing public education about resources (68%) and reducing the shame or stigma
surrounding opioid addition (57%) would be effective means for solving the opioid crisis.
PLANNING
Our goals for the campaign, based on our research, were to raise awareness about the
opioid epidemic in rural America, address stigma and provide solution-based in
formation and resources to farmers and farm families.
Objectives
We established the following objectives to kick off the campaign in the first 90 days:
1. Generate media coverage of the campaign in at least 200 news stories about rural
opioid addiction.
2. Engage our audiences to use a campaign hashtag an average of 100 times per month.
3. Focus rural audiences on resources, with at least 5,000 views to a website offering
information about opioid addiction, prevention and treatment.
Target Audiences
• Farmers and farm families

• Rural adults
• State Farm Bureaus
• NFU state divisions
• USDA Rural Development
• Agricultural youth organizations
• Media
Strategies
We developed the campaign theme – Farm Town Strong – based on a message that
performed well in message testing from our primary research: Rural communities are
strong, and the strengths of our towns can overcome this crisis (sic). Understanding
FARM TOWN STRONG 53
that AFBF and NFU have often been perceived as opponents on farm policy issues, a
key strategy was to show unity to demonstrate the urgency of addressing the crisis. We
also made the strategic decision not to focus on policy outcomes to avoid any dis
agreements. Our messaging strategy was to frame the story about addiction as an
epidemic that must be addressed, rather than what many rural families perceive as
something to be ashamed of – a message our research showed would resonate in rural
America. And, given the longstanding respect and trust for USDA (United States
Department of Agriculture) among our rural audiences, we worked closely with USDA
Rural Development, jointly shaping strategy and participating in opioid stakeholder
meetings and advisory groups.
EXECUTION
On January 3, 2018, AFBF and NFU officially launched the campaign with a joint
news release. Concurrently, we launched a website (https://farmtownstrong.org/)
featuring prevention and treatment resources, as well as a Twitter account (@
FarmTownStrong) with the hashtag #FarmTownStrong to unify our social media
campaign. We also featured Farm Town Strong content on AFBF and NFU digital
platforms.
Working through our grassroots organizations, we engaged states’ Farm Bureaus
and NFU state divisions to promote the campaign, amplifying Farm Town Strong
themes and messages via social media and hosting programs and events focused on
prevention and treatment of opioid addiction.
In March, AFBF President Zippy Duvall and NFU President Roger Johnson joined
USDA Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, Anne Hazlett, on a special
one-hour program on RFD-TV, Rural America Live, to discuss the challenge of opioid
addiction in farm country. Available in more than 52 million homes, RFD-TV is fo
cused on our primary target audiences of farmers, farm families and rural adults.
Duvall, Johnson and Hazlett also appeared together in roundtable discussions at the
AFBF and NFU annual conventions in January and March 2018, with a combined
attendance of more than 6,000 AFBF and NFU members.
During the year we identified farmers to participate in USDA opioid roundtables
around the country – including one at Ohio Farm Bureau – which were designed to
hear about problems and potential solutions in rural communities.
We engaged with strategic partners to increase the reach of the campaign, forming
partnerships with Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H, two national agricultural
youth organizations with a total of 6.7 million members, to promote prevention re
sources to young people.
Tactics and timelines were tracked at bit.ly/FarmTownstrong.
PROGRAM INTRODUCTION EVALUATION
In the 90-day campaign kickoff, we exceeded all our objectives:

54 RAY ATKINSON
1. The Farm Town Strong campaign was specifically mentioned in 265 news stories
about rural opioid abuse, exceeding our objective of 200 by 33%. Our research
focusing on the impact of the crisis on farmers earned us top-tier media coverage
including Bloomberg, Reuters and London Times, as well as influential agriculture
media including DTN/Progressive Farmer and Civil Eats. The research findings
were also widely cited by government, academic, nonprofit and health organiza
tions throughout the campaign.
2. The hashtag #FarmTownStrong was used 718 times (182 mentions plus 536
shares), an average of 240 times per month, exceeding our objective of 100 by
140%. Total social media reach was 488,893 with 2,591 engagements.
3. We generated 7,184 views to the farmtownstrong.org website, exceeding our
objective of 5,000 by 44%.
After the first full year of the campaign, we commissioned a Morning Consult research
pool of 2,479 rural adults in January 2019 to measure change in our key target au
diences. Our research showed that the Farm Town Strong campaign had a significant
impact.
Figure 6.3 Farm Town Strong News Release

FARM TOWN STRONG 55
Compared to the October 2017 poll, there was a 17 percent increase in farmers
and farm workers who were aware that the opioid epidemic is affecting rural com
munities, not just big cities (56% vs. 73%), and an 8 percent increase among rural
adults who said the same (71% vs. 79%). There was a 16 percent decrease in farmers
who said opioid abuse is something to be ashamed of (47% vs. 31%) and an 11 percent
decrease in farmers who said family members stigmatize opioid abuse (41% vs. 30%).
Rural adults who said there is a great deal of stigma associated with opioid abuse in
their local community dropped by 3 percent (31% to 28%).
Our October 2017 research had identified increasing public education and redu
cing stigma as effective means for solving the opioid crisis. By achieving these goals,
we were able to demonstrate that the Farm Town Strong campaign had a measurable
impact on awareness and perceptions of the opioid epidemic in rural America. See
https://farmtownstrong.org/ for more information.
THE STORY CONTINUES …
The opioid epidemic grew during the Covid-19 pandemic as rural areas became more
isolated and opioid resources were often victims of the health-care crisis. But the Farm
Strong program continued to develop partnerships and national and state projects
including:
• The SAFE Project partnership with Farm Strong and Deterra System. Deterra
System is an organization that deactivates prescription drugs, which is particularly
important in treating individuals who have overdosed with opioids. In the state of
Minnesota, the SAFE Project Deterra partnership provides at-home free drug
disposal pouches to households across the U.S. This partnership was developed in
response to lockdown, shelter-in-place and quarantine Covid-19 mandates. Rather
than going to drug disposal sites, individuals can order a pouch online to effectively
dispose of unwanted medications contact-free. The Minnesota Farm Bureau
distributed more than 15,000 pouches to families statewide, with pouches now
available nationwide.
• Farm Strong gave more visibility to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA)
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The national Take Back Day benefited
from Farm Strong’s awareness of the U.S. rural opioid crisis; in response, the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), a division of the U.S. Department of Justice,
used the Farm Strong channels and public service announcements (PSAs) to create
a day to “ … provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of
prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for
abuse of medications” (deadiversion.usdoj.gov). The October 2020 Take Back Day
collected 985,392 pounds (492.7 tons) of unused prescription drugs. The Take
Back Day successes prompted law enforcement agencies, particularly local police
departments, to join in the partnership, and the yearly Take Back Days are now
held in many communities every six months.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now putting more resources into
educating farm families and rural residents about the drug overdose death
56 RAY ATKINSON
epidemic, and offering ways for rural communities to partner with the USDA to
combat the problem including a Community Assessment tool to determine the
extent of the problem in local rural areas, a Rural Resources Guide offering rural
communities a comprehensive plan to understand and address the crisis, and a
Rural Community Action Guide that describes successful local programs that
communities can adapt to their own situations. In addition, the USDA provides
funding opportunities and stories of prevention, treatment and recovery. An
interactive map of state projects is available on the USDA website under “See
What’s Working.”
REFERENCES
American Farm Bureau Federation. “In their own words: The opioid impact in farm country,
USA.” Fb.org. Accessed September 2, 2021.
cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/10/17-CDC-Reports-Rising-Rates-of-Drug-Overdose-Deaths-in-
Rural-Areas. Accessed September 2, 2021.
Farm Bureau. “Rural opioid epidemic.” www.fb.org/issues/other/rural-opioid-epidemic/.
Accessed June 22, 2022.
Farmtownstrong.org. “Together, we’ll overcome the opioid epidemic.” Accessed September 14,
2021.
USDA.gov/media/blog/2018/01/11/opiod-crisis-affects-all-americans-rural-and-urban.
Accessed September 14, 2021.
■■■■
7 ■
Who’s listening?
■
KEVIN RUCK, HOWARD KRAIS AND
MIKE POUNSFORD
■■■■■■
INTRODUCTION
Listening to employees is critical to improved performance and decision-making within

organisations. It is more important than ever given how the nature of work and the
workforce is changing, the increased focus on ethical and social purpose as well as the
drive to innovate.
This case is based on a small-scale research study that incorporates four mini case
studies. Our analysis suggests that there are some important barriers to better listening
because we undervalue it and pay lip service to effective listening as a key leadership
capability.
The results of the work in this report suggest that while we talk a good story about
listening, we do not actually practice it when it comes to employees. We focus more
on external stakeholders and politely nod to the importance of internal listening. This
work calls for recognition by leaders of the critical role of listening and challenges
internal communicators to drive change in this area.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ‘LISTENING’ IN AN ORGANISATIONAL

CONTEXT?
The act of communication incorporates talking and listening. And yet, as Macnamara
(2016) observes, communication and voice are predominantly associated with
speaking and there is little attention paid in many fields of research or communication
practice to the vital corollary that should accompany speaking – listening.
But what do we mean by listening? Macnamara proposes seven canons:
• Recognition – of others as people with legitimate rights to speak

• Acknowledgement – signalling to those who speak that they have been heard
• Attention – investing time to listen rationally and emotionally
• Interpreting – what others say as fairly and receptively as possible – not glossing
over, misinterpreting or rejecting what is said
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-8
58 KEVIN RUCK, HOWARD KRAIS AND MIKE POUNSFORD
• Understanding – trying, as far as possible, to understand others’ views, perspectives

and feelings
• Consideration – given to what is said, but this does not presume or require agreement
• Responding – a more substantial response is usually required after considering what
has been said.
Two additional principles can be added to the list. One is the desire through mutual
listening to build a sense of shared meaning (the word ‘communicate’ derives from the
Latin ‘communicare’ meaning to make something common). A second is the principle
of acting in response to what the listener hears. We discuss this further in various
sections later in this case.
Macnamara uses his canons in a definition of organisation listening that he applies
to all stakeholders. However, the dynamics of listening to employees are, it is argued
in this case, notably different to those that are used for listening to other groups such
as customers or activist groups. This is because of the cultural and other barriers that
might exist inside organisations that can make listening to employees more proble
matic. These barriers can include assumptions and expectations about the relative role
of leaders and those they lead, the lack of emphasis on listening in management
education and a lack of structures or processes to explicitly collect differing perspec
tives from within an organisation to inform decision-making.
MacLeod and Clarke (2009) characterise employee voice as: ‘ … employees’ views
are sought out; they are listened to and see that their opinions count and make a
difference. They speak out and challenge when appropriate.’
The UK Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) (2019) defines
employee voice as: ‘The ability of employees to express their views, opinions, concerns
and suggestions, and for these efforts to influence decisions at work.’
CIPD suggests that there are two potential purposes of voice in the management
literature. First, an organisational voice perspective focuses on the positive benefits
that voice can bring to the organisation, such as higher innovation and a more engaged
workforce. A second purpose of voice flows from the so-called social justice per
spective where voice is seen as a fundamental individual right required for work to
have meaning. CIPD argues that enabling voice is central to building fairness and
transparency in organisations and wider society.
CIPD research in the UK found that 50 per cent of employees are satisfied with
voice in their organisation. The research also found that meetings with a line manager,
team meetings and surveys are the three methods most used to listen to employees.
However, CIPD (2019) concludes that ‘Many voice channels are quite superficial in
terms of the scope for change that they present.’
In research in five organisations in the UK, Ruck et al. (2017) found that sa
tisfaction with employee voice is associated with what employees think and feel about
their organisation and also what they do to help it become more successful. However,
according to Ruck (2017), speaking up is dependent on how safe employees feel to
speak out and how interested managers are in listening to what is said. CIPD (2019)
report that when making a judgement about speaking up, an employee first assesses
whether doing so is likely to be effective. They then assess risks or potential negative
outcomes – judging how safe it is to speak out.
WHO’S LISTENING? 59
According to CIPD (2019), senior figures play an important role in diffusing ten
sions and enabling employees to articulate concerns and issues, as well as drawing out
ideas for enhancing practice. Edmondson (2019) suggests that for organisations to
thrive in a complex and uncertain world they need to become ‘fearless’. She states that
‘In most workplaces today, people are holding back far too often – reluctant to say
something that might somehow make them look bad’ (p. xiv) and a lack of psycho
logical safety is hindering innovation. Indeed, Edmondson argues that ‘fearless orga
nizations’ boast a hidden source of competitive advantage, which plays out in a variety
of ways, depending on the industry, the company leaders and the nature of the work.
According to CIPD (2019), a significant proportion of employees feel unable to
share matters that they feel are important. This may be detrimental not only to their
wellbeing, but also damaging where organisational learning, resilience and innovation
are concerned. Senior leadership approaches to listening are therefore a critical aspect
of innovation and employee wellbeing in increasingly complex organisational en
vironments. Gray and Castles (2006) propose four requirements for leadership com
munication, including listening to employees:
• Inspire – providing a clear direction for people to act

• Inform – build understanding and awareness
• Listen – understanding and addressing concerns
• Deeply involve – making safe opportunities where people down the line and from
across boundaries can shape solutions.
There is also a further, ethical, dimension to listening to employees that is emerging.

Ethics is an under-discussed aspect of internal communication. However, Clampitt
(2013) suggests that ethical managers and organisations face two different questions:
1. Can we find healthy ways for employees to express their concerns to organisational
leaders?
2. How should we respond to those concerns?
Both these points depend on listening. It could be argued that internal communication
without listening is simply propaganda. This ethical dimension to communication and
management reflects a growing focus recently on the relationship between good
workforce relations and good governance at a corporate level (Taylor, 2017).
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
An online survey comprising 11 closed questions and four open questions was com
pleted during January 2019 by 140 communication managers with the majority
(88 per cent) based in the EMENA (Europe, Middle East and North Africa) region.
Headline results from the survey were shared with delegates at the International
Association of Business Communicators (IABC) EMENAComm conference in Bahrain
in February 2019 and with communication leaders in London in May 2019. Feedback
from group discussions at these events was collated before conducting interviews with
nine senior communication managers in July 2019. To further explore good practice
the IABC Foundation identified a number of serial winners of the IABC Gold Quill
Award and the people who had prepared the work plans that demonstrated ex
cellence. We approached these people to ask them if they would be willing to talk
about how they listen to their employees. In addition to the specific award-winning
projects, the interviews explored what these companies did as a matter of course to
listen, and what they did with the insights that come from that listening. Mini case
studies from these interviews are included in this case.
WHY IS LISTENING TO EMPLOYEES IMPORTANT?
In discussion sessions at workshops and interviews with senior practitioners we dis

cussed what was driving the appreciation of listening. We also reviewed open com
ments in the survey. The following themes about why listening is important emerged
from the analysis of qualitative data.
Innovation and change
Participants talked about the feeling that organisations have to listen to stay fresh.
There was a strong belief that listening has to shape policy. Harvesting of ideas was
related to having a ‘healthy culture’. Some participants spoke about the need for
appropriate speed with which organisations respond to what employees say in current
environments.
‘DRAGONS’ DEN’ AT THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF YORK
The demands placed on Local Government are constantly changing. Patrick

Casey, Director of Corporate Communications for the Regional Municipality
of York, said that listening via the Region’s Employee Engagement Survey
had identified ‘Support for Innovation’ as an important need, and the
Region’s long-term strategic plan emphasised the importance of continuous
improvement. Rather than run a traditional suggestion programme, York
Region created ‘Get Involved, Have a Say and Make a Difference.’ This was
modelled on the popular TV programme Dragons’ Den in which entrepre
neurs pitch business ideas to potential investors. York Region’s twist on this
was to get employees to pitch business improvement ideas to a panel of their
peers. It generated more than 50 ideas, of which 28 were pitched and
18 implemented. ‘The subject matter experts are those close to the work,’
says Patrick. ‘People are so creative. You have to give people a forum and
hearing from them leads to more idea generation.’ Patrick and his colleagues
paid particular attention to gaining the support and encouragement of the

managers and leaders, while not only asking employees to contribute the
ideas but also asking them to evaluate the proposals. Their short list went to
a panel for consideration against the Region’s priority areas.
Organisational learning and decision-making
A common point was made about employees having useful insights because they are
close to customers. Employees can represent a rich source of information about cus
tomer perspectives. This can remain an untapped source if there is not a systematic
approach to listening. Another theme raised the need to check that messages are
cutting through. Some communicators (and plenty of leaders) might assume that once
information is broadcast it has been communicated. But listening can often reveal that
messages have not been heard or are being misinterpreted. Listening is a crucial part of
the communicator’s role that provides a feedback loop to continuously improve the
effectiveness of communication within the organisation. An increasing need for speed
and agility was highlighted in relation to listening and learning ‘on the go’. Listening
was described as being about context and delving for deeper meaning. Listening can
also help to identify useful triggers in decision-making.
‘BECAUSE PEOPLE DEPEND UPON YOU’ AT AURECON
Aurecon is an engineering consultancy with 5,500 people who work on

major construction projects. A good health and safety record is critical for its
licence to operate. ‘Because People Depend upon You’ was a campaign
designed to make Health and Safety deeply meaningful to its employees.
The objective was to build self-responsibility and awareness for safety by
emphasising its importance to dependents and friends. Aurecon took a
deeply human approach to the work to transcend cultural attitudes and
deliver directly to peoples’ core purpose – linking safety to children,
spouses, partners, friends and even pets. The execution involved Aurecon
people listening to each other, sharing photos, videos, posters and stories.
Danielle Bond, Aurecon’s Global Head of Brand, Marketing and
Communication said in an interview: ‘When people turned on their
computers, they were invited to upload a photo of someone who depended
upon them’. ‘Then we created a virtual wall of the people on the Intranet –
listening to our people on a digital channel. People loved this and loved
telling their story. When you give people the chance to tell their story and
when you show that your leaders are vulnerable, people love it.’ As well as
major shifts in the commitment to health and safety, the number of reported
incidents has grown, especially in Asia – indicating not a more hazardous

operation but one which recognises the importance of accurate reporting
and learning from near-miss incidents. Danielle made the point, ‘As we find
ourselves in the middle of COVID-19, the need to care for each other is right
at the heart of the message we need to get across. People depend upon each
other for their safety. This is not just a rational message. The message is that
if you do not behave in the correct way you are going to put the people you
love, and others, in danger’.
Changing nature of work
Some participants felt that millennials are more demanding in terms of what they expect
from an organisation and this includes the opportunity to have a say that is treated
seriously. The growing use of digital communication at work was also raised as helping
employees to participate in the internal communication process. Remote working was
mentioned in the context of the changing nature of work and this focuses more attention
on talking – and listening – more to employees who may feel more isolated.
THE CHANGE CHAMPION NETWORK AT BLUE SHIELD OF

CALIFORNIA
When health plan provider Blue Shield of California merged with the
smaller Care1st, maintaining productivity and retaining critical talent were
business priorities. Susan Kun, change leader, believes listening was key in
the process. She established a change champion network to act as
communicators and listeners in the process of integration. Their role was
to provide an understanding of how the pace of change was landing with
colleagues and identify the organisational needs. Departmental heads chose
people who would speak up, give feedback and influence others. Susan
created a pulse survey to use with members of the network – rather than an
organisation wide survey. She plotted hearts and minds on an emotional
change curve tracking whether people were resisting, accepting or
committed to change. Following Town Hall meetings, issues would be
taken to the change network to act as a mini focus group. ‘We created
psychological safety within the network through ground rules such as
whatever was said in the meeting stayed in the meeting,’ said Susan. ‘The
meeting agreed what messages we would relay back and we built a great
relationship and a sense of trust within the group. Although I came from
Blue Shield, I sat in the Care1st offices to signal the intent to integrate the
businesses’ (interview with Susan Kun, Change Leader, Blue Shield of
California). One of the benefits of the listening network was the interaction
between its members and the business leaders. The exchange of views
between leaders and network members provided an opportunity to check
how messages from the top were being received, giving the leadership a
chance to reflect on how they positioned and communicated the change. At
the same time the network would let the leadership know what questions
people had, what was working or not, and what expectations they had of
leaders. ‘Leaders make assumptions about when they should get out and
talk to people on site but are often too cautious,’ said Susan. ‘My learning
was to be more prescriptive and tell the leaders to “Come now” and not to
wait for transition or official announcements.’
Employee experience
There was a common view from participants that listening to employees demonstrates
respect and increases engagement; if you don’t listen, you’re just talking at people.
One interviewee stated that it was shocking that some organisations still struggle to
respect employees in 2019. Poor organisational listening is likely to negatively impact
employee experience and this may, in turn, impact employee advocacy. A lack of
listening was also linked to the emergence of employee activism.
VIDEO NARRATIVES AT SIMPLY CONNECT
Jamie Colvin is the CEO of Simply Connect Consulting. New business mainly
comes through referrals, so demonstrating results is critical for its success.
Most of her clients have large front-line hourly workforces and her projects
involve large scale organisational change. ‘Good listening creates momentum
through the voice of the customer,’ she says. ‘For leaders, communicators and
HR functions that can mean the employee. The momentum for change comes
from listening to the pain points and using the voice of the customer and the
employee to provide honesty and authenticity’ (interview with Jamie Colvin,
CEO, Simply Connect Consulting). Jamie’s team put employee testimonials
on film to create compelling narratives to help leaders understand the needs
and perspectives within the organisations she works with. Live, experiential
listening provides the empathy and understanding that helps come up with
the right solutions. She describes these insights as key moments that ‘Pull the
heart out of the organisation and put it on camera.’
Employee wellbeing
Participants highlighted the importance of psychological safety for employees, in terms

of being fearful about saying something that may be held against them in some un
specified way. This supports Edmondson’s argument that organisations need to be
come ‘fearless’ places. Participants also raised a different point about psychological
safety – the way that managers may be fearful about what employees might say and
how able they would be to respond appropriately. This is an under-discussed aspect of
psychological safety that warrants further investigation. A further issue was mentioned
in the context of wellbeing. The point was commonly made that organisations have to
go beyond active listening to what one interviewee called ‘human listening’; listening
to understand, to interpret pauses and to encourage talking.
LISTENING AS A CORE COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE
In the survey conducted as part of the research, 78 per cent of respondents strongly
agree that listening to stakeholder groups is an important personal communication
competence. This indicates that listening should be incorporated into ongoing devel
opment for all corporate communication managers. Also in the survey, 59 per cent of
respondents said they spend a maximum of one-third of their time listening to sta
keholder groups; 33 per cent said they spend a third to two-thirds of their time lis
tening and a small group of 8 per cent said they spend more than two-thirds of their
time listening. This spread of time allocated may indicate that the focus on listening
varies from organisation to organisation.
The most ‘highly valued’ communication competencies recorded in the survey were:
• Writing (53 per cent)

• Listening to external stakeholders (44 per cent)
• Social media management (40 per cent)
• Event management (40 per cent).
It is not surprising that ‘writing’ is reported as the most valued competence in this
report. It is also reported as the number one activity in the UK’s Chartered Institute of
Public Relations (CIPR) State of the Profession survey (2019). However, respondents
reported ‘listening to external stakeholders’ as the second most ‘highly valued’ com
petence. There is no comparative figure for listening in the CIPR’s research as listening
is not included in their list of activities.
However, listening to employees was recorded as a ‘highly valued’ competence by
less than a third of respondents. This suggests that there may be a difference in how
organisations perceive the importance of listening to external stakeholder groups com
pared to listening to employees. In general, 46 per cent of respondents strongly agreed
that the insights gained from listening are of strategic importance to their organisation.
This implies that many communication managers appreciate that listening to stakeholder
groups is a valuable strategic process. One of the main reasons cited by participants in
workshops and interviews for the strategic importance of listening is the proximity that
employees have to customers and processes. This is valuable knowledge that can be used
for decision-making and better quality innovation.
WHAT GETS IN THE WAY OF LISTENING?
In discussion sessions at workshops and interviews with senior practitioners, we

discussed what got in the way of listening. We also reviewed open comments in the
survey. The following themes emerged from the analysis of qualitative data.
The way we define leadership
Participants highlighted the way that leadership is understood to mean the ‘need to
provide answers’ rather than involving listening to employees. One interviewee talked
about a ‘parental trap’ whereby managers feel they have to sort everything out.
Employees also have a responsibility to resolve some issues themselves. Further com
ments were made about the ‘danger of passive listening’ and the ‘illusion of listening’.
Under-investment in listening capability development
Participants questioned whether some leaders are ‘wilfully deaf’. This was related to
issues such as leaders being worried about how to respond, a fear of being exposed in
some way, and nervousness about what might come at them. This can be summarised
as a perceived general lack of capability to listen effectively. It also extends our un
derstanding of ‘psychological safety’ as it suggests that managers have their own fears
about having to listen. Points were also made about internal communication and too
much emphasis on narrative and spin.
Cultural barriers
In general, participants discussed the ways that organisational cultures are not very
conducive to listening and employees are often fearful of speaking out. This was
discussed in the previous section in relation to employee wellbeing but here it is
highlighted as a wider cultural factor. Employees can be concerned about how to
actively give views, and that they may potentially ‘say the wrong thing’. Points were
raised about the way that some ‘middle managers’ can treat listening with disdain.
Additional points were made about an external focus being considered to be more
important, which reinforces the survey responses discussed in the previous section.
Structures and processes not developed to support listening
Participants highlighted the way that organisations do not always have a systemic
approach to listening to employees. Some participants said that human resources and
internal communication teams do not necessarily work well together. Other structural
issues raised include the ways that traditional hierarchies are not conducive to cross
organisational listening and the importance of having clear, established expectations
for listening.
GOOD PRACTICE
Comments provided in the survey and discussions with interviewees and workshop
participants consistently highlight the importance of a face-to-face setting for listening.
Face to face listening with line managers/supervisors and with senior managers were
the two most used methods in our survey (82 per cent and 72 per cent respectively).
Focus groups and facilitated listening sessions were frequently highlighted in open
comments, as the following quote illustrates: ‘Face-to-face will always be strongest.
Informal gatherings without a set agenda, such as monthly drinks, provide an inter
esting barometer of people’s sentiment about work and beyond’ (interview with un
attributable source).
A face-to-face setting enables Macnamara’s seven canons for listening (recognition,
acknowledgement, attention, interpreting, understanding, consideration and re
sponding) to be applied more easily. Although this is not to say that other methods
don’t also have merit. Participants also pointed out that a multi-channel approach is
useful. Other methods used are shown in the following list:
• Face-to-face with line managers/supervisors: 82 per cent

• Annual survey: 74 per cent
• Face to face with senior managers: 72 per cent
• Facilitated focus groups: 50 per cent
• Social channels (Workplace, Yammer, Jive, Slack, etc.): 45 per cent
• Listening lunches/sessions: 40 per cent
• Regular pulse survey: 38 per cent
• Suggestion schemes: 19 per cent
• Online forums with senior managers: 19 per cent
The much-maligned annual survey is clearly still used by many respondents and no
tably used more than pulse surveys. Social channels are used by 45 per cent of re
spondents and they also featured in open comments and in discussions with
interviewees and workshop participants.
Trust in actions or appropriate responses were key points mentioned in open com
ments, interviews and in discussions with workshop participants. This reinforces ‘re
sponding’ as an important element in Macnamara’s seven canons for listening. This can
be formalised into what one respondent described as: ‘Employee consultative forums
hosted by the Comms & Engagement Executive who makes sure actions are assigned
and progressed’. Or it can be embedded into ongoing change communication processes
as outlined in the following quote by one respondent in the survey: ‘In a recent change
programme, we asked people for their views and then ensured that there was proper
feedback which has generated trust. People know they are being listened to.’
It is important to note here a distinction between ‘responding’ and ‘acting’. As

highlighted earlier in this report, an expectation to always act may lead to an un
healthy parent–child culture. Responding and acting on what is heard was clearly
important to participants in this study. However, further research is required to de
termine when acting may or may not be appropriate.
DISCUSSION
Three themes stand out from the analysis of the findings: listening as an effective
business process, psychological safety and social justice (see Figure 7.1).
Business process Psychological safety Social justice
• Organisations need to • The fear that employees • Providing employees

extend listening activities have about speaking out with opportunities to
into regular face to face is very real have a say can be seen
events and online as a fundamental
• Leaders and managers
communication to engage individual right required
their people and learn how can find listening for work to have meaning
to improve threatening because it
places them in a • The challenge for wider
• Feedback from people position where they internal communication
within organisations feel the need to find practice is how to prioritise
generates important answers to protect listening within strategies
insights into what is and is their credibility and plans
not working, and how to
deliver on strategies,
policies and performance
Figure 7.1 Three stand out themes relating to listening to employees
It is clear that some organisations have moved on from relying solely on an annual
employee survey as a method of listening to employees. Although a regular survey is
still used, according to the respondents to our survey and participants at workshops,
many organisations have extended listening activities into regular face to face events
and online communication.
From an organisational perspective, there is a range of potential benefits from lis
tening to employees such as competitive advantage, engagement, advocacy, trust,
innovation, resilience, learning and wellbeing. These all feed into an improved cus
tomer experience and ultimately bottom-line performance. Listening is also important
to achieving success in the ever increasing amount of change and transformation
facing organisations today.
However, what emerges as a vital factor for effective listening is that it has to go
beyond a ‘tick-box’ exercise. This entails adopting Macnamara’s canons for listening,
with an emphasis on two particular points in this study: responding and acting ap
propriately to what is said.
Some participants talked about passive and active listening. One participant sug
gested that there is a difference between active and what was described as ‘human’
listening. Clearly there are myriad ways people view listening in organisations. People
seem to view levels of listening that go from fairly superficial to more meaningful, and
they also contrast listening that is more passive and listening that leads to a response
and action.
The matrix in Figure 7.2 identifies different styles of listening. One axis concerns
the focus of listening and the extent to which the acknowledgement and recognition
of emotions are important. The second contrasts whether the intent of listening is
more about recording and hearing others views or whether it is part of a process
explicitly designed to lead to action.
Rational and Sensitive listening Human listening

Emotional Listening to encourage Listening to meaning
the exploration and the hidden drivers
understanding to help shape
of emotions future actions
Important for health Important if co-creating
and wellbeing strategy, resolving conflict
(Skills: counselling) (Skills: coaching, facilitating)
Listening focus
Passive listening Active listening
Listening to track Listening to
and record what comprehend
others are saying and understand
Important if analysing perspectives
environment, identifying Important if negotiating
trends and compromising
(Skills: surveying,
Mainly qualitative research)
(Skills: mediating)
rational
Hear Act
Listening intent
Figure 7.2 Listening styles
All styles of listening have an important role to play in organisations. The benefits
from active and human listening to employees are significant. However, for benefits to
be realised, organisations have to adopt a systemic listening approach that may en
compass all four styles.
The fear that employees have about speaking out is very real. An organisational
culture that leads to fear is, therefore, a significant barrier to the potential benefits that
arise from listening. Indeed, as Edmondson argues, organisations should consider how
to become ‘fearless’. And this is especially important in an uncertain world.
Furthermore, as CIPD (2019) highlights, it may be detrimental to their wellbeing if
employees feel unable to share matters that they feel are important.
This study also highlights another dimension of psychological safety – that leaders
and managers can find listening threatening because it places them in a position where
they feel the need to find answers to protect their credibility. This ‘top-down’ fear of
listening is less often reported but it is real and is related to fears that managers have
about what employees might say and how to respond or act appropriately to issues or
concerns that are raised. Psychological safety for employees is dependent on the
confidence or capability of a manager to be prepared to acknowledge what others

want, need or feel in an unbiased way. This prompts questions about business studies
education, in terms of how far listening is prioritised as an important leadership
capability. It also requires communication managers and others to be able to provide
effective support, guidance and training for leaders to understand the importance of
listening per se and to develop active and human listening capabilities.
The understanding of the responsibilities that organisations have to wider society
continues to develop. Good governance, ethical practice and triple bottom line re
porting are important considerations for all organisations – for good reputation man
agement reasons.
As CIPD (2019) argues, enabling voice is central to building fairness and trans
parency in organisations and wider society. Providing employees with opportunities to
have a say can also be seen as a fundamental individual right required for work to have
meaning.
From an internal communication perspective, many of the respondents in the
survey in this study have added listening mechanisms to their plans in addition to the
standard work associated with keeping employees informed. However, it appears
that this may not always be systemic or effective listening (as described earlier). The
challenge for wider internal communication practice is how to prioritise listening
within strategies and plans, balancing the importance of keeping employees informed
with the need to listen to what they have to say. To not do this is to fail to address
valid ethical concerns about practice.
A barrier to listening is the status gap between leaders and senior managers, and
employees. Evidence from behavioural science shows that perceived status, authority
and expertise play a key role in influencing us. Like anyone else, leaders are subject to
this bias which may be unconscious. According to Martin and Marks (2019) it is only
by developing systematic processes that organisations can overcome this human bar
rier to effective listening.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
What are the implications for leaders and what are the practical things that they can
do to improve listening in their organisations? Five themes emerged from the analysis
of findings: leadership, relating listening to strategic and operational goals, extending
the range of channels used, better use of surveys and building the listening capabilities
within the organisation.
1. The role of leadership and its impact on the culture of the

organisation
Unless leadership believes in and champions listening, then it’s unlikely to feature as a
priority elsewhere in the organisation. The study revealed a host of recommendations
about what works well in listening and of over 100 suggestions nearly one in five
related to specific listening groups with leaders such as:
a. Face-to-face meetings with the Heads of Country or Function

b. Focus group sessions and ‘voice of our people’ sessions with managers
c. Using multiple channels with senior leaders involved
d. ‘Having adult to adult conversations so we’re listening to what is being said and not
reacting like a parent to a child’
e. Question time events with the senior leadership team.
2. Listening activities need to relate to strategic and operational

goals
One of the themes that emerged in the workshops was that in order for leadership to
value listening, activities need to relate to strategic and operational goals. Alignment
with business priorities was the dominant theme in 17 per cent of the examples of
good listening practice.
Practical suggestions were:
a. Listening to stakeholders (not just employees) to ensure that work priorities are in
line with their needs and their own priorities
b. A series of discussions about how we can listen to what we can do to make it easier
for people to support the business
c. Involve employees in planning our strategy
d. Treating employees with front-line experience as surrogate customers and listening
to them to identify customer needs.
3. Extending the range of channels used for listening
The most used mechanisms for listening to employees are discussions and focus
groups. Examples given included: informal, small group forums to consult with em
ployees; ‘workplace of choice’ initiatives; workshops to listen to and brainstorm with
employees; and numerous other mentions of focus groups on specific topics. Leaders
should create interpersonal face to face sessions to give people the opportunity to meet
and talk without set agendas, and perhaps off-site, to provide an ‘ear to the ground’
and to gather sentiments about work. The potential to use internal social media for
listening is widely acknowledged, but it is rarely used to listen to employees. Only
5 per cent of respondents described the use of digital tools to improve listening. This is
a channel that could be used far more to extend the range of opportunities that
employees have to express their views and concerns.
4. The use of regular employee surveys
Surveys are still popular and were cited in 16 per cent of the good practice sugges
tions. But surveys increasingly seem to be used to count opinions and to track per
formance (e.g. the employee engagement survey). Many people believe that this does
not represent the kind of listening, at the active or human level, that is needed today.
Therefore, surveys need to be explicit about intention and if they are listening tools
they need visible and transparent feedback and response mechanisms to demonstrate
the impact that they are having.
5. Building the listening capability of the organisation
This can be done by:
a. Investing in listening skills at all levels

b. Insisting on listening as a core competency for leadership
c. Recognising and rewarding listening as part of the mix of factors that constitutes
good performance
d. Creating listening champions within the business as focal points for people to
approach outside the traditional leadership structures
e. Evaluating the listening capability of the business by measuring it, celebrating it
where it is done well and addressing areas of weakness.
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INTERNAL COMMUNICATION MANAGER
In this section, we consider how listening to employees is a fundamental component

of internal communication strategy, planning and day to day practice.
As the case has indicated, listening to employees is evolving and moving far beyond
the annual employee engagement survey. In the previous section, points have been
raised in relation to how listening is a leadership responsibility – at all levels of the
organisation. However, suggesting that listening to employees is a generic leadership
responsibility does not mean that it will become adopted into practice. For listening to
become more established it requires organisation-wide systems and processes and this
report argues that the internal communication manager is ideally placed to do this.
The primary rationale for the internal communication manager taking responsibility for
establishing robust processes and systems for listening to employees is that this is a natural
corollary to keeping employees informed. Listening, as outlined throughout this case, is an
essential component of communicating. Of course, all leaders and managers share re
sponsibility for ensuring effective communication in the business but it is the job of the
internal communication team to establish the infrastructure to support their listening role.
There is little data on how far listening to employees in the ways described in this
report is firmly embedded into internal communication practice. The Gatehouse State of
the Sector Report (2019) suggests that around 80 per cent of internal communication
managers are ‘very’ or ‘usually’ involved in ‘encouraging two-way communication with
employees’. However, we argue that good practice goes beyond ‘encouragement’ to the
implementation of organisation-wide channels, processes and systems.
There are three aspects of listening that are relevant for the internal communica
tion manager: understanding employee communication effectiveness, harnessing
employee insights, good and ethical internal communication.
Understanding employee communication effectiveness
Listening to employees is important for internal communication managers in order to

better understand how successfully they are delivering their plans. This includes going
beyond basic analysis of opens, reads, clicks and likes to research methods that
measure the outcome of communication, including what employees think, feel and
what they do as a result of the communication.
Demonstrating that communication activity has been effective requires a plan that
clearly articulates desired outcomes; targeted, thoughtful and creative execution and
detailed measurement processes that show how well the plan has been delivered. We
believe that listening directly to employees is a major part of evaluating the success, or
otherwise, of communication.
Whether through surveys, focus groups or one to one interviews, it is through
effective listening that we can tell not only how employees react to communication
but also how it could be improved in the future.
Harnessing employee insights
This case suggests that internal communication managers take the lead responsibility
for implementing organisation-wide listening channels, processes and systems.
This entails analysis of the views, issues and concerns that employees raise. It is the
analysis that generates insights and trends that may go beyond individual employees or
teams. The analysis forms the basis of management reporting that enables leaders to
consider and reflect more deeply on what is being said and then provide meaningful
responses that leads to wider trust in the listening process.
In practical terms, this requires an internal communication plan that includes
monthly listening activities that include senior managers and which make the
best use of a wide range of channels. The internal communication team is re
sponsible for producing a regular report of the views, issues and concerns that have
been raised that the senior management team then reviews, considers and responds
to regularly.
The emphasis on embedding organisation-wide listening into planning does not
require a significant budget. Instead, it will often require a redistribution of the time
devoted to ‘sending-out-stuff’ so that more time is devoted to listening.
The establishment of organisation-wide listening channels, processes and systems is
an important aspect of developing internal communication as a credible and respected
strategic management function. It commands additional respect for the value of in
ternal communication that provides that much sought-after access to the board.
Good and ethical internal communication
Finally, listening to employees is an essential component of good and ethical practice.

Listening to employees is ‘good’ in the sense that it has numerous benefits for orga
nisations and it is also associated with employee wellbeing.
And there is a social justice perspective to listening to employees. As organisations

increasingly understand the requirement for good governance, integrated reporting
and responsible leadership, so the recognition of ethical internal communication will
increase.
Today, ethical internal communication has received minimal attention in both
academic and professional realms. In this report, we suggest that listening to em
ployees goes hand in hand with keeping employees informed. Not to listen to em
ployees in a systemic way or in active or human ways potentially leads to employee
cynicism with what might be perceived as persistent management propaganda.
INSIGHTS
The following insights emerged from the research:
• There are a range of potential benefits from listening to employees such as

competitive advantage, engagement, advocacy, trust, innovation, resilience,
learning and wellbeing
• Providing employees with opportunities to have a say can be seen as a fundamental
individual right required for work to have meaning
• Not to listen to employees in a systemic way or in active or human ways potentially
leads to employee cynicism with what might be perceived as persistent manage
ment propaganda
• The fear that employees have about speaking out is very real. Leaders and
managers can also find listening threatening because it places them in a position
where they feel the need to find answers to protect their credibility
• Effective listening has to go beyond a ‘tick-box’ exercise
• In order for leadership to value listening, activities need to relate to strategic and
operational goals
• The establishment of organisation-wide listening channels, processes and systems is
an important aspect of developing internal communication as a credible and
respected strategic management function
• Listening to employees is important for internal communication managers in order
to better understand how information is being received
• Leaders should create interpersonal face-to-face sessions to give people the
opportunity to meet and talk without set agendas
• Surveys need to be explicit about intention and if they are listening tools, they need
visible and transparent feedback and response mechanisms to demonstrate the
impact that they are having
REFERENCES
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). (2019). Talking about voice: em
ployees’ experience. Report. February 2019. www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/future-
voice/employee-experiences#gref
Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). (2019). State of the Profession. https://cipr.co.
uk/CIPR/Our_work/Policy/CIPR_State_of_the_Profession_2019_20.aspx
Clampitt, P. (2013). Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness (5th Edition). London: Sage.
Edmondson, A. C. (2019). The Fearless Organization. Creating Psychological Safety in the
Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Gatehouse. 2019. State of the Sector Report. Available at: www.gatehouse.co.uk/stateofthesector/
[Accessed 13 December 2019].
Gray, R., Castles, G. (2006). Communicating Major Change Within the Organisation. In Gillis,
T.L. ed. The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication, A Guide to Internal
Communication, Public Relations, Marketing and Leadership, San Francisco: John Wiley
and Sons.
MacLeod, D., Clarke, N. (2009). Engaging for Success: Enhancing Performance through Employee
Engagement, A Report to Government [Great Britain]. Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills.
Macnamara, J. (2016). Organizational Listening. The Missing Essential in Public Communication.
New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
Martin, S., Marks, J. (2019). Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don’t and Why. Random
House.
Ruck, K. (2017). Smiling, but not with his eyes: authentic employee voice for inclusive orga
nisation. Conference paper. CIPD Applied Research Conference 2017.
Ruck, K., Welch, M., Menara, B. (2017). Employee voice: An antecedent to organisational
engagement? Public Relations Review. 43(5): 904–914.
Taylor, M. (2017). Good Work. The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. Department
for Business, Energy & Industrial Stategy, UK Government. www.thersa.org/blog/matthew-
taylor/2017/07/the-taylor-review?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5ZSWBhCVARIsALERCvwpX4APBXO
mNz1gqsbDHYgQT2MaL1zpAuiIqgSCDyN2zM_bpc7lfBgaAuBjEALw_wcB
■■■■
8 ■
Marketing the Rainbow
■
The Challenges of Minority
Marketing and Supporting or
Subsequent PR Initiatives
ALFRED VERHOEVEN
■■■■■■
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Over the past 50 years, and especially in the past decade, there has been a growing trend
in what has become euphemistically termed, Marketing the Rainbow, the efforts by
companies to target the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT+) demographic.
When marketing to minorities, who often have a “sensitivity” of some sort, public re-
lations (PR) is of vital importance: either as a guiding light for marketers in their cam-
paigns, or as a tool for damage control when things get out of hand. “Knowing your
customer” is a marketing axiom, but many marketers miss the knowledge and insights
into the sensitivities of the LGBT+ community. The up side is that this results in in-
teresting case studies. Globally, the mass marketing techniques of the 1970s evolved into
the narrowcast even one-on-one targeted marketing practices that emerged towards the
end of the last century. Companies steadily developed their marketing strategies from
perhaps only one or two different models to what could be defined as a multi-segmented
approach, tailored to the needs of individual market segments in terms of the tactics and
media. The rapid growth of the internet gave this development an unprecedented boost.
Companies have tried to find more customers, more profits – and in doing so have
defined market segments which they think deserve special attention.
One such segment that has become increasingly attractive to a whole array of
companies is the Gay Consumer segment: a segment reportedly comprised of con-
sumers with higher education qualifications, higher incomes, no children, a sense for
trends, and a preference for luxury lifestyles. In short: the Gay Consumer has lots of
disposable income, and the desire to spend. Thus, on the surface, this is an attractive
consumer segment to target. But is this really the case? And does the Gay Consumer
really exist? Drawing on 10 years of PhD research, I can answer that question with
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-9
76 ALFRED VERHOEVEN
“No.” While in reality no one stereotypical Gay Consumer exists, there are many types
of gay consumers, and collectively they make up a very attractive market segment that
virtually all consumer goods companies would wish to service.
HOW ABSOLUT GOT IT ABSOLUTELY RIGHT
The “Absolut champion” stands out in this endeavor. The company scores points on
consistency, respect, inclusivity, endurance, and longevity; plus their communications
are arty and top notch.
Background
Absolut is a Swedish brand created in 1879. Since March 2008, the company has been
owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard. Absolut is the third largest brand of alcoholic
spirits in the world after Bacardi and Smirnoff and is marketed in 126 countries. The
largest export market is the United States, where close to 73 million liters were sold in
2003. More than 40% of the imported vodka in the United States is Absolut.
The American Market
Absolut was introduced in the USA in 1979, and in 2002 the business magazine
Forbes ranked Absolut the world’s number one luxury brand. The aim was high: the
American market was not only the biggest in the Western world, but also the most
competitive.
At first, the distributors in the USA weren’t as enthusiastic as Absolut’s production
and marketing people. A typical reaction was, “Who would buy a Swedish vodka?”
Carillon Importers Ltd., in New York, saw good reason: Some people don’t want
to follow the crowd; some people appreciate quality more than others. After the first
bottle was sold in Boston, New York was next. Then came Chicago, Los Angeles, San
Francisco … In just six short years, Absolut was number one among imported vodkas in
the USA. The country that consumes 60% of the Western world’s vodka was convinced.
And now, over 40 years later, Absolut is a household name in quite a few parts of
the world. In 1978, before even starting to look for an American distributor, Absolut
decided to develop the iconic shaped bottle that would show the world that Absolut
stood for something different. Much of Absolut’s fame is due to its long-running ad-
vertising campaign, based on this distinctive bottle shape. Having started around 1980
with photographer Steven Bronstein, and with more than 1,500 ads, the ad campaign
is reportedly the longest running ever. The ads frequently feature an Absolut bottle-
shaped object in the center and a title “Absolut ____” at the bottom. The Absolut
advertising and marketing campaign has won over 350 awards over the years. Tens of
thousands of people around the world collect Absolut ads. Global PR Manager Kristina
Hagbard states:
MARKETING THE RAINBOW 77
we always strive to give something to think about – this ensures that our message
takes up more time and mental space in the mind of viewers than something
screamed directly into their ears. We believe in continuity – combined with variety.
That’s why we’ve been working with the same advertising concept, in all types of
media, for twenty-five years. It’s this perfect balance between stability and surprise
that has given us the freedom to experiment, explore and express the brand image
to the fullest
(Klara, 2022)
Follow the weblink at the end of the case to see examples of the iconic Absolute
Vodka bottle design and successful marketing initiatives.
In 1981 Absolut started showing an interest in the LGBT+ consumer. Based on its
own research, Absolut established that this group could be considered trendsetters,
and wanted to use this trendy demographic to reach a wider audience. This approach
was also in line with the initial statement that “some people don’t want to follow the
crowd”. Ads were placed in The Advocate and After Dark. Those first Absolut ads
were later followed with events in bars, donations to charities and causes, outdoor
advertising, and sponsorship of a TV series on the LOGO cable channel: “RuPaul’s
Drag Race.” Absolut became the “first big brand to commit to and pursue the market”
by being “the first continuously present major brand in gay media,” said Michael
Wilke of Adrespect (Klara, 2022). Additionally, Absolut commissioned openly gay
artists such as Andy Warhol, Tom Ford, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Nereyda Garcia Ferraz,
David Spada, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf to create ads that reflected their talents.
Since 1981, over $31 million has been spent on marketing to the LGBT+ community,
in print advertisements – but most notably in sponsoring public and private events and
the presence in many Pride parades.
Absolut Global Manager Hagbard stated:
The reason for Absolut to engage in LGBT marketing is not for political reasons, we
don’t take political stands but we believe in all peoples’ rights to be who they are
and express what they want. It is a question of freedom. We believe in diversity
and individuality. We do not believe in labels and prejudice.
(Hagbard, 2009)
Gay-themed Advertising
Absolut was one of the first consumer brands to openly embrace the gay community and
view its members as important and desirable consumers of its product. Widely regarded as
one of the most venerable brands in the gay market, Absolut has had a consistent presence
for almost 30 years gracing the back covers of gay magazines years before any other major
advertiser. In 1981, Absolut placed its first ad (Absolut PERFECTION) in The Advocate.
Back then, this was considered a bold and pioneering move from Absolut. In 1989,
Absolut took on the founding sponsorship of GLAAD, the prominent American non-profit
media monitoring organization, annual presentations of honors known as the GLAAD
Media Awards. In support, the Absolut GLAAD campaign was rolled out in key markets.
78 ALFRED VERHOEVEN
Building on this success, in 2000, Absolut introduced two gay-themed creatives

with two different Toms involved. First out was Tom Ford, the openly gay Gucci
designer. The Absolut TOM FORD ad featured the face of a woman partially obscured
by the fingers of her left hand; the fake fingernail on her ring finger is in an Absolut
shape. The ad was published in Vogue Magazine in the USA. Absolut TOM, the fall
collection of Tom of Finland, a clothing extension of the gay artist, followed that year.
This was the first time that Absolut was linked so closely to the sexuality of “homo-
sexuality”: the Tom of Finland brand created its reputation on sexually explicit art-
work, the fashion designs built on this reputation. Yet for all its recognition in the gay
market and long term presence, Absolut has only done a handful of truly gay-specific
ads. In 2003, in one such ad, film canisters are stacked to form the distinctive shape of
the Absolut bottle. The canisters are labeled with the titles of gay films. The caption
reads “Absolut Achievement”. The ad appeared in gay film festivals sponsored by the
brand. The brand is a long supporter of numerous LGBT+ film festivals including
Frameline San Francisco Film Festival (1994), OUTFEST Los Angeles Film Festival
(1995), The Miami LGBT+ Film festival, and many others.
In 2003 Absolut introduced the most directly gay advertising effort ever so far.
The Absolut OUT outdoor advertisement featured a three-dimensional series of
nine “gay closets” – featuring such things as a gay pride flag, a lavender door
covered in a shoe rack, and other items. The billboard appeared in San Francisco’s
Castro neighborhood in June and in New York in October during National Gay
History month. The billboard on Lafayette St. at Bleeker St. is a literal play on the
expression “out of the closet,” touching on the gay theme with a certain New York
irony – the building behind the sign is a large, well-known storage facility where
New Yorkers can rent closet space to store their stuff. Through live and online
auctions associated with the ads, consumers were provided with the opportunity to
purchase pieces of gay history from the closets of some of the world’s biggest ce-
lebrities. In 2008, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Rainbow Flag as symbol
of the LGBT+ movement, Absolut released a special rainbow-colored bottle (with
the correct six bands, instead of the usual seven). The website Absolut Colors was
launched to invite consumers to share their coming out story: “You came out. Now
share your story with the world.” There was also a limited edition cocktail book –
The Absolut COLORS Cocktail Collection.
Humor can be a difficult trick to master in advertising targeting a minority group
where the brand is an outsider seeking to position itself in the market on the
inside track. In April 2008 – within the framework of their “In an Absolut World”
campaign – Absolut released a new gay-themed advertising print execution that plays
upon a gay male stereotype from way back: In an ABSOLUT World All Men Are
Created “Equal”. As with all stereotypes, this one is for most men sadly wrong, but
that does not mean the joke does not work well in the gay market. It plays upon the
size queen stereotype in a way that laughs along with the gay consumer, not at them –
and that’s important. Apart from “Ruler,” the ad “Stadium” engages on the issue of
gay marriage when one half of a gay couple “pops” the question during a sports outing.
Jeffrey Moran, Absolut’s director of public relations and events, followed up with
words of both support and recognition:
As a long-time supporter of the gay and lesbian community, we acknowledge that

you can’t simply speak to gay men and lesbians as consumers, but instead need to
make real connections to their lives which we believe we are achieving with our
new creative executions. As a company, we respect gay men and lesbians not
simply in advertising messages, but behind the scenes as well. We’re not gay-
washing here.
(Placher, 2011)
For the core Absolut vodka brand of consumers – the club kids and style conscious
market perhaps – this deliberately funny and provocative approach works well because
they understand this market segment’s humor culture and style.
Absolut also sponsors numerous major LGBT+ events in the USA annually. They
include: One Mighty Weekend (Gay Disney), The Queer Lounge at Sundance,
Broadway Bares, The Gay Games, The White Party Miami, Joining Hearts Atlanta,
Ascension Fire Island, and Night of 1,000 Gowns. They also support LGBT+ Pride
events annually, not just in the USA but in all major markets.
Global Events Manager Hagbard stated:
Before developing a new initiative, we do qualitative research, both via our own
sources such as reference groups and via research institutes. We measure the ROI
via different tools, but when it comes to LGBT initiatives, the most important
measure is the brand image, which we measure via a brand health tracker tool.
Other than that, the effects of the campaigns of the past decades are difficult to
measure in pure sales figures. Absolut maintains that perception and brand
preference effects are strong, and they continue, unwaveringly, with their
campaigns in both advertising and sponsoring.
(Hagbard, 2009)
Even with the care taken to understand and appreciate this market segment, Absolut
has experienced some negativity and downsides in its marketing strategy. LGBT+
issues are very sensitive in some countries and it can have a negative effect on the
brand if it is perceived as a “gay-friendly” brand. Hagbard (Klara, 2022) states:
The effects we have noted so far are relatively moderate. It is more a question
about some negative emails. For Absolut it is nonetheless very important to
continuously show our support and commitment on a global basis. Absolut will
continuously develop initiatives targeted at the LGBT community on a global level
that can also be activated in local markets, but will also in all its communication
ensure relevance for our consumers, of which the LGBT community is an
important part. Supporting the LGBT community is part of the brand’s soul and
supports our belief in a diverse, respectful and colorful world. We have a long-term
commitment.
“Absolut set the bar for virtually every company speaking to the LGBT consumer,” said
Todd Evans, president and chief executive at Rivendell Media in Mountainside, N.J.,
which began handling media services for Absolut in 1981 – and still does. Evans recalled
80 ALFRED VERHOEVEN
how Absolut not only bought ad pages in magazines like The Advocate, but also bought
back covers at a time when “we couldn’t get anyone” to take such highly visible posi-
tions. “And Absolut locked them up for two years,” he added (Elliott, 2011).
Hagbard’s consistent message is:
ABSOLUT will continuously develop initiatives targeted to the LGBT community

on a global level, that can also be activated in local markets, but will also in all its
communication ensure relevance for our consumers, of which the LGBT
community is an important part. Supporting the LGBT community is part of the
brand soul and support our belief in a diverse, respectful and colorful world. We
have a long term commitment.
(Hagbard, 2009)
THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
In classic economic models, companies exist to make money, which is their primary, if
not only, target. In more recent times, making money is no longer necessarily the first,
or at least only, direct target. Consumers might find this hard to believe. During the
course of my research, I have published dozens of articles and case studies about big or
small organizations practicing Marketing the Rainbow: not all successfully, but there
are many excellent examples of corporate responsibility in this respect. All too often,
my works were met with great skepticism from the LGBT+ community, and derision
from “mainstreamers.” The former group quickly decided that they were merely
considered cash cows, the latter laughingly saw it as “trendy,” and not strategic – to
the point of “pushing the gay agenda down your throat.” For some reason, members of
the LGBT+ community, mostly the “Queer” (which is defined as the more “militant”
members), think that a company is not allowed to use the rainbow in their commu-
nications, or target the LGBT+ community – even with the so necessary sponsoring of
events – before they have solved problems like pollution, housing for the homeless, or
other less related issues. Of course, child labor or work conditions like salary and safety
issues do lie within the scope of any company’s responsibility, and, yes, where appro-
priate do need to be addressed; they should also take action on those topics, but it is
questionable as to whether they are conditional to a “permitted” rainbow approach. I
think not. You cannot solve all the world’s problems before being allowed to state your
interest and support in a market segment, even if it is a possibly sensitive one. This
concept of the Triple Bottom Line is an economic framework consisting of three bottom
lines: financial, social, and environmental (A. Verhoven, personal interview, 2020)
In exploring the values and ethical issues behind corporate policies, Klamer
(2016) explains that many companies, especially those founded in the last 30 years,
have a different approach to doing business; their idea is that embracing a broader
idea including diversity and individual values will lead to a more satisfied workforce.
As a consequence, employees are happier, become more productive, have fewer sick
days, and will stay with their employer for a longer period of time. In the end, such
companies will also make more profit: goals achieved, while doing the right thing –
in all respects.
SAYING THE RIGHT WORDS WITHOUT DOING THE RIGHT THINGS
As already emphasized, LGBT+ consumers are a sensitive group of people. Focusing

attention on them through a targeted campaign needs careful consideration, and there
are some risks attached to it: Being accused of so-called “Pinkwashing” – a term used
to describe “a variety of marketing and political strategies aimed at promoting pro-
ducts, countries, people, or entities through an appeal to gay-friendliness, in order to
be perceived as progressive, modern and tolerant” (Wikipedia, n.d.). In such cases,
companies may be seen as adopting a less than genuine and even quite contrived
approach that does not amount to real support. But, in fact, it is just that: a perception,
but not real gay-friendliness, or in any case not real enough to be helpful or strategic.
Companies who just use Pride Month or a Pride parade to show their rainbows, but
don’t support the community the rest of the year, run a great risk of being found out as
engaging in pinkwashing. Similarly, running advertising expressing how much the
company appreciates the gay consumer, without offering them a real benefit (discount,
a unique product) or without supporting a relevant charity, is likely to be seen as
pinkwashing. In reality, Shell has a firm diversity policy in place and provides year-
round attention to its LGBT+ employees. The lesson here is to make sure that the
entire story gets told.
WRESTLING WITH MYTHS AND CONDITIONS
Over the years, a number of myths have emerged about gays being the ideal customers –
but rather than referring to LGBT+ as a whole community, these myths have applied
mostly to gay men, and sometimes gay women. The myths are:
• They have a higher income, or even two;

• They are more highly educated;
• They lead luxurious lifestyles;
• They are trendsetters.
These myths have been proven wrong time and again; for instance, by M.V. Lee
Badgett (2003) and also in my own consumer survey.
What has emerged is that the LGBT+ group does not comply with some of the
most important such criteria, namely it is not homogenous within the segment itself
(have needs in common), there is no heterogeneity with other segments (different
segments have different needs), and LGBT+ members do not all respond similarly to a
market stimulus (why would a 16-year-old lesbian girl respond the same to an ad-
vertisement as a gay couple in their 50s?). Moreover, it is difficult to measure the size
of the LGBT+ community accurately as members are not registered as such, so only
assumptions as to the volume of the market can be used – both in numbers and in
monetary sales terms. One secret (unrealized) fact to Marketing the Rainbow is
children – or rather, the lack thereof. Having children costs a lot of money and plenty
of time. Only 10–20% of gay and lesbian households (the latter more than the former)
feature children, leaving 80–90% childfree. This is the reverse in straight households.
82 ALFRED VERHOEVEN
This means that gays have a substantially higher disposable income and the time to
spend it. Add to that the fact that gay and lesbian households appear to exhibit higher
brand loyalty (author’s research) and you have an ideal customer. It is also important
to note the fact that the gay and lesbian demographics are interesting as a target group
due to the lack of children which is not directly related to their sexual identity.
Interestingly, the same goes for heterosexuals without children, but the question re-
mains of how best to target the LGBT+ market segment. They are not organized in
sport clubs, associations, websites, platforms, or pride parades. In other words, you
cannot easily find the various LGBT+ groups; but with decent careful research and a
sensitive and respectful approach, it is possible to identify and suitably access these
specialized target groups.
BOYCOTTS
Marketing to specialized groups like LGBT+ consumers may spark more radical ac-
tions/reactions from consumers who find their own values/cultures threatened by
“otherness.” The most neutral effect might be that nothing happens even as the in-
dividual chooses not to engage with your product. The most extreme action is a
boycott of the company’s goods/services through some type of public action. For a
boycott to be effective and cause trouble for the targeted company, there needs to be
sufficient volume of support for it to hurt the targeted organization in terms of its loss
of sales, or other damaging effects such as negative media coverage, that may have
very damaging knock-on consequences for the organization, particularly if the boycott
starts to gather momentum and attracts the support of powerful/prominent in-
dividuals and/or political forces (Kaufman, 2011).
In the past 40 years there have been quite a number of these types of boycotts in
the field of Gay Marketing, which have been initiated either by the LGBT+ com-
munity (and their allies) or by opponents. Not surprisingly, the latter most often come
from conservative organizations, particularly in the USA, who have a moral problem
with “the gay life style” (or what they call the “gay persuasion” or “gay agenda”), and
solely on the basis of that prejudice try to force companies to withdraw support for
LGBT+ causes in the widest sense of the word, including mere advertising in the gay
media. In the USA, the right-wing American Family Association (AFA) and the affiliated
One Million Moms (OMM) have been the masterminds of most major boycotts against
“gay-friendly” companies, including JCPenney, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Heinz (UK!),
Target, PepsiCo, Ford, and General Motors, and even giants like Google and Walmart,
the latter being the largest private employer in the world. The outcome of these efforts,
however, is that these types of boycotts have almost never worked, but, in fact, back-
fired. The righteousness of AFA and OMM (“companies should not choose sides,” “we
don’t want the gay agenda shoved down our throat”) has such a weak basis that counter
reactions were swift and more powerful. However, Klara (2022) noted:
Companies generally don’t like people to boycott their products. But there’s an
exception: when the American Family Association is the group doing the
boycotting. A rebuke by the AFA has the rare power to galvanize immediate,
widespread support for a brand, rather than opposition to it, as bloggers deride
what they see as the AFA’s extreme conservative views. (The AFA has pockets of
support, but they are vastly outnumbered).
The lesson learned is that companies’ plans must be to (1) maintain awareness of
potential opponents, and (2) develop plans to draw on the companies’ good will re-
serves to combat them.
CONCLUSIONS
The lessons learned from this case study are that consistent, corporate values and
principles apply to every market segment.
1. Minority marketing comes with sensitivities. These need to be taken into account
in your campaigns and accompanying PR strategy.
2. Things can go “wrong” for a number of reasons. PR should be prepared for this and
have scenarios ready for damage control.
3. Even though the LGBT+ Consumer does not exist, or even the Gay Consumer,
they may still be a valuable target group.
4. LGBT+ consumers are generally an interesting demographic in case your company
wants to illustrate its diversity and inclusion policy.
5. When marketing criteria are applied, LGBT+ consumers do not seem to be a
feasible segment to identify. Yet, the Gay Consumer, and to a lesser extent the
Lesbian Consumer, are worthwhile considering for marketing segmentation
because of the high percentage of childfree households, which gives them a
higher disposable income, and more time to spend it.
6. Brand loyalty in this group is higher.
7. When communicating to the community as a whole, within the framework of
diversity, your message will be that of general support and inclusion.
8. When marketing to gays or lesbians specifically, the approach is quite different as it
will be aimed more directly at converting them to customers.
9. Pinkwashing is a danger that must be carefully considered in your PR strategy, but
is not automatically a label that should be stuck to every non-LGBT+ organization
that goes Marketing the Rainbow.
The key lesson learned from this case study is that consistent, corporate values,
principles, and authenticity apply to every market segment.
REFERENCES
Badgett, M.V.L. (2003). Money, Myths, and Change: The Economic Lives of Lesbians and Gay
Men. University of Chicago Press.
Elliott, S. (October 26, 2011). “Absolut Celebrates Its 30 Years of Marketing to Gay
Consumers.” New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/business/media/absolut-
heralds-its-marketing-to-gay-consumers.html. Accessed July 6, 2022.
84 ALFRED VERHOEVEN
Hagbard, K. (2009) “In An Abolut World, There Are No Labels.” Absolut.com, accessed June
22, 2022.
Kaufman, D. (May 13, 2011). “Is Israel Using Gay Rights to Excuse Its Policy on Palestine?”.
Time. http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2070415,00.html. Accessed
July 6, 2022.
Klara, R. (June 14, 2022) “Absolut Vodka Has Been at Pride Before It Was Brand-safe.” Adweek.
www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/absolut-vodka-pride-before-it-was-brand-safe/.
Accessed June 22, 2022.
Klamer, A. (2016). Doing The Right Thing: A Value Based Economy. London: Ubiquity Press.
Placher, D. (December 22, 2011). “Absolut Celebrates 30 Years of Gay Ads.” Washington Blade.
www.washingtonblade.com/2011/12/22/absolut-celebrates-30-years-of-gay-ads/. Accessed
July 6, 2022.
Wikipedia (n.d.) Pinkwashing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkwashing. Accessed July 8,
2022.
FURTHER WEB-BASED INSIGHTS INTO ABSOLUT’S SUCCESSFUL

MARKETING INITIATIVES:
This website features Absolut Vodka’s history of its specialized LGBTQ+ marketing campaign:
www.absolut.com/us/products/absolut-rainbow/
This weblink provides insights into Absolut Vodka’s newest promotional venture at the iconic
Coachella music festival: www.marketingdive.com/news/absolut-coachella-metaverse-
swedish-house-mafia/621860/
■■■■
9 ■
The Volkswagen
■
Dieselgate Crisis
Challenging Assumptions
About Reputation Recovery
in a Major Crisis
MATT TIDWELL
■■■■■■
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Volkswagen’s Dieselgate scandal represented one of the largest global automotive

crises in history. In the United States alone, approximately 500,000 cars were found to
emit as much as 40 times the legal limits in pollutants after the company installed
software to defeat emissions testing. This case study examines owner and consumer
opinions to determine the impact and effectiveness of VW’s choice of compensation
strategy for its crisis response. The study’s conclusions are that consumer brand
sentiment didn’t recover in the weeks following two separate compensation offers. In
fact, factors including the company’s prior heavy advertising of the cars as “clean
diesel” before the discovery intensified the feelings of shock and betrayal. Strong prior
reputation, long seen as a buffer against negative crisis reputational impact, is also
examined. A corollary to reputation as a buffer is observed – finding that Volkswagen’s
strong prior reputation and heavy brand loyalty, coupled with its aggressive promotion
of a false buying proposition, actually created a fall from grace that resulted in a
stronger sense of betrayal and contributed to more negative brand sentiment.
BACKGROUND SUMMARY: A COVETED BRAND FINDS ITSELF

IN A HUGE SCANDAL
In 2014 and before, Volkswagen was one of the most coveted brands in the world and
one of the world’s largest automakers, with recorded revenues of nearly $240 billion
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-10
86 MATT TIDWELL
(U.S.) in 2014. The VW brand was ranked ahead of household names such as Ford,
Audi, Sony, Facebook and Adidas in the annual brand value report from Interbrand
(Ranking The Brands, 2013). Just as importantly, its brand value was growing – with a
20 percent increase in value from the prior year. Only Apple, Google and Amazon had
larger brand value growth over the same time. Among automakers, VW had the third
highest brand ranking globally, behind only BMW and Toyota.
The facts behind the VW scandal are well-documented. In the fall of 2015, VW
admitted that, over a period of years, it had altered approximately 11 million diesel-
powered vehicles worldwide so that they could cheat government emissions tests
(Gates et al., 2017). Speculation was that VW’s motive was to improve fuel economy
and increase performance. Prior to the scandal, VW had actually been aggressively
advertising and promoting its “TDI” diesel vehicles as clean-running and en
vironmentally friendly. But, as described in this case and numerous other media
reports, by cheating emissions standards, VW and Audi-branded diesels (VW manu
factures Audi cars) were actually emitting excessive amounts of nitrogen oxides, a
pollutant that has been linked to respiratory diseases and other health issues.
IMMEDIATE REACTION
Early in the crisis, much attention was focused on who within VW’s corporate gov
ernance structure had knowledge about the cheat device and when they knew it. CEO
Martin Winterkorn resigned in the days following the announcement and was under
heavy scrutiny. VW soon acknowledged that Winterkorn had received an internal
memo in May 2014 “that contained information about irregularities in the emissions
of its diesel cars” (Ewing, 2016), well over a year before the company admitted to
planting the cheat software. The question of when the company had knowledge was
important from a legal perspective since shareholders had claimed the company had
broken German law by not informing them sooner.
Media coverage also focused on customer impact. VW was a widely popular brand
and had aggressively marketed its TDI models as being environmentally friendly. CNN
interviewed VW owners and reported that the company’s “costly lie” had “left its
customers feeling confused, cheated and steaming mad” (Garcia, 2015). The CNN
article shared TDI customer stories including a college freshman who had saved
$19,000 working summer jobs to get her first car, only to see the car lose more than
$10,000 in resale value in a matter of days. A California physician bought his TDI
because he wanted to lower his carbon footprint:
There was a sense we were doing the world some good. To have it flipped 180
degrees is just shocking. I haven’t computed the cost to society now that I’m
spewing out nitrous oxide but it’s definitely an ironic twist.
An Arizona TDI owner called the scandal a shame for corporate America: “People
already had such skepticism about the labeling of products, and now this just adds
to the sense that corporations don’t have consumers’ best interests at heart”
(Garcia, 2015).
THE VOLKSWAGEN DIESELGATE CRISIS 87
At the executive level, fallout was swift. After CEO Winterkorn resigned almost
immediately, the company’s United States head also resigned. Its U.S. regulatory di
rector was arrested in January 2017.
Remaining company leaders were left to deal with the far-ranging fallout from
Dieselgate, which has included multiple lawsuits, actions by various governments and
even a suit filed by the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging de
ceptive advertising relating to the “clean diesel” claim in which the FTC seeks more
than $15 billion in total damages (Bomey, 2016).
The stark contrast between vehicles that were promoted as clean running and the
conclusion that they were actually highly polluting was “an FTC case waiting to
happen because they based their entire advertising campaign on this benefit” ac
cording to one advertising and media attorney quoted in USA TODAY (Bomey, 2016).
The FTC pointed to VW’s use of terms such as “environmentally-conscious,” “eco-
conscious” and “green” to illustrate the deception. VW’s “clean diesel” messages had
appeared in multiple media channels. One VW online video in which a woman held a
white scarf against the exhaust of a VW TDI and proclaimed it to be pristine was
viewed more than nine million times (Bomey, 2016).
In June of 2016, German prosecutors said they were formally expanding in
vestigations to the VW executive ranks although the company had maintained that the
scandal originated and was confined to lower ranking managers (Ewing, 2016).
Prosecutors were investigating whether senior executives were in violation of secu
rities laws regarding information disclosure. In terms of financial performance, the
company suffered almost immediately, as sales of all VW models fell 20 percent by
December, 2015. Its stock price plummeted, with shares falling from a high of $50 in
March, 2015, to $20 in the weeks following the news. It went from recording positive
net income of more than $2 billion in 2014 to taking a net loss of $6.2 billion in 2015
(Gates et al., 2017).
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
VW’s cheat software in its TDI models allowed, in certain conditions, for nearly
40 times the allowable amounts of dangerous nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen di
oxide (NO2), which are collectively known as NOx, into the atmosphere. With
more than 480,000 cars affected in the United States, estimates have ranged
from 10,000 to 40,000 tons of extra NOx released in the United States alone
(Selin, 2015).
The documented health effects of breathing these small pollutant particles into the
lungs include asthma, decreased overall lung function, bronchitis and heart attack.
VWs are popular cars amongst urban drivers, so the prospect of high-polluting auto
mobiles in areas already saturated with carbon emissions painted an especially dark
picture according to environmental experts. A satellite heat map published by
grist.com shows a dramatic image of thousands of VW TDI auto owner home ad
dresses overlaid onto already heavily populated areas in high pollution index counties
in California.
88 MATT TIDWELL
Figure 9.1 Average Emissions Chart
Source: Arvind Thiruvengadam, Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions at West
Virginia University
VW’S CRISIS RESPONSE AND COMMUNICATIONS
VW’s communications to customers throughout the crisis followed an arc that began
with its public pledge to first cooperate with the investigation and “to fixing the issue
as soon as possible” (Volkswagen, 2015, September 18) along with several statements
about its “shock” related to the findings. The company established a website as a
means to keep customers informed and regularly posted news about its activities re
lated to Dieselgate. In its very first posting to the site on September 23, 2015, VW
signaled that it understood the road ahead to rebuild its reputation, saying “the ex
ecutive committee is aware that coming to terms with the crisis of trust will be a long
term task the requires a high degree of consistency and thoroughness” (Volkswagen,
2016 September 23).
Finally, in January of 2016, the company announced what it called its attempt to
“restore the invaluable trust” of its customers by offering them a “goodwill
package” (GWP) of two $500 gift cards (one which could be redeemed anywhere,
another that could be used for products and services at VW dealerships and free
access to roadside assistance) (Volkswagen, 2016, January 11). The package was
estimated to cost VW nearly $250 million. The company conducted several out
reach initiatives to customers to promote the compensation package, and ap
proximately 125,000 customers signed on to receive the gift cards in the first ten
days after it was offered (“Volkswagen’s US CEO admits”, 2015). Accepting the gift
cards did not affect customers’ right to pursue other legal action in the future
(Ewing & Mouawad, 2015).
Media coverage of the goodwill package focused on customer reaction and
recorded comments from customers who said they felt insulted. These customers
expressed anger and characterized the action as an empty gesture. A Kansas
City Star editorial called the package a “half-hearted attempt to compensate
the people they had lied to, offering them a paltry $1,000” (“VW scandal a case
study,” 2016).
Prominent voices weighed in on the adequacy of the goodwill package. Two
United States senators, Richard Blumenthal and Edward Markey, called the offer
“grossly inadequate” and “a fig leaf attempting to hide the true depths of Volkswagen’s
deception” (Lienert & Cremer, 2015). They called for further investigation and urged
VW to offer all owners a buy-back option for their TDI models.
The goodwill package was the company’s only compensation outreach to con
sumers until June of 2016, when it finally reached an ultimate settlement of more
than $10 billion with the United States government. The settlement offered owners
either a buy-back or fix for all affected vehicles, as well as restitution payments of
several thousand dollars to each owner. In total, The New York Times said that
consumers could expect to get between $12,500 and $44,000 depending on the
age of the vehicle (Gates et al., 2017). Owners received individual notices about
their buy-back or fix offer with terms dependent on the age of vehicle and other
benchmarks. The final settlement was easily the largest in the history of the auto
industry and surpassed recent settlements from other crises faced by GM and
Toyota by several billion dollars.
Figure 9.2 Largest Auto Industry Wrongdoing Settlements
Source: Bomey, 2016

90 MATT TIDWELL
In this case study, of particular interest is VW’s crisis response strategy immediately
after the crisis broke in the fall of 2015 (specifically, the goodwill package offer
timeframe) and later in 2016 when VW reached the final $10 billion settlement in the
United States. These moments are particularly important because they speak to VW’s
crisis response efforts. By examining how companies respond during crisis, we can
contribute to the body of knowledge about what constitutes an effective response
strategy and can help organizations understand how best to rebuild and preserve re
putation.
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US ABOUT CRISIS COMPANIES WITH

PREVIOUSLY STRONG REPUTATIONS
Much research has studied the impact of a company’s reputation related to times
when it may be facing crisis. Coombs (2007) explains that crises are often reputational
threats and reputations are based, in large part, on how well stakeholders perceive that
organizations have met their expectations. When a crisis hits, the organization loses
some of the reputational capital it has accumulated over time but, if it has sufficient
reputational capital built up, he reported that the path to crisis recovery can be quicker
and can act as a “buffer” against reputational capital lost in a crisis and that the
company will “suffer less” (2007, p. 164).
In Coombs’ Situational Crisis Communications Theory (SCCT), it is crucial to gain
an understanding of where an organization stands with its stakeholders in terms of
pre-crisis reputation. Coombs describes poor prior reputation as an organizational flaw
that shows the organization has little consideration for stakeholders in many situa
tions, not just crises (2007, p. 167).
In terms of ultimate impact on an organization, Coombs also cautions that how an
organization handles itself in a crisis affects its post-crisis reputation. Stakeholder
backlash in the event of poor post-crisis reputation can manifest in behavioral inten
tions including intent to purchase and support for the organization.
Many communications scholars explain the importance of stakeholder expectations
of organizations. Flynn (2016) posits that receivers “use prior knowledge to generate
expectations of a communicator’s position or intention” (p. 8). Scholarly research in
business and marketing also discusses the importance of an organization’s prior re
putation relative to stakeholder reaction post-crisis. Dawar and Pillutla (2000) ex
amined how the prior expectations about a company (either more positive or negative)
affect the company’s brand equity after a crisis. They found that when firms have a
good previous reputation, they tend to get a more positive stakeholder reaction –
especially when the company provides what they call a clear and complete, “un
ambiguous” response.
It is important to understand how Dawar and Pillutla conceptualize prior reputa
tional expectations. They explain that these expectations are based on past behavior
and that consumers tend to interpret information in the context of prior reputational
expectations. They posit that, in a crisis, “objectively identical firm responses may have
substantially different impacts on customer-based brand equity depending on con
sumers’ prior expectations about the firm” (p. 215).
Through experimental research looking at how subjects interpreted a firm’s re

sponse in a crisis, Dawar and Pillutla (2000) concluded that prior positive reputational
expectations about a firm may provide a “form of insurance against the potentially
devastating impact of crises” on a company’s brand equity (p. 224).
Dawar and Pillutla also identified the type of crisis response as a variable. Responses
were either ambiguous or unambiguous. They found that strong prior expectation
combined with an unambiguous crisis response actually increased brand equity
compared to brand equity measured in a no-crisis environment. Even more im
portantly, when the prior expectation was strong but the crisis response was ambig
uous and incomplete, they found that brand equity resembled the unambiguous
response condition. The worst result was found for companies who combined weak
prior expectation with a stonewalling response.
Together with Klein, Dawar (2004) corroborated the 2000 findings with a study
that looked at the effect of a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand
evaluations in a crisis situation. That experimental study also found that a negative
prior reputational image was a “powerful liability” (p. 215) to a firm facing crisis.
CUSTOMER REACTION IN THE WAKE OF THE SCANDAL
This case study used mixed-methods primary and secondary research to gauge
customer reactions to VW’s compensation offers that were the major components of
its crisis response in Dieselgate. Methods included in-depth interviews with VW
diesel owners to see how the compensation offers affected their opinions about the
company; a qualitative content analysis of customers’ postings in online discussion
forums and on Twitter after the two compensation offers (to determine if opinions
improved after the more substantial final buy-back offer); and a quantitative content
analysis of online discussion and tweets to examine brand sentiment toward VW
after its compensation offers.
RESEARCH RESULTS: CUSTOMER REACTION TO

COMPENSATION OFFERS
In-depth interviews surfaced some common themes amongst VW diesel owners. The
observed themes and some representative owner verbatim quotes are shown in
Table 9.1.
Following the in-depth customer interviews, the content analysis results were
particularly instructive because they examined customer sentiment directly after the
initial goodwill package (gift card) compensation and the final compensation settle
ment offer (which included the buy-back of owners’ affected vehicles).
The qualitative analysis of customer online postings on discussion boards and on
Twitter showed, not surprisingly, that reaction to the initial gift card compensation
offer was extremely negative. Sarcastic comments abounded as customers chided VW
for “insulting your customers” and asking if the gift card money could be used to “buy
gas masks.” Interestingly, as was noted in the in-depth interviews, other commenters
92
Table 9.1 Observed Themes and Verbatim Comments from VW Owners

Observed theme Representative verbatim comment
MATT TIDWELL
Betrayal and buyer’s remorse “Shock and anger. I felt betrayed that I was supposed to be burning clean fuel, and then it turns out I’m not. I’m
certainly concerned that I’m driving a car around that’s polluting the environment especially since that’s one of
the reasons I bought the car in the first place.”
Trust erosion “My opinion of the company has changed. I’m not sure they are an ethical company. I hadn’t thought that they
weren’t, but now I have serious concerns that their leadership is unethical because it seems to me that there
were a significant number of executives who were privy to this and maybe even gave their blessing to this
software that was deliberately intended to get around the law – so that really concerns me a lot.”
Questioning motives in crisis response “You do have to wonder how much the corporation was allowing this to be an issue instead of fixing it. Under (prior
CEO) Ferdinand Piech they really did start a corporate culture that was quite unhealthy and led to this kind of
thing. He got results in kind of all of the wrong ways, I think.”
Goodwill gift card package as good gesture “No, I didn’t feel it was satisfactory at the time. I felt heartened that they were knowing that it was going to be a
but unfulfilling overall long process and that they were doing something immediately to say ‘hey, we’re working on this.’ You know, a
$500 gift card and then $500 to use on your service, that’s nice, but this is a $25,000 car.”
Fair final settlement but poorly executed “I think I was OK with it and thought they handled it well up until a few weeks ago when I started hearing stories
about customer service not being very friendly and accommodating when it came to the buyback program. As of
yesterday, or two days ago, we had another gentleman here that had a diesel as well – he tried selling it back and
it’s become a big pain.”
Damaged brand loyalty and purchase “I think, you know, the shine has worn off a little bit. In full disclosure I have looked at buying another Volkswagen.
intention I ultimately went a different way, but it was in my top three choices. I’m hopeful for them that they can regain my
trust in the position that they sort of held or had held. But, yeah, I think they’ve fallen a little.”
openly questioned the company’s motives in making the initial gift card offer –
wondering if the company was using it as a smokescreen to try to head-off class-action
lawsuits or divert attention in general. Still others thought the company might be
hoping customers would accept the gift cards, but in doing so lose their legal rights to
sue for damages at a later time.
The other important observation from content analysis was a distinct dissatisfaction
with how VW handled the final buy-back offer to customers. While owners were
pleased to finally be getting a financial offer that would help recover their sunk costs,
they felt that the company’s customer service in handling the buy-back process was
poorly executed. Commenters frequently complained about long hold times on the
company’s offer hotline, slow delivery of paperwork needed to process their buy-back
and other poor execution by VW when attempting to accommodate owners.
Specific comments noted within this customer service related theme included “when
the recording says ‘your call is important to us’ but you’re on hold for 56 minutes … ,”
“VW being radio silent on this is horse crap … I was considering another VW but this
lack of communication is slowly eroding that away,” “no surprise that VW failed me
again … was promised offer letter within 10 business days, today’s the day and nothing”
and “I have submitted everything, it says 10 days so what’s the holdup?”
The quantitative content analysis was designed to determine how, if at all, VW’s
brand equity was impacted. Since the company had the often-coveted “strong prior
reputation,” how would brand sentiment change after the first and second compen
sation offers?
To answer this question, online postings (tweets and discussion board comments)
were accessed and divided between postings after the first GWP offer event in 2015
(offer event 1) and those that occurred after the final offer event in 2016 (offer event 2).
As Dawar and Pillutla (2000) described, companies with previously high brand re
putations saw their brand equity increase if they offered what the authors referred to as
an “unambiguous” or complete crisis response. But when the prior expectation was high
and the crisis response was ambiguous and incomplete, they found that brand equity
resembled the unambiguous response condition. This would indicate that companies
such as VW who enjoyed a strong prior reputation can be protected from damage to their
brand equity even when their crisis response is deemed to be incomplete. Therefore, to
address this research question, it was important to capture expressed brand sentiment in
online postings after both compensation offer event time periods.
Descriptive statistics results from both offer events are shown in Table 9.2.
Table 9.2 Descriptive Statistics for Quantitative Content Analysis of Online Postings
Offer event 1 (GWP) Offer event 2 (final settlement)
N= 467 207
Positive expressed brand sentiment 15.2% 8.7%
Neutral expressed brand sentiment 55.5% 30.4%
Negative expressed brand 29.3% 60.9%
sentiment
M= 2.14 2.52
SD = .653 .652
94 MATT TIDWELL
Importantly, these results showed that, compared with the sentiment measured
after the first offer event, the percentage of positive comments about VW brand
sentiment after the final offer was lower. Also, negative brand sentiment comments
after the final offer were more than double, on a percentage basis, the amount mea
sured after the first offer event.
To look further at this difference, an independent samples t-test was conducted.
Offer 1 (M = 2.14, SD = .65) generated more positive brand sentiment than did Offer
2 (M = 2.52, SD = .65), and the difference is statistically significant (t = −6.98, p =
<.05). This finding rejects the observation that, in companies with strong prior re
putation, an ambiguous crisis response offer will generate as much positive brand
sentiment as an unambiguous crisis response offer.
KEY LEARNINGS FROM THE DIESELGATE CASE STUDY
We should always emphasize the value in studying prior crises to executives, PR

practitioners, students and others. The learnings we gain from how organizations
respond and the strategic choices they make can prove instructive if and when we find
ourselves working a crisis. In the Dieselgate case study, three key learnings are im
portant to understand:
1. Poor response execution, especially in the final compensation offer,

caused VW to lose the chance to regain trust
While corrective action is certainly called for in a crisis like Dieselgate,
organizations must deliver and execute with excellence to regain lost trust. After
what was widely cast as an inadequate initial offer with its goodwill gift card
package, VW then underperformed in executing on its final offer – further eroding
trust and yielding even more negative brand sentiment.
2. Don’t bank on your strong prior reputation to save you in a reputational
crisis
VW was a coveted brand prior to Dieselgate, but it has yet to recover to a
level anywhere close to its prior reputation ranking (Reputation Institute
ranked VW as the seventh most respected global brand in its 2014 rankings
before Dieselgate – the company hasn’t risen above number 100 in the
rankings since the scandal). Real monetary value is assigned to brand
reputation, making the loss of that value after a reputational crisis tangible to
owners, shareholders, etc.
3. PR practitioners as guardians of reputation
Since PR professionals are often tasked with guarding their organization’s
reputations, it becomes even more important that they remain extra-vigilant in
areas like issues management and crisis communications. Crises like Dieselgate
point to the need for PR practitioners to be present at the management table to
counsel on operational decisions and their downstream impact.
REFERENCES
Bomey, N. (2016, March 29). FTC sues Volkswagen over ‘deceptive’ diesel claims. USA
TODAY. Retrieved from www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2016/03/29/ftc-federal-
trade-commission-volkswagen-group-clean-diesel/82376012/
Coombs, W. T. (2007). Protecting organization reputations during a crisis: The development and
application of situational crisis communication theory. Corporate Reputation Review, 10(3),
163–176.
Dawar, N., & Pillutla, M. M. (2000). Impact of product-harm crises on brand equity: The
moderating role of consumer expectations. Journal of Marketing Research, 37(2), 215–226.
Ewing, J. (2016, March 2). VW says old memo told Winterkorn of emissions irregularities. The
New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/business/vw-says-old-
memo-told-winterkorn-of-emissions-irregularities.html
Ewing, J., & Mouawad, J. (2015, November 9). VW looks at cost cuts and offers money to diesel
car owners. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/
business/international/volkswagen-offers-1000-to-diesel-owners.html
Flynn, T. (2016). You had me at hello: How personal, developmental and social characteristics
influence communicator persuasiveness and effectiveness. Research Journal of the Institute
for Public Relations, 3(1), 1–11.
Garcia, A. (2015, September 29). Meet 3 angry Volkswagen owners. CNN. Retrieved from
http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/28/news/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-customers/
Gates, G., Ewing, J., Russell, K., & Watkins, D. (2017, January 11). How Volkswagen has
grappled with its diesel scandal. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/
interactive/2015/business/international/vw-diesel-emissions-scandal-explained.html?smid=
tw-nytimesbusiness&smtyp=cur
Klein, J., & Dawar, N. (2004). Corporate social responsibility and consumers’ attributions and
brand evaluations in a product–harm crisis. International Journal of research in Marketing,
21(3), 203–217.
Lienert, P., & Cremer, A. (2015, November 9). Volkswagen moves to appease angry customers,
workers. Reuters. Retrieved from www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-
idUSKCN0SY1UO20151110-C9uTjqR7OU2PdOgW.97
Ranking The Brands [Website]. (2013). Retrieved from www.rankingthebrands.com/The-Brand-
Rankings.aspx?rankingID=37&year=697
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costs, according to analysts. Grist.org. Retrieved from http://grist.org/climate-energy/
volkswagen-emissions-cheating-caused-100-million-in-health-costs-according-to-analysis/
VW scandal a case study in bad corporate ethics. (2016, July 1). The Kansas City Star. Retrieved
from www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article87287037.html
Volkswagen (2015, September 18): News & Updates. Retrieved from www.vwdieselinfo.com/
updates/statement-by-volkswagen-regarding-epa-investigation/
Volkswagen (2016, January 11): News & Updates. Retrieved from www.vwdieselinfo.com/
Volkswagen (2016, September 23): News & Updates. Retrieved from www.vwdieselinfo.com/
updates/statement-by-the-executive-committee-of-volkswagen-ags-supervisory-board/
Volkswagen’s US CEO admits “apologies are not enough.” (2015, November 20). New China.
Retrieved from http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-11/20/c_134836656.htm
■■■■
10 ■
Iceland Foods
■
Rang Tan and the palm oil alarm call
HIL BERG
■■■■■■
BACKGROUND
Iceland’s history of disruption
Iceland Foods is a UK value supermarket business, famous for its expertise in frozen
food. Its founder Sir Malcolm Walker opened the first Iceland store in Oswestry in
1970. Fifty years later Iceland is still run by the Walker family from its headquarters in
Deeside, North Wales, and is privately owned, with almost 1,000 stores, 25,000 staff
and a 2.3 per cent share of the UK grocery market.
Iceland can be found on virtually every UK high street and the business has a
unique community presence, with almost 80 per cent of its workforce living within
three miles of their store. As the business has grown it has retained a culture that
allows its owners to act quickly, to innovate, and to take calculated business risks
attached to its long-term belief in ‘doing it right’; company shorthand for the aim to
grow a profitable business that also ‘does the right thing’ for customers, the com
munities it serves, and future generations.
In the 1980s Iceland pioneered the recycling of ozone depleting chloro
fluorocarbons (CFCs) and established a free recovery and recycling service for its
customers’ old appliances. Under the banner ‘food you can trust’ it became the first
UK supermarket to remove artificial colourings, flavourings, non-essential pre
servatives, and monosodium glutamate from its own label products, two decades
before its major rivals.
The 1990s saw Iceland take advantage of its small size and entrepreneurial culture
to disrupt the retail sector with two environmental campaigns. It worked with the
NGO Greenpeace, which had pioneered a refrigerator prototype that was efficient,
good for the ozone layer and the climate. This used natural hydrocarbons, known as
‘GreenFreeze’ technology, and Greenpeace needed a way to fight against the chemical
industry lobby and bring the technology to market.
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-11
ICELAND FOODS 97
In 1998, Iceland developed a high street range of Kyoto fridges and freezers, the first
commercial products ever endorsed by Greenpeace; and, backed by a high-profile PR
campaign, sold them at affordable prices. The business encouraged manufacturers to
match the new technology and six months later Electrolux, Ariston/Indesit, Hoover,
Candy, and Whirlpool all agreed to sell green products through Iceland stores.
Meanwhile Hotpoint, whose owner, General Electric, refused to switch, was publicly
delisted. This helped to kickstart the use of GreenFreeze technology in the UK.
Iceland’s second campaign in 1998 made history when it became the first national
food retailer globally to guarantee that its own label range was free of genetically
modified (GM) ingredients.
With public unease growing about the health and environmental impacts of GM
food, Malcolm Walker led a controversial campaign that stopped its arbitrary in
troduction into the UK food chain1.
The central issue was soya beans, used in a huge range of everyday foods. The
‘Roundup Ready’ GM soybean, invented in 1996, was resistant to glyphosate, al
lowing farmers to spray their crops to eliminate weeds in place of expensive me
chanical methods. Its appeal to the agrochemical industry and farmers was obvious
and, anticipating resistance, producer Monsanto and the American Soybean
Association joined forces to argue that it was impossible to segregate GM and
conventionally grown beans2.
Iceland found alternative sources and campaigned against the move. This resonated
with consumers, gained the support of campaign groups, and was taken up by every
other major supermarket and food manufacturer. Twenty years on, GM food sold must
be approved by EU regulators and labelled (www.genewatch.org/sub-568547).
A new generation of sustainable leadership
In 2012 and aged 32, Malcolm Walker’s son Richard joined Iceland after forging a
separate career in the property sector. A passionate environmentalist, driven by his
experiences as a surfer, climber, and father to two young children, he decided that his
greatest opportunity to fight for climate justice and social justice was as a shareholder
and leader of a major brand.
After starting out as a store cashier to learn the ropes, then moving into operations
at head office, he took a seat on the Board and in 2017 assumed responsibility for
sustainability. He established a team of two, who work alongside him to develop and
lead Iceland’s ‘Doing it Right’ plan, hand in hand with Iceland’s Director of Corporate
Affairs. This involves working with Iceland’s suppliers on three core themes – planet,
communities, and food – and relies on embedded experts in the business who attend
working groups on issues, from carbon to food waste. Iceland’s 1,000 Talking Shop
representatives put colleagues at the heart of the plan, sharing information with the
25,000 strong workforce.
Richard Walker was keen for Iceland to continue its tradition of corporate activism.
As Managing Director, he embarked on three high-profile, disruptive campaigns. The
first, a pledge to fight plastic pollution by removing all plastic from Iceland’s own label
98 HIL BERG
packaging, was announced in January 2018, followed by Iceland’s Palm Oil Alarm Call
three months later. In July 2019, the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation launched
its ‘Backyard Nature’ campaign to engage children from the UK’s poorest communities
with the environment.
THE CAMPAIGN PLAN AND ACTIVATION
Palm oil and the imperative to act
Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil extracted from the fruit of oil palm trees. It is
found in more than half of all supermarket products, from bread to biscuits and
breakfast cereal to ice cream. It provides the foaming agent in most shampoo and
soap, is widely used in cosmetics, and is a cheap ingredient in biofuel. It is high
yielding, versatile, and cheap.
Between 1995 and 2015, annual production quadrupled to 62 million tonnes and
it is expected to quadruple again by 2050. Only a fifth of the world’s supply is certified
as sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)3.
The crop is one of the world’s biggest causes of deforestation and associated
human rights violations. It has adverse implications for biodiversity and climate
change and poses a significant threat to already endangered species. In Indonesia
and Malaysia, where it is a major driver of deforestation, many species are being
threatened with extinction, including the orangutan. Its population in Borneo has
more than halved in the last 15 years and is now critically endangered4. In
Indonesia alone, an area of forest the size of 146 football pitches is lost every hour5
and by 2020, at least 50 million hectares of forest – an area the size of Spain – will
have been destroyed for commodities despite ten years of corporate commitments to
end deforestation6.
In Southeast Asia, 14.5 million hectares of forest was destroyed for commodities
between 2010 and 20157. Yet most palm oil traders are carrying on with business as
usual and continue to supply some of the world’s largest consumer brands.
Iceland’s decision to act was driven by its conviction that genuinely sustainable
palm oil was simply not available to its supply chain as a mass market buyer. The
business used less than 1,000 tonnes a year, purchased through multiple suppliers (in
comparison with 59,000 tonnes used by market leader Tesco and over 1 million
tonnes used by Unilever)8.
Iceland had resigned its membership of the RSPO in 2015, although it continued
to demand that suppliers used a certified, segregated supply. Around this time the
business became aware of Greenpeace’s campaign against ‘dirty’ (unsustainable)
palm oil, and the likelihood that major brands would fail to make good on ten-year
zero deforestation pledges made in 2010, contributing to a fast-growing environ
mental crisis.
In 2016 Iceland’s own label suppliers were asked to remove palm oil where pos
sible and replace it with alternative ingredients.
ICELAND FOODS 99
Figure 10.1 Richard Walker in Borneo
Source: Iceland Marketing Campaigns
Situation analysis and campaign direction
Between 2016 and 2017 Iceland reviewed evidence on palm oil, considering scores of
industry and NGO documents, academic papers, and real time reporting from cam
paigners, to identify key issues and stakeholders. Meanwhile production experts set
out to understand the technical and environmental challenges of replacing palm oil
within manufacturing processes.
The business became convinced that certification did not necessarily mean ‘zero
deforestation’ and believed that the industry – including the RSPO – was not acting
decisively enough to solve the problem.
Stakeholder mapping identified a strong pro-palm lobby from producers, traders, and
international governments (with 85 per cent of palm oil coming from Indonesia and
Malaysia)9. Iceland also recognised that retailers and manufacturers, however sympa
thetic, would feel compromised by their commitment to sustainable palm oil, if its
credentials were questioned, and would not support the campaign. The business un
derstood that the environmental movement was likely to be split between more radical
campaigners and those embedded within the sector, attempting to encourage change
(including organisations like the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) which had helped
to set up the RSPO). Above all, research showed that most UK consumers were unaware
that they were even using palm oil, let alone the implications of doing so.
Iceland’s overall aim in terms of ‘Doing it Right’ is to democratise environmentalism
and to make ethical choices available to everyone, whatever their income. Therefore,
100 HIL BERG
this campaign was deemed relevant to the entire customer base. However, specific
interest was anticipated from Millennial and Generation Z customers, and from middle-
class socially conscious shoppers.
Timing was dictated by a discrete window for action. In 2018, Greenpeace planned
to step up its activity to push major brands into meeting their zero deforestation
promises for 2020. Meanwhile the RSPO was engaged in an in-depth consultation of
its members on future governance, including the potential to tackle deforestation.
Three options were available to Iceland. The first was to re-join the RSPO and lobby
for change. As a small player among 4,000 members, the team did not believe it would
have any significant leverage. The second was to direct the 150 own label suppliers
that purchased palm oil (some being large corporations) to switch to a proven, sus
tainable supply via the Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG). However, with only a
handful of producers signed up to POIG, this was not a practical proposition. The third
option was to take a public stand against deforestation. Iceland knew from its ex
perience in campaigning against GM in 1998 that it had the capacity to take disruptive
action to increase consumer awareness of the environmental issues around palm oil.
In March 2017 the decision was made to act on palm oil by removing it as an
ingredient from own label food – something deemed impossible by the food industry –
with the aims of repositioning Iceland as a corporate activist and inspiring a public
debate to put pressure on the palm oil industry to clean up its act. Wider objectives
were to:
• Communicate the widespread use of palm oil and implications for the planet to
consumers
• Demonstrate palm oil’s pervasiveness in food manufacture and the associated
challenge of removing it, through the re-formulation of Iceland’s own label foods
• Amplify Greenpeace pressure on the RSPO and palm oil producers to take urgent
action towards zero-deforestation.
Plans were approved by the Board in April and detailed supplier discussions began
with a conference in June. The campaign plan was confirmed in July, followed by a
second supplier conference in October, when work also began on packaging design.
The British Nutrition Foundation supported the team on the use of appropriate al
ternatives to palm oil, while Iceland experts sought technical solutions to production
challenges.
In November, Managing Director Richard Walker visited Borneo to see the pro
blem for himself, meeting activists and community leaders in remote jungle impacted
by deforestation. This confirmed his belief that truly sustainable palm oil was not
available on the mass market and the need for radical action.
For the following four months, Iceland worked closely with PR consultancy Weber
Shandwick on tactical planning, including influencer outreach and media relations.
The campaign was positioned as a lobbying platform to call for a truly sustainable
supply, with the message “we are not against palm oil; we are against deforestation”.
Work was underway to replace palm oil in own label foods with alternatives, notably
sunflower oil and rapeseed oil, and the environmental issues associated with them
were also investigated. Richard Walker agreed to lead the campaign personally.
ICELAND FOODS 101
Figure 10.2 Iceland Window Poster
Activity planning: evidence, advocacy, and assets
Greenpeace acted as a critical friend to Iceland, ensuring that its evidence was sound,
also making it clear that it was not calling for a ban on palm oil use, but demanding
transparency from the industry to stop illegal deforestation and human rights abuses.
Iceland agreed with this stance, positioning the removal of palm oil as a move to
gain public attention and support for change – and taking care not to use the words
‘ban’ or ‘boycott’.
The campaign was backed with significant, referenced evidence of illegal defor
estation, however Iceland chose not to share all its data or expert sources, so as not to
compromise its industry or political relationships.
Assets were produced including film A rolls and B rolls (incorporating footage from
the Borneo visit); photography of palm oil production; orangutans; deforestation;
product packaging; and graphics. Point of sale material for stores included window
posters and leaflets. New packaging featured a ‘no palm oil’ flash.
102 HIL BERG
An internal communications plan was developed to involve and engage store colleagues.
While the team aimed to drive interest through traditional media, data from the
Global Web Index showed that core customer audiences were using social media to
share their opinions and to review brands; thus, digital and social engagement were
also key. Stakeholder mapping enabled key influencers to be identified and contacted.
Media training was provided for spokespeople with expertise in policy, production,
and sourcing.
Figure 10.3 Iceland No Palm Oil Packaging Flash
Phase one of the campaign: launch
The campaign announcement on 9 April was supported by a traditional and social

media plan, based on a PEST analysis and digital listening exercise which analysed
56,000 discussions relating to palm oil. The resulting platform core message was:
‘Your groceries shouldn’t cost the earth’.
The creative approach to engage consumers using social media was Iceland’s Palm
Oil Alarm Call. In the forest, orangutans sensing danger issue a distinct alarm call as an
altruistic signal that prompts others to act. By removing palm oil from products,
Iceland would be sounding the alarm to the world through earned, owned, and paid
media, and asking consumers to share it, with the promise of an associated donation to
an orangutan sanctuary.
Key activity included:
• Generating national coverage through a hardworking press office

ICELAND FOODS 103
• Engaging celebrities, influencers, partners, and employees to spread the alarm call
• Redistributing these and hero video content through an owned and paid social
programme
• Securing launch day access for The Guardian, BBC Breakfast, and BBC Radio
Four’s Today Programme to maintain ownership of media messaging
• Targeting business, consumer lifestyle and consumer affairs national journalists,
retail and grocery trade media
• Engaging 230 social influencers
• Using paid social to promote campaign assets: video content, GIFs and imagery and
messaging organically and through paid across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
LinkedIn.
Phase one amplification
Due to intense customer interest in the announcement, Iceland’s marketing team took
out full page advertisements in national weekend newspapers, explaining the cam
paign rationale.
Figure 10.4 Iceland Newspaper Advertisement

104 HIL BERG
A film was made showing Iceland’s reformulation of mince pies – chosen as a ‘hero
product’ to explain production challenges. This was shared on social media and
prompted interest from food journalists.
Longer lead print and broadcast opportunities included documentaries and lifestyle
programming (Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped, the BBC’s Supermarket Secrets, and
The One Show).
Interest peaked again with the BBC2 broadcast of its ‘Red Ape’ documentary in
May, featuring the work of conservationists at an orangutan sanctuary in Borneo.
Reaction to the launch
While there was an overwhelmingly positive response from UK media and consumers,
the palm oil industry quickly put forward media commentators, leading to robust
debate, particularly through national broadcast channels. The RSPO published a
statement disagreeing with Iceland10.
High-profile campaigners working closely with the palm oil industry to influence
change highlighted their concerns on a ‘ban’, citing environmental issues with alter
native oils. In a statement, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warned against the use of
a ‘boycott’ and argued that working alongside growers to establish environmental best
practices was the way forward11.
It is worth noting that as the campaign developed, many conservationists were
supportive. Will Travers of the Born Free Foundation tweeted “I don’t see anything
from @IcelandFoods about a boycott. No more #palm oil in their own-brand products
until palm-oil causes zero rainforest destruction. What’s wrong with that?”12. Others
were pragmatic. The scientific director of HUTAN, the Borneo-based Orang-utan
Conservation Programme, said: “A boycott is not necessarily the answer, but the in
dustry is moving forwards because of the pressure being put on it. If nobody com
plained, nothing would change.”13
A fast and unexpected development came from the Faces of Palm Oil, claiming to
be an interest group representing small farmers. Immediately after the launch it at
tacked Richard Walker through a paid social media campaign in the UK, using re-
edited footage of his Borneo trip. This claimed he wanted to attack poor farmers and
that he had inherited a ‘Trust Fund called Iceland’. This media attack was ridiculed as
crude propaganda by UK recipients.
On 20 April, an investigation by The Times14 reported that the Faces of Palm Oil
had been set up by Malaysian groups including two Government agencies and that
two western lobbying companies were behind the campaign.
Correspondence revealed by Greenpeace suggested that within a week of the
announcement, the Malaysian and Indonesian governments urged the Foreign Office,
Department for International Trade and Department for International Development to
intervene with Iceland. One official responded: “[The Malaysians and Indonesians]
need to recognise that Iceland is a private company; HMG [UK government] has not
ICELAND FOODS 105
encouraged them to take this decision, but neither would it be appropriate for us to
attempt to dissuade or criticise them”.15
Greenpeace also reported how correspondence16 between the Ministry of Defence,
the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the British high com
mission in Kuala Lumpur warned that UK support for an EU ban of palm oil imports
for biofuels could risk deals with Malaysia to purchase British-built Eurofighter
Typhoon aircraft.
Senior representatives of the palm oil industry wrote to Richard Walker, who re
sponded personally by explaining the campaign rationale and responding robustly to
media comment. As the debate continued, reaction from consumers remained highly
positive.
Phase two of the campaign – Rang Tan
In July 2018, as public interest continued to grow, Iceland became aware of an ani
mated campaign film made for Greenpeace by creative agency Mother. Narrated by
Emma Thompson, this featured a baby orangutan, Rang Tan, which had lost its mo
ther and its forest home due to ‘dirty’ palm oil.
The Iceland team asked if this could be used as the company’s Christmas TV
advertisement for 2018 and, to test consumer reaction, it was emailed to 2.5 million
customers, generating positive feedback. Thousands signed the Greenpeace online
petition to major brands, and the Christmas campaign was secured.
In September, Rang Tan was edited to create a 90-second TV ad with support from
Mother and Greenpeace. Negotiations began with Clearcast, the organisation re
sponsible for pre-approving television advertising for major UK commercial broad
casters, resulting in several re-edits during ongoing negotiation. Airtime valued at
£500,000 was booked for November.
A week before launch, Iceland was told that Rang Tan had not been approved for
broadcast, because it had been made by Greenpeace. Clearcast had decided that it
contravened the prohibition on political advertising as it was “an advertisement which
is inserted by or on behalf of a body whose objects are wholly or mainly of a political
nature”.17
This left Iceland with a commercial challenge and brought its campaign to a halt.
The solution was two-fold – the marketing team produced a series of low-cost product
advertisements to optimise the airtime – and Weber Shandwick proposed a new plan
to use the repurposed film to generate earned media attention, driven by the adver
tisement being posted on social media.
The advertisement was revealed with an embargoed press release that featured the
headline “The Christmas advert that never made it to TV: Iceland’s banned ad
launches on social media”18.
On 9 November, the day that the advertisement should have been broadcast on
TV, high-profile broadcast interviews were scheduled with Richard Walker, to explain
Iceland’s intentions, while the film was showcased on Iceland’s website and owned
social channels.
106 HIL BERG
Figure 10.5 Still from Rang Tan Film
Source: Mother London
Phase two amplification
During December, three activations continued to build media and social coverage.
Iceland stores featured Rang Tan point-of-sale material and staff were briefed to
answer customer questions on the campaign, many wearing themed T shirts. Fifty
thousand cuddly orangutan toys were put on sale, with profits supporting a ‘kinder
garten’ for orphaned orangutans in Borneo.
Working with creative PR agency Taylor Herring, Iceland created a stunt which
saw a lifelike animatronic orangutan roaming London streets among Christmas
shoppers. At the same time its consumer PR plan was adjusted by Weber Shandwick to
offer customers a ‘Christmas without palm oil’, showcasing products which had been
reformulated without palm oil. Finally, Iceland’s buying team agreed an unexpected
partnership with upmarket department store Selfridges to stock Iceland’s own label
‘no palm oil’ mince pies in Selfridges’ food halls.
Immediate reaction
Richard Walker appeared on the Radio 4 Today programme to break the news of the
ban. This was followed by TV and national media interviews that had been arranged
for the rest of the day. High-profile influencers, including Stephen Fry and James
Corden, were approached to share Rang Tan on social media.
As soon as the news became public, two things began to happen: an assumption
among some commentators that Iceland had engineered the ban deliberately to garner
ICELAND FOODS 107
publicity, and the bombardment of Clearcast with complaints from unhappy con
sumers. Anger over the perceived silencing of the story created the need to prevent
the dilution of the campaign message.
Messaging was adjusted during the day, to explain that this was not a war against
Clearcast and that the advertisement had not failed clearance on the grounds that its
content was political, rather the association with Greenpeace was considered too
political. The story was covered by every national and broadcast media outlet.
The public reaction was extreme and saw Rang Tan quickly go viral. Almost
immediately one Iceland customer created an online petition19 to have Rang Tan
‘unbanned’.
Again, reactions from environmentalists were mixed, and fuelled media interest. Press
reported that Teresa Kok, a Malaysian Government Minister, celebrated the Clearcast
decision with a media announcement20, accusing Iceland of “craftily partnering with
Greenpeace” and saying: “We will not be cowed or stand by idly, when nasty adver
tisements by Iceland mislead people in markets that are crucial to us”. She congratulated
TV journalist Piers Morgan on his ‘grilling’ of Richard Walker. Meanwhile the Malaysian
Palm Oil Association criticised the campaign as “discriminatory and baseless” and the film
“a blatant lie”, adding fuel to the debate and sparking yet more media coverage21.
Farmers Unite, an online campaign publicly backed by the Malaysian Palm Oil
Council, (MPOC) bought three full-page advertisements in the London free newspaper,
City AM, calling on Richard Walker to end his ‘colonial crusade’ against palm oil22 and
generated media coverage in Asia and West Africa on behalf of the Nigerian thinktank,
Initiative for Public Policy Analysis (IPPA). Both attacks were supported on social media.
According to Greenpeace, at the same time IPPA Founder Thompson Ayodele
campaigned against European moves to restrict palm oil imports and in 2015, had
authored research for Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantation23.
CAMPAIGN EVALUATION
Budget
Iceland set a £5 million budget to cover the cost of removing palm oil from its own
label foods. Of this, £180,000 was spent on associated PR and marketing.
Media metrics
During 2018, the combined ‘opportunities to see’ for traditional and social media cov
erage exceeded 7.6 billion. Phase one of the campaign generated 1,400 pieces of UK
coverage and phase two secured over 1,000 pieces of coverage in global broadcast and
print media. Iceland and Weber Shandwick managed more than 400 media enquiries.
Despite never being shown on television, Rang Tan was viewed over 90 million times
across Iceland owned channels. It sparked 350 million social media conversations.
Iceland’s initial tweet presenting the film received more than 92,000 retweets and
100,000 likes, and the campaign trended throughout the day of the announcement.
108 HIL BERG
Rang Tan was named ‘most powerful Christmas ad of 2018’ by Kantar24, with
consumers scoring it top on 10 of the 12 factors including ‘involvement’, ‘brand love’,
‘enjoyment’, ‘persuasion’, ‘relevant’, and ‘different from others’. Iceland also saw a
major improvement in ‘offline influence’. PR Week magazine described the company
as “a genuine agent for change”25.
Organic support was provided by influencers including Ricky Gervais, James
Corden, Stephen Fry, Ben Fogle, Jennifer Saunders, Ralph Little, and Deborah
Meaden. Celebrity restaurateur Gino D’Acampo and naturalist Chris Packham shared
‘palm oil alarm calls’, along with many environmentalists.
The online petition launched by a member of the public, aimed at securing TV
coverage for the film, attracted more than a million signatures.
Rang Tan became the most popular Christmas advertisement ever, beating the
previous record holder, Sainsbury’s 2015 advertisement featuring Mog the cat, which
had 38 million views26.
Brand perspective
At the end of 2018, Iceland’s YouGov Brand Buzz score (a measure of trust, con
sideration, and perceptions of quality and value) was the highest for a decade.
Consumer consideration of Iceland grew to the highest of any retailer, placing Iceland
ahead of Waitrose. The campaign lifted the brand’s ‘talkability’ score, making Iceland
the second-most-talked-about supermarket brand after Aldi. Before the campaign,
Iceland was ranked seventh27.
The 50,000 orangutan toys sold out almost immediately, as did Selfridges’ stock of
Iceland mince pies.
Iceland reported industry-leading levels of colleague engagement, with 90 per cent
of colleagues agreeing that ‘Iceland works hard to help the environment’ and 81 per
cent ‘confident that the leadership of Iceland will do the right thing’. It reported
increases in the numbers and calibre of job applicants, many citing sustainability as
their reason for wanting to join the company.
In total Iceland launched 450 own label lines without palm oil as an ingredient during
the year, either by reformulating existing lines or by developing completely new ones.
The campaign objectives did not include sales targets (this is the case for all of
Iceland’s sustainability activity). Like-for-like Christmas sales were on a par with the
previous year. Sales of mince pies were up 11 per cent.
Lobbying impact
Campaign results included a 10,000 per cent increase in Google searches for palm oil
during 2018, achieving the highest score on record28. As well as directly engaging tens
of thousands of customers, over 1,000 schools contacted Iceland and Greenpeace
about the campaign.
The RSPO consultation on its requirements for certification had launched in March
2017 so was well underway when the campaign began, and Iceland was one of many
ICELAND FOODS 109
voices – including institutional investors – lobbying for change. Its final draft re
commendations were issued to members in October 2018 and five days after the Rang
Tan story broke, the organisation incorporated ‘no deforestation’ into its future prin
ciples and criteria29.
On 10 December, the world’s largest palm oil trader, Wilmar International, pub
lished an action plan to map and monitor its suppliers, described by Greenpeace as a
‘breakthrough moment’. If implemented, this will put the palm oil giant one step
closer to finally eliminating deforestation from its supply chain30.
On the same day, the British parliament debated an e-petition calling for a “ban on
the sale of products containing unsustainably sourced palm oil in the UK.”31 Luke Hall
MP said:
Support for the petition skyrocketed after an Iceland advert detailing the effects of
the palm oil industry on orangutans became a viral sensation online. It went from
just a few thousand signatures to almost 100,000 in just a few days.
Conservationist and founder of Mongabay.com, Rhett Butler, was quoted in the

Huffington Post on 24 December32, saying: “There’s been a huge spike in awareness
about palm oil because of the Iceland ad. It was quite astonishing actually. It seems
like global interest in this issue is at an all-time high.”
In March 2019, the Malaysian Government announced plans to halt all expansion
of oil palm plantations to help dispel the oil’s reputation of being linked to defor
estation33.
Surprises
There were three significant surprises in the development of the campaign, the first
being the refusal of Clearcast to approve Rang Tan for broadcast and the second being
the scale of the public reaction to their decision, and to the film content. The third was
the scale of reaction from the palm oil lobby, which was due in part to the ongoing
wider global debate on the use of palm oil in biofuel. However, the industry response
to Iceland included unexpected and questionable tactics.
In August 2019, Reuters published an investigative report34 revealing that MPOC,
funded at least partly by palm oil businesses, discussed investment of over $1 million
in three PR firms to run defensive campaigns which gave the appearance of re
presenting small farmers, including Faces of Palm Oil and Farmers Unite. It also
claimed the use of paid for news articles, columns, and research.
LESSONS LEARNED
Speed of communications needed for transparency
Iceland’s efforts to remove palm oil saw 450 products reformulated or created without
palm oil in 2018, a result of significant investment and collaboration with suppliers.
110 HIL BERG
A major lesson came in January 2019 when a BBC investigation35 reported that
“Iceland removed own label from 17 products rather than palm oil”, deflecting from
the success of the campaign and raising questions on transparency.
Malcolm Walker issued a statement explaining that 17 frozen, chilled, and ambient
Iceland own label products had proved exceptionally difficult to reformulate, so the
Iceland own label was taken off those products on a temporary basis. He explained
that the products would be back on sale under the Iceland own label by April 2019.
Richard Walker elected to appear live on BBC TV to explain the decision. By April, 16
of these temporarily ‘unbranded’ lines were reformulated and returned to the Iceland
brand, followed later by the final product.
This highlighted the speed of communications needed to ensure absolute trans
parency. Iceland believed that temporarily removing a small number of products from
its own brand made communications simple for shoppers. The issue would have been
avoided by announcing the decision at the beginning of the month.
The power of storytelling
Successful storytelling featured heavily in the campaign, first using Richard Walker’s
visit to Borneo to allow him to share personal experiences.
The Rang Tan story had wide appeal. Greenpeace worked with the creative agency
Mother on the challenge that the facts on palm oil were difficult for people to process.
Their solution was to focus on a tangible victim with a personal, emotive story.
Mother’s Hermeti Balarin36 said; “We went from this big devastation – deforestation –
back to the smallness of what is our closest relative in the wild, the orangutan.”
Unexpected partnerships
There is no question that the carefully managed relationship between Iceland and
Greenpeace provided the successful dynamic for the campaign, raising the opportunity
for the creation of future campaigning platforms through bolder, cross-sector part
nerships.
The behaviour of powerful lobbies
Iceland mapped stakeholders and considered risks. However, taking on a $60 billion
industry and powerful international lobby is bound to have unexpected consequences.
A strong counter argument was anticipated, but the level of threat perceived by the
industry and some of the tactics adopted were surprising.
This also reinforces the moral imperative of ‘duty of care’ to all parties involved
in a campaign. For instance, Iceland chose not to expose the sources of some of
its evidence, so not to risk the breakdown of relationships important to those
individuals.
ICELAND FOODS 111
THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF GOING VIRAL
The reach of the campaign meant that Iceland’s carefully crafted message went be
yond its expected audience and resonated on a global scale. As the story was shared,
the decision to remove palm oil was increasingly described as a ‘boycott’ or ‘ban’,
mostly due to linguistic shorthand rather than a deliberate attempt to corrupt the
campaign message.
This presented the campaign team with the challenge of managing the message and
reinforcing it to key stakeholders, but inevitably saw some of the subtleties lost to a
global audience.
Improvise, adapt, and overcome
One of the most useful rules for PR professionals is ‘never presume anything’. If things
don’t go entirely to plan, then it is the reaction that matters. When Rang Tan failed to
be cleared for broadcast, Iceland’s campaign was in jeopardy. The decision to share
that story demonstrated the power of earned media and the potential impact of a small
lobbyist with a big ambition.
NOTES
1 Ends Report (1998, March 1). Iceland bans genetically modified ingredients from own-
brands. Retrieved 14 February 2020 from www.endsreport.com/article/1559506/iceland-
bans-genetically-modified-ingredients-own-brands
2 Ends Report (1996, August 31). European retailers stand up to US soya producers. Retrieved
14 February 2020 from www.endsreport.com
3 Tullis, P. (2019, February 19). How the world got hooked on palm oil. The Guardian.
Retrieved December 10, 2019 from www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/19/palm-oil-
ingredient-biscuits-shampoo-environmental
4 Cell Press. (2018, February 15). In 16 years, Borneo lost more than 100,000 orangutans.
ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 10, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/
02/180215125032.htm
5 Greenpeace (2018). It’s now or never for Indonesia’s orangutans. Retrieved December 10,
2019 from www.catalystworks.co.uk/our-work/greenpeace-september-warm-appeal-2018/
6 Greenpeace Southeast Asia (2019, June 11). 50 million hectares of forests destroyed
worldwide, as palm oil sector in Indonesia continues unreformed. Retrieved February 11,
2020 from www.greenpeace.org/southeastasia/press/2484/50-million-hectares-of-forests-
destroyed-worldwide-as-palm-oil-sector-in-indonesia-continues-unreformed/
7 Greenpeace International (2019, June 10). Countdown to extinction. Retrieved February 11,
2020 from www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/22247/countdown-extinction-
report-deforestation-commodities-soya-palm-oil/
8 WWF (2020). Palm oil buyers’ scorecard 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020 from https://
palmoilscorecard.panda.org
9 Rosner, H. (December 2018). Palm oil is unavoidable. Can it be sustainable? National
Geographic Magazine. Retrieved December 10, 2019 from www.nationalgeographic.com
10 RSPO (2018, April 16). Statement: The RSPO disagrees with Iceland’s decision to ban palm
oil products. Retrieved December 20, 2019 from https://rspo.org/news-and-events/news/
the-rspo-disagrees-with-icelands-decision-to-ban-palm-oil-products
112 HIL BERG
11 WWF (2018, April 18). WWF Position statement: Why palm oil boycotts are not as helpful
as they may seem. Retrieved December 10, 2019 from https://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.
cloudfront.net/downloads/final_wwf_position_on_iceland_po_boycott.pdf
12 Brown, M. (2018, November 16). Banned palm oil TV ad: Why it’s sharply dividing en
vironmentalists. Inverse. Retrieved January 7, 2020, from www.inverse.com/article/50915-
banned-palm-oil-tv-ad-why-it-s-sharply-divided-environmentalists
13 Fair, J. (2018, December 18). Christmas ad conundrum: Is a palm oil boycott the way to save
apes? Mongabay. Retrieved January 7, 2020 from https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/
christmas-ad-conundrum-is-a-palm-oil-boycott-the-way-to-save-apes/
14 Moore, M. (2018, April 20). Palm oil lobby smears Iceland boss Richard Walker. The Times.
Retrieved December 10, 2019 from www.thetimes.co.uk/article/palm-oil-lobby-smears-
iceland-boss-richard-walker-tqldz85dh
15 Sandler-Clark, J. (2018, December 5). Indonesia and Malaysia tried to push UK government to
take action over Iceland’s palm oil ban. Greenpeace Unearthed. Retrieved January 7, 2020
from https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2018/12/05/palm-oil-iceland-rangtan-advert/
16 Sandler-Clark, J. (2018, 7 May). British diplomats warned palm oil row could harm
Malaysian defence deals. Greenpeace Unearthed. Retrieved January 7, 2020 from https://
unearthed.greenpeace.org/2018/05/08/palm-oil-eu-uk-defence-malaysia-bae-systems/
17 Clearcast (2018, November 9). Iceland advert. Clearcast. Retrieved July 8, 2022 from
https://clearcast.co.uk/press/iceland-advert/
18 Iceland Foods (2018, November 9). News release: The Christmas advert that never made it
to TV: Iceland’s banned ad launces on social media. Retrieved December 18, 2019 from
https://about.iceland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/The-Christmas-advert-that-
never-made-it-to-TV.pdf
19 Change.Org (2020). Petition: Release Iceland’s banned Christmas advert on TV
#NoPalmOilChristmas. Retrieved January 25, 2020 from www.change.org/p/release-
iceland-s-banned-christmas-advert-on-tv-nopalmoilchristmas
20 Kok, T. (2018, November 19). Letter: Hypocrisy won’t help the environment. The Star.
Retrieved December 20, 2019 from www.thestar.com.my
21 Saieed, Z. (2018, November 27). Palm oil association condemn ’Rang-tan’ video clip. The
Star. Retrieved December 20, 2019 from www.thestar.com.my.
22 Sandler-Clarke, J. (2019, March 18). How palm oil sparked a diplomatic row between
Europe and southeast Asia. Greenpeace Unearthed. Retrieved December 20, 2019 from
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2019/03/18/palm-oil-indonesia-malaysia-biofuels-eu/
23 Sandler-Clarke, J. (2019, March 18). How palm oil sparked a diplomatic row between
Europe and southeast Asia. Greenpeace Unearthed. Retrieved December 20, 2019 from
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2019/03/18/palm-oil-indonesia-malaysia-biofuels-eu/
24 Page, G. (2018, 4 December). Iceland’s ‘Rang-tan’ is the most powerful ad of Christmas
2018 – despite being banned from TV. Kantar. Retrieved 20 December 2019 from www.
kantar.com/uki/inspiration/advertising-media/iceland-rang-tan-most-powerful-ad-of-
christmas-2018-despite-being-banned-from-tv
25 Hickman, A. (2018, December 4). Top of the month: Iceland’s Rang Tan is a lesson in
effective social cause marketing. PR Week. Retrieved 20 December 2019 from www.prweek.
com/article/1520182/top-month-icelands-rang-tan-lesson-effective-social-cause-marketing
26 Horton, H. (2018, November 13). Iceland’s ’banned’ advert could become most popular ever
on social media by Christmas as clearance agency warns of copycats exploiting ’emotive’
loophole. The Telegraph. Retrieved December 20, 2019 from www.telegraph.co.uk/news/
2018/11/13/icelands-banned-advert-could-become-popular-ever-social-media/
27 Rogers, C. (2018, November 13). Charlotte Rogers: Iceland’s banned Christmas ad is a festive
masterstroke. Marketing Week. Retrieved December 20, 2019 from www.marketingweek.
com/iceland-greenpeace-festive-masterstroke/
28 Google (2020). Palm oil. Google Trends. Retrieved January 20, 2020 from https://trends.
google.com/trends
ICELAND FOODS 113
29 Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (2018, November 15). News release. RSPO members
agree on new palm oil standard to halt deforestation and improve human rights protection.
Retrieved December 18, 2019 from https://rspo.org
30 Wilmar International (2018, December 10). News Release: Wilmar leads palm oil industry
to be deforestation free. Retrieved December 18, 2019 from media.corporate-ir.net/
media_files/IROL/16/164878/News-Release-10-Dec-18-Wilmar-Leads-Palm-Oil-Industry-
to-be-Deforestation-Free.pdf
31 House of Commons. (2018). December 10 debate (vol 651, col 2018). Retrieved December
20, 2019 from https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-12-10/debates/552BC0C6-
3EBB-4F5E-BCE9-FAB0E2401267/PalmOil
32 Butler, R.A. (2018, December 30). The biggest rainforest news stories in 2018. Mongabay.
Retrieved December 20, 2019 from https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/the-biggest-
rainforest-news-stories-in-2018/
33 Raghu, A. (2019, March 1). Malaysia plans to halt all expansion of palm oil plantations.
Bloomberg. Retrieved on December 20, 2019 from www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/
2019-03-01/malaysia-plans-to-halt-palm-oil-expansion-to-dispel-bad-image#xj4y7vzkg
34 Ananthalakshmi, A. and Chow, E. (2019, August 21). Fearing tobacco’s fate, palm oil in
dustry fights back. Reuters. Retrieved January 7, 2020 from www.reuters.com/article/
malaysia-palmoil-strategy-idAFL8N24A02Q
35 Mackay, H. (2019, January 24). Iceland removed own label from 17 products rather than
palm oil. BBC News. Retrieved 20 January 2020 from www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46984349
36 WARC (2019, April 18). Inside Iceland and Greenpeace’s struggle against palm oil.
Retrieved 20 December 2019 from www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/inside-iceland-
and-greenpeaces-struggle-against-palm-oil/en-gb/41968
■■■■
11 ■
The M.O.M. Squad
■
PR Transforms Diverse
Micro-Influencers into the World’s
First Team of Pregnant Comic
Book Superheroes
ADAM RITCHIE
■■■■■■
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Superheroes are big business in the United States, both in the entertainment and
business sectors. The trend continues with many different kinds of adaptions of
superheroes to keep audiences engaged. This case study is an example of how a baby-
centered business that had just lost its largest retail outlet to bankruptcy capitalized
on the superhero genre to remain solvent – and stable – in the new business en
vironment.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Baby gear company Summer Infant was in a bind. Its biggest retail partner,
Babies“R”Us, had just gone out of business. Sales were down. Social engagement was
flat. The corporate outlook was uneasy. The brand needed a jumpstart. It wanted to
reach expectant parents and parents of newborns to 3-year-olds through positive na
tional coverage in parenting media and beyond, reinforce the brand’s message of
support (“Baby has you. You have us.”), spark positive social media conversations
around the brand and drive sales – all in time for Mother’s Day.
Summer Infant’s VP of marketing was a true believer in PR’s ability to transform.
Her new PR agency of record convinced her to choose PR over any other discipline to
create a content-driven marketing communications campaign from scratch. She took a
chance and put her money on PR.
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-12
THE M.O.M. SQUAD 115
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH
A trip to the movie theater resulted in a flash of inspiration which was crosschecked to
determine viability. Marquees were filled with superhero films. Families from all back
grounds were spotted lining up at ticketwindows. The agency dug into the national su
perhero obsession and the role these movies play in family entertainment. Secondary
research showed women and men were equally excited about these films. Wonder Woman
had recently become the top-grossing superhero origin movie of all time (Hughes, 2017),
Black Panther had crossed the $1 billion mark (Liptak, 2018) and audiences were asking for
greater diversity (Allen, 2021) – specifically more women in these films (Meyers, 2021).
The agency hopped into its brand-mobile and floored it to Summer Infant to discuss
how superhero content was embraced by their audience and fit their message of support.
Summer Infant agreed parents want to be superheroes to their children, always save
the day and their products gave them extra abilities. The agency shaped these insights
into a concept which would tap into the superhero trend, tie in the empowering message
of the women’s movement and break through with an unforgettable visual. It would
create a pregnant superhero. A woman with top-notch gadgetry to heighten her powers.
She’d be Batman with a baby bump, and nothing would stand in her way
Figure 11.1 Research & Insights
PLANNING
The client loved the idea and wanted more than one character. The agency suggested
banding them together as a unit: the world’s first team of pregnant superheroes.
They’d come together from all walks of life and all stages of pregnancy to kick butt and
celebrate all moms as heroes to their little ones (“Baby has you.”). Each would be
equipped with a Summer Infant product as her tool of choice: a monitor, a potty, a
stroller and a bath seat (“You have us.”). They’d be the living embodiment of the
116 ADAM RITCHIE
brand message. The agency went further and suggested the characters be based on
real-life pregnant micro-influencers from across the country, in the target audience, to
bring a concept based in fantasy into reality. It outlined the criteria for the four women
who would make up the group, and emphasized diversity.
It was important for the characters to break old comic book stereotypes of women
illustrated by men, so the agency asked Summer Infant to hire a female comic book
illustrator. Artist Viera Boudreau was chosen to bring the characters to life with powerful
art that would turn heads and drive the narrative. The M.O.M. Squad was born. Its
members were Agent Momitor, Professor Potty, The MotherLoad and AquaMom – each
based on a real pregnant woman with her own story to tell. To connect with moms,
Summer Infant would shine a light on the superhero in each of them.
With a major juvenile products industry trade show to support before starting, it had
to be content creation at the speed of pop culture. Most campaigns are brand- or product-
focused. This campaign was designed to be both. Many campaigns focus on a single
holiday. This campaign used a pair of one-day holidays as goalposts to land results be
tween. It would kick off just before National Superhero Day (April 28) and culminate on
Mother’s Day (May 13). These was just 2.5 weeks to conduct the outreach.
Figure 11.2 Timeline
EXECUTION
Summer Infant asked Marvel Entertainment if they’d be willing to amplify Summer

Infant’s positive announcement on their social platforms. They declined but appre
ciated the idea, and Summer Infant moved forward solo, undaunted.
A video trailer was scripted to introduce the female comic book illustrator, showing
the real women morphing into superheroes and inviting consumers to share and tag the
supermoms in their own lives. Moments after the trailer was finalized, Summer Infant
took it to the most influential online parenting outlet in the country: The Bump. Once
the news broke, The Bump placement was used as proof-of-concept to broaden the
outreach horizons and propel the story out of parenting media and into noncompeting
outlets in lifestyle, women’s, pop culture, news and business segments, with angles
tailored to each. Summer Infant launched a microsite with an online press kit (https://
aritchbrand.com/summerpresskit) and promoted Facebook posts where consumers
were asked to tag their personal supermoms. Three consumers would receive the full
line of products used by the heroes, and Summer Infant gift cards. An email blast was
sent and the video trailer was promoted with TrueView.
The agency created a different take on the news release, making it an open letter to
Marvel Entertainment, extolling the virtues of pregnant superheroes and inviting them
to write future M.O.M. Squad adventures together with Summer Infant. It was a
lighthearted note to boost media interest and the brand’s SEO. The agency also offered
the inspirational women behind the M.O.M. Squad characters for interviews – along
with the female comic book illustrator and the client – and suggested editors might ask
readers what their own superpowers would be. This showed the story’s potential for
engaging readers and helped sell the pitch.
Figure 11.3 Tactics & Execution
EVALUATION
The campaign placed stories across six different media segments and reached 93.3
million target consumers. The placed messaging carried Summer Infant’s message of
support and changed the tone of previously skeptical company coverage: “Summer
Infant supports you” (Arsenault, 2018). “Summer Infant’s mission toasting moms’
praises is an overdue and important one” (Herndon, 2014). “This badass team of comic
book characters gives heroism a whole new perspective … . it [could] challenge the way
our society thinks about mothers” (“World’s First Team of Pregnant Superheros”, 2018).
“Summer Infant has taken the superhero concept to the next level” (Herndon, 2014).
“Who can’t get behind a little mom-as-superhero action this Mother’s Day?” (Ritchie,
2019). The compelling artwork was used up front in every story.
118 ADAM RITCHIE
Summer Infant doubled the brand’s social media interactions (likes/comments/

shares) from the previous period and reached 5.4 million target consumers. The M.O.M.
Squad resonated with users who tagged their own supermoms and said, “Hannelore
Moore literally is a super hero already! Love you Hanni! xoxo.” “Stephanie Stevens you
are a superhero Mom to those charming boys!!” “Alex Umstead! We are totes M.O.M.
squad superheroes!!!” M.O.M. Squad members posted their characters and said, “I am in
tears seeing this actually come to life!” (Ritchie, 2019).
In a week, the combined earned and paid campaign drove 29,934 YouTube views
(70x the brand’s previous video performance), a 56.40% view rate (retail benchmark:
15.7%), a 10% email open rate and a 6% clickthrough rate. The story spread and
generated 3,974 landing page sessions. Coverage backlinked to each product’s pur
chase page and contributed to a 13.3% increase in quarterly sales.
Months after the campaign, its assets continued being shared by consumers around
the world. PR sparked the creative process, marshaled the client’s internal resources
and drove an inter-agency team to carry an idea across disciplines and channels. It
owned idea creation and multimedia storytelling as only PR can. The client called it
“inspiring … an excellent return on investment … generated excitement within the
organization” and added, “The brand had not received this level of coverage [in all of
its 33 years]” (Ritchie, 2019).
There were no celebrity spokespeople. No big spends. Just an original idea to
celebrate the heroics of everyday women and elevate them to superhero status, while
helping a brand recover its superpowers.
Figure 11.4 Results & Evaluation
LESSONS LEARNED
Agency CEO Adam Ritchie stressed the importance of having a client ally inside the
organization. It also helps to be socially conscious of the environment in which the
campaign will be launched. Ritchie also stressed the importance of being aware of,
understanding and addressing the client’s fears, and defending the value of the
campaign’s coverage.
Figure 11.5 M.O.M.s Lessons Learned
Figure 11.6 Heroes News Story
Source: “The M.O.M. Squad:

Gold Distinction in Family &
Planning.” https://shortyawards.
com/11th/the-mom-squad.
Accessed July 6, 2022
120 ADAM RITCHIE
REFERENCES
Allen, J. (July 1, 2021). President’s Message. www.brookings.edu/inclusion-and-diversity/.

Arsenault, A. (April 26, 2018). “4 Real-Life Moms Get a Superhero Alter Ego Because moms can
multitask way better than Batman.” The Bump, www.thebump.com/news/summer-infant-
superhero-moms. Accessed June 30, 2020.
Herndon, J.R. (September 23, 2014). “What To Expect When You’re Expecting Your First,
Second, Third … ” New York Family, www.newyorkfamily.com/expect-youre-expecting-
first-second-third/. Accessed June 30, 2014.
Hughes, M. (November 22, 2017). “‘Wonder Woman’ is Officially the Highest-Grossing
Superhero Origin Film.” Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2017/11/02/
wonder-woman-is-officially-the-highest-grossing-superhero-origin-film/?sh=22f52369ebd9.
Liptak, A. (March 11, 2018). “Black Panther Has Crossed the $1 Billion Mark Worldwide” The
Verge, www.cnbc.com/2018/03/11/black-panther-has-crossed-the-1-billion-mark-worldwide.
html. Accessed July 6, 2022.
Meyers, A. (December 10, 2021). “Millennials Are Largely OK With the Superhero Genre’s
Diversity Efforts. Gen Zers Demand More.” Morning Consult, https://morningconsult.
com/2021/12/10/marvel-characters-diversity/. Accessed July 6, 2022.
Ritchie, A. (August 13, 2019). “Best Visual Storytelling—Adam Ritchie creates diverse “M.O.M.
Squad” superheroes.” Washington Post, www.agilitypr.com/pr-news/public-relations/best-
visual-storytelling-adam-ritchie-creates-diverse-m-o-m-squad-superheroes/. Accessed June 30,
2020.
World’s First Team of Pregnant Superheroes Celebrating Motherhood This Mother’s Day. (10
May 2018). GirlTalkHQ, www.girltalkhq.com/worlds-first-team-of-pregnant-superheroes-
celebrating-motherhood-this-mothers-day/. Accessed June 30, 2020.
■■■■
12 ■
Let’s Grab a Coffee
■
A Return to Public Relations Basics
ANA RAPOSO AND MAFALDA EIRÓ-GOMES
■■■■■■
INTRODUCTION
One of the most important aims for the Public Relations (PR) professionals is to es
tablish and manage mutual beneficial relationships between the organization and its
publics, based on trust, commitment and negotiation (Cutlip, Center and Broom,
1985; Grunig, 1992).
We are facing an era where the responsibility of striving towards higher levels of
engagement with people, the planet and prosperity – to use the words of the United
Nations Secretary General, António Guterres (2019) – might be seen as the great
challenge for the organizations, and consequently, to PR departments.
In view of what has been outlined, this research was designed to share an exemplar
and unique case of a social responsible enterprise in Portugal – Delta Cafés, an or
ganization that over almost 60 years managed the business in an innovative and
sustainable way, driven by the notion of “friendship” and putting the community first.
BACKGROUND
Public Relations: Returning to the Basics
For PR professionals, as relationship managers, there is always an important question

to answer: “How do we express the organization’s character?”. In the specific case of
Delta Cafés, during 60 years of existence the company has shown innovation, worked
to get new publics, touched new clients and markets, promoted new and more sus
tainable forms of production, supported suppliers in a more inclusive way, assumed an
important role as societal actor in a close relationship with both Civil Society
Organizations and the Governmental actors, and embraced publicly a concept that has
been a driving force since the beginning – “friendship”. In the long run, the idea of
“prosperity” as the third “P” in the bottom line, side-by-side with those of “people”
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-13
122 ANA RAPOSO AND MAFALDA EIRÓ-GOMES
and “planet”, has been a priority of investment. During all these years, even though
the change was needed and required by the stakeholders, the company always
maintained the reservoir of “goodwill”, without losing its core values.
Moreover, to be perceived as keeping the pace with the new era was important but
it couldn’t be seen as or misunderstood as a change of purpose. To go global should
mean another way to see the concept of “community” and by no means a lack of
proximity, to improve the digital networks should enable the improvement of face-to-
face communications and not get rid of the human touch, to support communities in
some other distant country doesn’t mean to forget the local, original village.
This case introduces some of the main challenges for the communication depart
ment during an important time of transition for Delta Cafés. In a moment when not
only society but also so many communication professionals seem to understand the
concept of “communication” as equivalent to transmission, dissemination or just di
vulgation, and especially as equivalent to information, when the most heard words are
those of “digital” or “social media”, the best was a return to basics. The PR basics, but
also the most human and basic understanding of the concept of communication,
that is, the one of sharing. Sharing ideas, negotiating disputes and promoting under
standing. Public Relations should be able to fulfill not only its mission as bridge
builders, promoters of development and essential elements for the construction of
the organizational identity but also, and we would dare to say in the present case,
especially, those in charge of expressing all the relevant aspects of the organization in
strict accordance with the organization’s character. PR has always been seen as being
responsible for the promotion of ideas, values, words and deeds that enable the re
ceptors to acknowledge the good reputation of the organization as well as keeping a
reservoir of “goodwill” towards a trustworthy organization.
DELTA CAFÉS
In 1961, under a dictatorial regime in the country, the young entrepreneur Rui
Nabeiro established a small coffee selling enterprise with 3 employees. This project
became one of the most well-known organizations in Portugal, an example of in
novation and a symbol of a community – Campo Maior – a small village in the south of
Portugal, close to the Spanish border.
As stated by Rui Nabeiro in different documents and moments, the Delta Cafés
mission is “to have a friend in all those that can be considered as Delta stakeholders, from
the supplier to employees, from the clients to the local government representative”. The
organization bases its actions on integrity, transparency, loyalty, sustainability, solidarity,
sustainable innovation, humility and truth.
Nowadays, Delta Cafés is part of the Nabeiro Group, that includes more than
20 companies in different business sectors, such as: coffee transformation and selling
industry, services, agriculture, real estate, hospitality or distribution, and is working
with almost 3,800 employees, from which more than 40% were born in the locality of
Campo Maior.
The organization under study can be positioned as a “familiar company”, seen as an
organization where the decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of the
LET’S GRAB A COFFEE 123
family. In the 2011 Sustainability Report, when Delta Cafés celebrated its 50th an
niversary, it is stated “The Executive board is constituted by Nabeiro Family, which
are the company shareholders” (p.10). It was also declared in the 2014 Sustainability
Report that:
One of the mechanisms most favourable towards creating value in a sustainable

manner is the family philosophy that has been ingrained since its incorporation.
The advantage of Delta’s philosophy is the closeness that exists between the
directors, employees, clients, suppliers and other stakeholders.
(p.18)
These ideas were reinforced by the Delta Cafés founder when he declared “I don’t
want the organization to be a listed company, I want us to be free (Garcia and
Nabeiro, 2009: p.164).
The company is frequently quoted by different public and private organizations as
an exemplar of best practice, and Delta Cafés and its leaders – namely the founder, Rui
Nabeiro, and more recently its new CEO, Rui Miguel Nabeiro – have been recurrently
awarded many different prizes – Trust Brand, Best Sustainability and Corporate Social
Responsibility organization, personality of the year, best company in Portugal, to
mention just a few. Moreover, the organization has been consistently leading the
market through the launch of innovative products and being the first company in
Portugal to be recognized with important certifications in terms of Corporate Social
Responsibility, as the ISO 8000 and NP 4552 (Professional and Familiar Conciliation
Certification).
DELTA CAFÉS DNA: SUSTAINABILITY
Since its beginnings, the organization seems to have had a great preoccupation with
the well-being of its employees, as well as the community where it was developed,
being introduced as an important catalyst for societal development. In Rui Nabeiro’s
own words “enterprises must focus themselves on the construction of well-being and
not only focus on capital gain” (Garcia and Nabeiro, 2009, p.197).
With this in mind, when talking about Corporate Social Responsibility, the focus has
always been the investment in the community, mainly in the Community of Campo
Maior where the company was founded. Mr. Nabeiro’s concern about people – and in
particular, Delta Cafés employees – has been acknowledged by the company’s em
ployees. At the end of the 1960s, Nabeiro built houses for the employees, and in the
1970s, he promoted holidays to employees and their families. Today, the organization
continues to provide employees with a set of benefits that makes a difference to the
quality of employees’ lives in Campo Maior.
Nowadays, Delta Cafés sponsors a set of facilities including a primary school,
“Centro Educativo Alice Nabeiro” (in order to create more opportunities in terms of
education), a postgraduate center (as a way to improve the level of qualification, not
only of the employees but also from the community) and a healthcare center
(to facilitate access to health services). Besides the physical evidence, the statistics
confirm all these investments. According to the study “Rating Municipal Português”
produced by the Portuguese Economists Order and launched in May 2019, Campo
Maior was rated the 30th best municipality from 308 Municipalities in Portugal in
terms of governance, citizen services efficiency, economic and social development and
financial sustainability. It’s important to bear in mind that Campo Maior is a small
village in the south of Portugal, close to the Spanish border, where Grupo Nabeiro
made the difference and is an exception when comparing with the closer villages and
even cities.
In terms of investment in the community, it is also important to make reference to
the projects about entrepreneurship for children promoted by “Coração Delta” (Delta
Hearth) – a non-profit association created by Delta Cafés employees and supported by
the organization. “The Handbook of Entrepreneurship for Children – Create ideas to
change the World” is recognized by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) and by the European Union (EU). As one of the foremost en
trepreneurially led companies in Portugal, there was an obvious fit for Delta Cafés to
support entrepreneurship initiatives in the community that helped individuals and
families to realize their dreams.
Delta Cafés has been investing not only in the community from a social perspec
tive, but also from an environmental one. In Portuguese, the notion of corporate social
responsibility seems to be understood largely in terms of social investment. However,
at Delta Cafés there appears to be a belief in an integrated approach and commitment
to a sustainable business model in which the goal is recognized to be achieving suf
ficient profit to enable the business to thrive going forward, and thereby creating value
for its shareholders.
Delta Cafés is using led lamps, recycling, buying electric cars for the commercial
team and installing solar panels in some facilities, having ambitious goals on this level
until 2025. However, the commitment to the environment is something deep and part
of the innovation process. In the second semester of 2019, Delta Cafés led the market
once again, offering the first organic and free of plastic coffee capsules.
Another important theme for Delta Cafés is undoubtedly the idea of “innovation”.
Innovation is not only one of the organization’s values, but also one of the strategic
priorities that gives body to Delta Cafés. As Rui Nabeiro said “Innovation is to anticipate
what we need to do, by doing it” (Garcia and Nabeiro, 2009: p.162). Using the words of
an unnamed employee (interviewed as research for this case), “(…) Our business model
is innovation and innovation comprises the economic, social and environmental areas.
The interaction among these areas will allow to make a difference.”
CHALLENGE: A NEW ERA, THE SAME DNA
Even though the organization’s founder is still the actual majority shareholder, the
years of 2018 and 2019 were crucial to the enterprise history due to the fact that his
grandson – Rui Miguel Nabeiro – emerged as the new CEO of the company and at the
same time a new Global Sustainability Strategy was launched.
Nowadays, the great challenge seems to be the change in management and lea
dership, with a strong accent in technological innovation and in international markets,
without losing the main characteristics that have built one of the most economical,
social and environmentally relevant “brands” in Portugal.
The fact that the enterprise seems intertwined with the region where it has been
operating since the middle of the last century is relevant in this context. Delta Cafés,
that was born in the 1960s as a local and regional company, is today a global en
terprise facing the challenge to update the way of doing business focusing, as always,
on People, Planet and Prosperity.
Communication Strategy
In May 2019, after the leadership transition that took place in the previous year, Delta
Cafés launched the new Global Sustainability Strategy 2025. The Corporate
Communication/Public Relations Department played an important role in this launch,
disseminating key messages to all the stakeholders.
The main goal of the team in this project was to reinforce the Delta Cafés com
mitment to the core theme of sustainability – People, Planet and Prosperity, based on
the concept of “friendship”, that is embedded in the organization’s mission.
The focus of this communication strategy was centered on the concerns of the
publics, employees, media, government, clients and partners. As usual for Delta Cafés,
employees were positioned as important actors in the process. Indeed, for Delta Cafés,
involving employees in significant moments of the company’s development has been
recognized as almost part of the company’s DNA. The national and regional media
were also briefed at the start of the process in order to share with the community the
new Delta Cafés approach concerning sustainability. Moreover, the significance of
the company to the Portuguese economy is undeniable. In the Portuguese culture,
drinking coffee is almost a ritual, and it is curious that the clients, namely the business-
to-business clients, were also considered in this communication strategy. Finally, the
Delta Cafés partners – from business and innovation partners, to suppliers and non-
profit organizations – were engaged as part of this launch strategy.
All the communication was based on two main concepts – “Sustainability” and
“Future”. The first one was used as an umbrella concept to express all the investments
related to the community, the environment and the way of managing the business.
The second one is a base word when sharing a new vision and focusing on a content
about upcoming events.
The communication strategy was leveraged by three main tactics:
• the promotion of a public event – “Sharing the Future – Commitment and

Sustainability” – an important statement from Delta Cafés to different stakeholders,
• the launch of the 2018 Sustainable Report – “Our Sustainability, Our Future”,
• and media relations.
The campaign structure can be seen to be based on the PESO model (see Luttrell and
Capizzo, 2018) with the Delta Cafés Communication Department basing the com
munication strategy on the use of both “Owned” and “Earned” Media.
Public Event – Sharing the Future: Commitment and Sustainability
Across a range of media interviews and presentations to industry and other gatherings,
Delta Cafés’ current CEO, Rui Miguel Nabeiro, grandson of the organization’s
founder, has continued to emphasize the organization’s intention to continue to
promote these kinds of initiatives and to share innovation, updates and new products.
With more than 300 people present among employees, partners, clients and the
media, the event was also attended by the Portuguese Prime Minister, the Portuguese
Minister for Economic Affairs, the Mayor of Lisbon Town Council and the Mayor of
Campo Maior Town Council, showing the importance of this organization to the
Portuguese economy and the role that it has been performing as a player that influ
ences the political agenda.
Promoted in “Estufa Fria”, a bucolic, green and peaceful place just in the center of
Lisbon, the event lasted for almost two hours. Rui Miguel Nabeiro led the session
structured around three main moments. Firstly, Nabeiro shared the organization’s
vision and goals regarding sustainability. Secondly, there was a focus on innovation,
sharing new and important partnerships with young entrepreneurs and a community
of coffee producers from Azores Island, that allows the societal and community de
velopment and, at the same time, the creation of innovative products. The event
ended with an inspirational moment with speeches from the governmental entities
and a final contribution from the Delta Cafés founder.
This initiative played to and echoed Delta Cafés’s DNA, gathering in one place so
many different stakeholders that play important roles in the organization’s life – as the
Delta Cafés founder expressed it, this event was a “reunion of friends”.
Figure 12.1 Nabeiro’s Family with the Portuguese Governmental Entities Present in the Sharing
the Future: Commitment and Sustainability Public Event
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT – “OUR SUSTAINABILITY,

OUR FUTURE”
Four years after the last sustainability report was published (2014), Delta Cafés published
a further report in 2018, “Our Sustainability, Our Future”, sharing the organization’s
sustainability stories.
Figure 12.2 Delta Cafés Sustainability Report 2018
Indeed prior to the publication of the 2018 report , Delta Cafes had published a
series of sustainability reports since 2002 which were made available via the orga
nisation’s website.
Since the second sustainability report, Delta Cafés used the GRI (Global Report
Initiatives) standards to frame its Corporate Social Responsibility investments.
However, the 2018 document didn’t use this method to share the data. The focus
became the connection between the Delta Cafés Global Sustainable Strategy and the
commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) (see
https://sdgs.un.org), something that is highlighted in the document’s opening mes
sage. Throughout the Sustainability Report, Delta Cafés reinforced those goals that
they had been achieving or bettering, saying that they have always been its concerns,
shifting to the use of a global and nowadays more common language when commu
nicating Corporate Social Responsibility.
MEDIA RELATIONS
Although the Delta Cafés communication policy can be categorized as a “low-profile”

one, as recognized by employees and other stakeholders, the organization does much
more than what is communicated explicitly. However, with the launch of the 2019
strategy there was an intentional investment in communicating and sharing the 2025
Global Sustainability Strategy with the Portuguese community, through the use of
earned media. The most important national and regional media attended the “Sharing
the Future: Commitment and Sustainability” event.
In addition, after the event, in June 2019, the Delta Cafés CEO was on the cover of
Forbes Portugal Magazine which carried an 11-page feature article entitled “The New
Delta” explaining the Delta Cafés DNA and mainly the future of the company. Rui
Miguel Nabeiro was introduced as the “face of the Delta’s Future”, who expressed his
commitment to a strategy of innovation and internationalization with the goal and
ambition of turning Delta Cafés into one of the 10 best coffee brands in the world.
After almost 60 years of high-profile existence in Portugal, Delta was embarking on
a new era in a global stage. The “Delta 2.0” has a promising and a prosperous future
blurring the Portuguese boundaries.
RESULTS
The investments made during the launch of the Delta Cafés 2025 Global Sustainable
Strategy had an important impact on the company’s reputation. This was an important
period in a moment of leadership change in the company. The stakeholders were
watchful of Delta Cafés’s future and how the organization deals with the current
challenges of our world.
In terms of media coverage, between 13 and 16 May – just before and after the
event – 105 news items were published in different national, regional, generalist and
specialized Portuguese media (newspapers, magazines, TV and Radio) sharing the event
and the new Global Sustainability Strategy. When analyzing the news content, it was
very “positive” for the organization, highlighting the commitment from Delta Cafés to
the community, the environment and, ultimately, with a policy of long-term sustain
ability. The media also emphasized the investments made by the company in terms of
innovation and certification, using quite frequently the expression “circular economy”.
LESSONS LEARNED
The importance of an organization’s character goes a long way beyond and above
what we in general, at least in recent times, consider as being the organizational/
corporate brand. A good character is what makes an enterprise a trustworthy
organization over many decades and enables the creation of a good reputation both
with stakeholders with whom the organization may have a direct relationship (e.g.
employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders) as well as those with whom any re
lationship may be more diffuse (e.g. local authorities, local community, government
agencies). Here reputation is clearly not something readily constructed or purchased,
but develops over time as a product of the organization’s words and deeds which can
represent a reservoir of goodwill towards the enterprise.
Delta Cafés has been one of the most innovative enterprises for almost 60 years in a
constant dialogue with an expanded network of publics from those directly involved
with the organization to those that have little or no direct involvement with the orga
nization, but nevertheless recognize its existence through its role in helping to transform
the fortunes of the community in the south border area of Portugal, where its in
volvement has helped to rebuild the local economy and boost employment significantly.
Moreover, the main owner and CEO for 55 years seems to have consolidated a
style of management that hasn’t lost its purpose even during the neo-liberal years of
recent decades. The triple bottom line has always been, we might say, avant la lettre –
people, planet and prosperity.
Concerning the role of the communication professionals even in the first years and
in all forms of communication ranging from media relations to corporate public affairs,
and from promotional events to corporate citizenship, there has always been a pre
occupation with expressing what the organization stands for and who it is – em
phasizing the importance of friendship and of keeping a low profile but in a consistent,
relevant and regular way. The fundamental role and purpose of communication has
always focused on the importance of sharing information and negotiating and con
structing meaningful dialogues with all stakeholder groups and always bearing in mind
the human relationships that underpin all effective communications.
Even in adverse political circumstances, the assumption of a true corporate citi
zenship has always seemed to be an important factor. Interestingly, even in recent
years, Portuguese enterprises have generally failed to embrace and even distrust the
concept of corporate citizenship as they seem afraid to acknowledge their roles as
political actors. However, Delta Cafés has always been a pioneer in promoting social
benefits for employees during the last years of the ancient regime, as well as today.
Delta Cafés has been at the forefront of those that emerge as the most relevant
partners for public administrations, at local, national or even European levels, while
developing more sustainable products or promoting work and life balance policies.
Public Relations professionals (under this or other designations) play an important
role in building and managing organizational stakeholder relationships, serving as
boundary spanners and bridge builders. The question of the optimization of the
convergence of the public, the media and the political agendas has been another
aspect that we cannot avoid pinpointing. Here, the public relations/corporate issues
managers have played a fundamental role in understanding that what must be ex
pressed is the purpose of the organization and not just its vision or mission. While
visions and missions can change in response to external or even internal constraints,
the underlying organizational purpose, what some would describe as the organiza
tion’s DNA, does seem resistant to change and it is this underlying sense of purpose
that is often the element that is passed from one generation to the next. In Delta
Cafés’s case, it is the central importance afforded to community friendship that fuels
the capacity to build prosperity.
REFERENCES
Cutlip, S., Center, A. and Broom, G. (1985). Effective Public Relations. 6th Edition. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall.
Delta Cafés (2014). 2014/Sustainability Report: Faces of a Brand. www.deltacafes.com/
DeltaFiles/content/201605/gfhwbbcu.xf2_7a8265d2_contentfile.pdf. Accessed July 10,
2022.
Garcia, J., Nabeiro, R., (2009). 10 passos para chegar ao topo. Leya, Lisbon.
Grunig, J. (1992). “What is Excellence in Management”. In Grunig, J. ed. Excellence in Public
Relations and Communication Management. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
pp. 219–250.
Guterres, A. (2019). Remarks at 2019 Climate Action Summit - the United Nations https://www.
un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2019-09-23/remarks-2019-climate-action-summit
Information about other Delta Cafes Sustainability Reports can be found at the organization’s
web site https://www.deltacafes.com/en/media/downloads/reports
Luttrell, R., Capizzo, L. (2018). Public Relations Campaigns – An Integrated Approach. 1st
Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
■■■■
13 ■
Initiative Angels
■
KAREM CONTRERAS AND
MIGUEL ÁNGEL HERRERA
■■■■■■
SUMMARY
Boehringer Ingelheim requested the support of AGORA agency to position the ‘Angels’
initiative in Colombia through the execution of a Communications plan that would raise
awareness among the population about the symptoms of Vascular Stroke and the im-
portance of acting in time, standardize the Vascular Brain Attack (Stroke) protocol for the
adequate care of this pathology and promote support for the initiative by part of different
actors of interest such as medical-scientific organizations, influencers, Government,
media, among others.
CONTEXT
Every year more than 45,000 Colombians are victims of the Vascular Attack (ACV), being
the third most-common cause of death in the country and the leading cause of disability in
the world.
Boehringer Ingelheim decided to position ‘Angels’, which is a global initiative that
seeks to change the paradigm of the way in which the disease is cared for. This
initiative aims to reduce disability and the mortality rate from Vascular Stroke through
medical education that helps hospitals standardize their care processes as well as
sensitize people about the importance of identifying symptoms in time to act quickly in
the face of this medical emergency. Boehringer Ingelheim is a German pharmaceutical
company founded in 1885 that operates globally in 145 affiliates and has a total of
around 47,500 employees. For its part, ‘Angels’ is present in 110 countries, 3 con-
tinents and has more than 2,500 linked institutions.
STRATEGY
• Develop strategic alliances with medical-scientific organizations to position the

‘Angels’ initiative without mention of brand.
DOI: 10.4324/9780429446856-14
132 KAREM CONTRERAS AND MIGUEL ÁNGEL HERRERA
• Strengthen relationships with key actors (e.g. Ministry of Health) that impact public
policy relating to the problem of timely access to stroke prevention measures.
• Seek to shape public opinion (nationally and regionally) about the importance of
early recognition of the signs of a stroke.
• Empower different key audiences (university students, taxi drivers, influencers,
actors, footballers, among others) about the relevant role they play during the
prevention and care of a stroke.
ACTIONS
• Establish an alliance with RECAVAR (Colombian Network Against Vascular Stroke).

• Organize Familiarization Trip for Colombian journalists from Caracol Radio and
Revista Semana who were in Santiago de Chile knowing everything related to the
Angels initiative.
• Implement ‘Wheel against LCA’ campaign to promote information in the remote
territories of the main cities.
• Identify and contact the actor Julio del Mar (QEPD) to promote the importance of
the identification of stroke symptoms.
• Form alliances with influencers such as Dr. Alberto Negrete, a medical surgeon with
more than 600,000 Instagram followers who appreciate his signature humour about
medical conditions; Alexandra Pumarejo, author and motivational speaker with a
strong social media following; and Juan Eduardo Jaramillo, a journalist who covers
politics and government affairs; he is known as the face of Noticias RCN as well as
being a professor of journalism. Each of these individuals is able to appeal to different
stakeholder groups, which, in turn, should help sensitize different segments of society
about the importance of acting with speed at the first signs of a stroke.
• Adapt the regional Columbian campaign ‘Act with Speed’, an initial program to
educate about proper stroke protocols and treatment.
• Approach medical institutions such as Clínica Shaio, Hospital Rey David and
Clínica Panamericana to replicate messages about the disease through videos.
• Help to publicize the contributions that ‘telemedicine’ continues to bring to stroke
patients located away from the main cities (e.g. Duitama).
• Engage in media management during world days (World Brain Day/Stroke Day) or
conjunctures/innovations in technology, an annual event sponsored by the World
Federation of Neurology.
• Develop the first public policy forum ‘Act with Speed’ at the juncture of the World
Day with the participation of the Minister of Health (Juan Pablo Uribe), the
moderation of the medical advisor of Casa Editorial El Tiempo (CarlosFernández),
the participation of the Director of the Clinical Care Center for Vascular Brain
Attack of the Santa Fé Foundation (Hernán Bayona), and which was endorsed by
the Colombian Association of Neurology (ACN), the Colombian Association of
Specialists in Emergency medicine (ACEM), RECAVAR, the newspaper Portafolio,
among others.
• Invite regional journalists from across the country for the first public policy forum
‘Act with Speed’.
INITIATIVE ANGELS 133
• Form alliance with El Tiempo para el Desarrollo of the first public policy forum
‘Actuacon Velocidad’.
• Jointly construct a video with El Tiempo to make the symptoms of stroke visible.
• Construct a survey to know the degree of knowledge about the signs and
consequences of a stroke.
• Form a relationship with the youth population in some universities (Rosario,
Javeriana, Externado, El Bosque, Andes, ASCUN) to sensitize them about the
importance of the identification of stroke in their homes.
• Taxis are the main transportation system in Columbia, so it was important to ally
Angels with the main taxi drivers’ unions to promote, raise awareness and give
workshops providing participants with preventive information on the stroke protocol.
RESULTS
• Alliance with RECAVAR (Colombian Network Against Stroke).

• Alliance with representative bodies in a number of universities (Rosario, Javeriana,
Externado, ElBosque, Andes, ASCUN) was established.
• Collaboration and support agreed with the taxi drivers’ guild (Taxi Verdes).
• Establishment of the first public policy forum ‘Act with Speed’.
• The main actors of the Health System attended the forum, including doctors,
nurses, health workers and management staff.
• In terms of results, more than 60 pieces of coverage generated in national and
regional media (print, radio, television, digital) were recorded.
• In terms of communicating the message about strokes and stroke prevention, the
multi-channel approach helped ensure that more than 20 million people were
reached through one or more of the channels used – the media, influencers, meetings
in universities, meetings with taxi drivers, and approaches to footballers.
The Agora team responsible for the Angels campaign was convinced about the efficacy
of a multiple channel approach encompassing traditional print and broadcast media,
but also government sectors, digital influencers and society in general. In this sense,
the communication plan carried out for ‘Angels’ in Colombia demonstrated the suc-
cess of this type of integrated multi-channel strategy, which in this case succeeded in
raising awareness among a diverse set of audiences about a problem that affects
thousands of Colombians day after day, such as the case of the Cerebral Vascular
Accident (CVA).
LESSONS LEARNED
This case illustrates that to be successful, any public information campaign needs to
exploit as many relevant channels/media as possible, as well as target key influencers
who can help disseminate the message through word of mouth contacts. Increasingly
these days, any such strategy needs to exploit the extensive social and digital media
channels that have built huge user profiles across the world. The multi-channel
134 KAREM CONTRERAS AND MIGUEL ÁNGEL HERRERA
communication plan carried out for the ‘Angels’ in Colombia represents a perfect
illustration and conceptualization of how to tackle this type of communication chal-
lenge, namely that of reaching out, and engaging with a diverse set of audiences, many
of whom might have little appreciation of the relevance to them of this issue (stroke
prevention). The success of the campaign stemmed from its initial recognition of the
need to reach out and build alliances with a range of influencers and influential bodies,
whose help was essential in raising awareness of strokes (Cerebral Vascular Accidents)
and stroke prevention measures amongst all sections of the Columbian population.
REFERENCE
Angels Logo can be found here: www.boehringeringelheim.com/cardiovascular/stroke-care/

angels-initiative
Index
Absolut 76–80 Blue Shield of California 62–3

‘Act with Speed’ campaign 132–3 Blumenthal, Richard 89
The Advocate 77, 80 Boehringer, Ingelheim 131
AFG see Alternative Futures Group (AFG) Bond, Danielle 61–2
After Dark 77 Boudreau, Viera 116
AGORA agency 131, 133 branding: Alternative Futures Group
Alternative Futures Group (AFG): care (AFG) and 36–7, 40; ‘Angels’ initiative
sector environment and 35; care workers and 131; Delta Cafés and 124–5;
communications and 37; death of CEO Dieselgate effect on VW brand and
and 37–8; fair pay campaign of 39–40; 85–6, 93–4; Discover Puerto Rico
funding for care workers and 35, 39–40; campaign and 44–5; Iceland Food ’s
lessons from 41; media strategy and 39, palm oil campaign and 108; Moms
41; political outreach and 38–40; public Demand Action for Gun Sense in
relations staffing and 37–8, 40–1; role of America (MDA) and 21; M.O.M. Squad
in NIH 34; union and 34, 38–40; and 116
updated values of 36, 37 Bronstein, Steven 76
American Family Association (AFA) 82–3 The Bump 117–8
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
49, 50, 51–5 (AFT) 18
American Soybean Association 97 Butler, Rhett 109
‘Angels’ initiative (Colombia) 131–4
assault weapons 18 Campo Maior area 122–3, 126
Aurecon 61–2 Carillon Importers Ltd. 76
Ayodele, Thompson 107 case studies 1–6
Casey, Patrick 60–1
Babies“R”Us 114 Castles, G. 59
background checks (gun sales) 18, 20–1 CDAO analysis model 2–3, 3
Backyard Nature campaign (Iceland Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 18
Foods) 98 Centro Educativo Alice Nabeiro school 123
Badgett, M.V. Lee 82 Chester UK role of Chester Zoo in 9
Balarin, Hermeti 110 Chester Zoo: contribution to regional
BBC Breakfast 103 economy of 9; fundraising expenditure
Because People Depend upon You of 13; future of 8, 11; history of 8;
campaign (Aurecon) 61–2 international support and 8–9; Live
136 INDEX
Virtual Zoo days and 10, 14; local package and 88–91, 92, 93; legal
community support and 8–9; mission of repercussions of 87; media response to
8; pandemic campaigns prior to ‘Save 86–7; VW response strategy to 85–6,
Our Zoo’ 10; success of ‘Save Our Zoo’ 88–90
campaign and 7, 10–2 Discover Puerto Rico campaign 44–6
CIPD see UK Chartered Institute of domestic violence 18, 21–2
Personnel and Development (CIPD) double-loop learning 4–5
Citizens United v. Federal Election drug abuse 24–9, 30, 31–2
Commission 18 Drug Take Back Days 55
Civil Society (news site) 36, 39 Duvall, Zippy 53
Clarke, N. 58
Clearcast 105–8 Edmondson, A. C. 59, 64, 68
CNN 86 education Chester Zoo as education
colors 21 charity and 9
Colvin, Jamie 63 El Tiempo para el Desarrollo 133
comparative loop learning 3–4 employees: activism and 63; Alternative
consumer boycotts 82–3 Futures Group (AFG) and 34, 38–40;
Coombs, W. T. 90 isolation of 62–3; organisational
Coração, Delta 124 listening and 59–64; wellbeing and
Corden, James 106, 108 64, 73
corporations 20–1, 25, 29; see also Delta environmental action: Chester Zoo and 9;
Cafés; Iceland Foods; Summer Infant success of ‘Save Our Zoo’ campaign and
#CoverTheProgress campaign 45–6 14–5; see also Iceland Foods
Covid-19 2, 10–2, 55 environmental scanning 41
crisis cases 1–2, 90–1, 93–4 ethics 31, 72–3, 99–100
crowdsourcing 24–5, 29, 30, 31–2 Evans, Todd 79–80
Everytown for Gun Safety 19
D’Acampo, Gino 108
Dangerous Drug Acts (1952) 26 Facebook 17–8, 20–1, 27, 32, 103, 117
Dawar, N. 90–1, 93 Faces of Palm Oil 104, 109
Dean, Brad 45 Farmers Unite campaign 107, 109
Del Mar, Julio 132 Farm Town Strong campaign 52–5
Delta Cafés: brand loyalty and 123, Fight Like A Mother (Watts) 16, 19
128–30; focus on relationships of Flynn, T. 90
121–2; Global Sustainability Strategy Fogle, Ben 108
2025 and 124–5, 128; lessons from Fonsi, Luis 42
128–30; media and 125, 128; Ford, Tom 77–8
messaging strategy 125; Nabeiro family 4-H 53
and 122–3; Sharing the Future event Fry, Stephen 106, 108
and 126, 128; socially responsible Future Farmers of America (FFA) 53
initiatives of 123–4, 128–30;
Sustainability Reports and 127–8 Garcia Ferraz, Nereyda 77
‘Despacito’ 42 Gatehouse State of the Sector Report
‘Destination Puerto Rico’ campaign 44 (2019) 71
Deterra System 55 Gaultier, Jean-Paul 77
Dieselgate scandal: about 85–6; buyback genetically modified (GM) foods 97
offer and 89–90, 92, 93, 94; consumer Gervais, Ricky 108
response to 86, 91, 92, 93–4; GLAAD 77
environmental impact of 87, 88; Google 25
financial repercussions of 87; goodwill government see political impact
INDEX 137
gratitude 12, 15 Jaramillo, Juan Eduardo 132

Gray, R. 59 Johnson, Roger 53
GreenFreeze technology 97 Jones Act (1920) 43
Greenpeace 96–8, 100–1, 104–5, 107–10
The Guardian 36, 103 Kansas City Star 89
Gun Sense Candidate questionnaires 22 Ketchum PR 46
gun violence 17–9 Klamer, A. 80
Guterres, António 121 Klein, J. 91
Kok, Teresa 107
Hagbard, Kristina 76–7, 79–80 Kun, Susan 62–3
Hall, Luke 109
Hanley, Kate 19 leadership 65, 69–71, 73
Haring, Keith 77 legislation see political impact
Hazlett, Anne 53 LGBT+ consumers: Absolut and 76–80;
Hurricane Irma 43 boycotts and 82–3; brand loyalty and 83;
Hurricane Katrina 2 disposable income and 81–3; Marketing
Hurricane Maria 43, 45 the Rainbow trend and 75–6; myths
HUTAN 104 about 81–3; sensitivity to ‘Pinkwashing’
and 81, 83; Triple Bottom Line economic
Iceland Foods: assessment of palm oil framework and 80
policies 99–100; effect of palm oil LinkedIn 40, 103
campaigns on brand 108; effect of listening: barriers to 65–6, 69; channels
storytelling and 110; elements of for 68, 70, 72–3; as core competence
removal palm oil campaign of 100–2; 64–5; defining in organisational context
governments of Malaysia and Indonesia 57–8; employee perception of 59;
and 104–5, 107; Greenpeace and 96–7, ethical practices and 72–3; practical
101, 104–5, 107–10; lobbying impact implications and 69–73; psychological
of palm oil campaigns 108–9; media safety and 68–9; reasons for importance
approach of 102; opposition from palm of 60–4, 67, 72–3; research
oil lobby and 107, 109–10; Palm Oil methodology in study of 59–60; social
Alarm Call and 98, 102, 108; phase one justice and 73; styles of 68; supports
of palm oil campaign 102–5; previous for 66–7
environmental initiatives of 96–8; Rang Little, Ralph 108
Tan animated film campaign and Liverpool Echo 36
105–9, 111; request for palm oil Local Government Association (LGA) 35
substitutes of suppliers 98; resignation Lopez-Cepero Ortiz Fernando 45
from Roundtable on Sustainable Palm
Oil (RSPO) of 98; semantics of palm oil MacLeod, D. 58
campaign and 104, 111; transparency Macnamara J. 57–8, 66–7
and removal of some items 109–10 Malaysia: Anti-Drug Campaign (2019
inclusion 20 Kuala Muda Kedah) 26; crowdsourcing
Initiative for Public Policy Analysis and anti–drug abuse campaigns in 24,
(IPPA) 107 29, 30, 31–2; Dangerous Drug Acts
innovation 60–1 (1952) 26; drug abuse statistics and
Instagram 20 24–6; drug education and 26; Iceland
Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) 35 Foods palm oil campaign and 104–5,
internal communications managers 71–3 107; National Anti-Drug Policy 26;
Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Prevention Institute 29, 30;
Act (2012) 17 rehabilitation programmes and 26–7
138 INDEX
Malaysian Palm Oil Association 107 M.O.M. Squad campaign 115–9, 120
Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) Mongabay.com 109
107, 109 Monsanto 97
March on Washington for Gun Control Moore, Julianne 22
(2013) 19 Moran, Jeffrey 78–9
Marketing the Rainbow trend: Absolut Mother agency 105
and 76–80; boycotts and 82–3; Gay Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Consumer segment and 75–6; (MADD) 19
‘Pinkwashing’ and 81, 83; response to Mottershead, George 8
research on 80; strategies resulting from Murphy, Chris 22
75; Triple Bottom Line economic
framework and 80 Nabeiro, Rui 122–4, 129
Markey, Edward 89 Nabeiro, Rui Miguel 123–4, 126
Marvel Entertainment 117–8 National Anti-Drugs Agency (NADA;
mass shootings 17–8 Agensi Antidadah Kebangsaan) 24,
Mayors Against Illegal Guns 19 26–9, 32
May, Theresa 39 National Farmer’s Union (NFU) 49,
McGovern, Alison 39 50, 51–5
Meaden, Deborah 108 National Rifle Association (NRA)
media: Alternative Futures Group (AFG) and 18–20, 22
36, 38–41; ‘Angels’ initiative and 132–3; Negrete Alberto 132
crowdsourcing as means of fighting drug The New York Times 89
abuse and 29; Delta Cafés and 125, 128; No Drug Please BlogSpot 27
Farm Town Strong campaign and 53–4; non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
gun violence and 17; Iceland Foods and 29, 96–7
102–8; Moms Demand Action for Gun Noticias RCN 132
Sense in America (MDA) and 18–9;
M.O.M. Squad and 117–9; response to Ohio Farm Bureau 53
#CoverTheProgress campaign and 46; One Million Moms (OMM) 82–3
response to VW Dieselgate scandal and opioid crisis 49, 50, 51–5
86–7; ‘Save Our Zoo’ campaign Organization for Economic Co-operation
and 11–3 and Development (OECD) 124
media strategy: Alternative Futures Group
(AFG) and 39, 41; Iceland Foods Packham Chris 108
removal of palm oil and 102–4; Moms Palm Oil Alarm Call 98, 102, 108
Demand Action for Gun Sense in Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG) 100
America (MDA) 20; M.O.M. Squad Pelosi, Nancy 22
campaign and 117–8 Pernod, Ricard 76
messaging 20–1, 52–3, 125 PEST-type considerations 4
Minnesota Farm Bureau 55 Pillutla, M. M. 90–1, 93
Miranda, Lin-Manuel 46 ‘Pinkwashing’ 81, 83
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in Piper Alpha oil rig explosion 2
America (MDA): formation of 18–9; plastic packaging 97–8
Gun Sense Candidate questionnaires political impact: Alternative Futures Group
22; gun violence in United States and (AFG) and 38–9, 41; Delta Cafés
17–8; lessons from 22–3; messaging 123–4; Iceland Foods 108–9; Moms
strategies and 20–1; mission of 20; Demand Action for Gun Sense in
response to NRA talking points and 22; America (MDA) and 21–2; ‘Save Our
results of 21–2; target audience for 19; Zoo’ campaign and 10–2
Watts and 17–9 Polo, Jean Paul 45
INDEX 139
Portuguese Economists Order 124 removal of palm oil and 102–3; Moms
Prevention Institute 29, 30 Demand Action and 20–1; M.O.M.
PR Week magazine 108 Squad campaign and 118–9; National
Public Service Announcements (PSAs) 27 Anti-Drugs Agency (NADA) and 27, 32;
Puerto Rico 42–6 opposition to Iceland Foods and 105,
Puerto Rico Tourism Board 43 107; ‘Save Our Zoo’ campaign
Pumarejo, Alexandra 132 and 11–2
Sonic 21
Rang Tan animated film 105–9, 111 Spada, David 77
RECAVAR (Colombian Network Against Starbucks 21
Vascular Stroke) 132–3 storytelling 110
Red Ape documentary 104 stroke 131–4
Regional Municipality of York 60–1 style guides 21
relationships: ‘Angels’ initiative and Summer Infant 114–8
131–3; Chester Zoo and 8–9, 15; Delta sustainability 9, 14–5, 123–4
Cafés and 121, 125, 129; Iceland Foods
and 96–7, 101, 104–5, 107–10; Taylor, Herring 106
M.O.M. Squad and 117–8 teams 12, 15
religion 28 Thompson, Emma 105
remote working 62–3 Today Programme (BBC Radio Four)
reputation 90–1, 93–4, 128 103, 106
retail stores 20–1 Tom of Finland 78
Ritchie, Adam 119–20 transparency Iceland Foods and 109–10
Rosselló, Ricardo 46 Travers, Will 104
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil Triple Bottom Line economic
(RSPO) 98, 104, 108–9 framework 80
Royal Zoological Society for Scotland 13 TrueView 117
Ruck, K. 58 Twitter 27, 40, 103
RuPaul’s Drag Race 77
Rural America Live 53 UK Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development (CIPD) 58–9, 68–9
SAFE Project 55 Unison 38–40
Saunders Jennifer 108 United Nations Sustainable Development
‘Save Our Zoo’ campaign 7, 11–5 Goals (SDG) 127
Scharf, Kenny 77 United States gun violence and 17–8
The Secret Life of the Zoo United States Federal Trade Commission
(documentary) 9 (FTC) 87
Selfridges 106 USA TODAY 87
semantics 20, 104, 111 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
SEO 118 Prevention 49
Simply Connect Consulting 63 USDA Rural Development 52–3
Situational Crisis Communications Theory U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
(SCCT) 90 52–3, 55–6
Smith, Laura 39 U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) 55
social justice 73 U.S. Supreme Court 18
social media: Alternative Futures Group
(AFG) and 36, 40–1; ‘Angels’ initiative Vascular Attack (ACV) 131
(Colombia) 133; Farm Town Strong Vázquez, Garced Wanda 46
campaign and 53–4; Iceland Foods Vogue Magazine 78
140 INDEX
Volkswagen: brand loyalty after Dieselgate Warhol, Andy 77

scandal 92, 93; brand of before Dieselgate Watts, Shannon 17–9
85–6; buyback settlement and 89–90, Weber, Shandwick 100, 105, 107
92, 93–4; crisis response strategy of Wilke, Michael 77
88–90; customer reaction to Dieselgate Wilmar International 109
and response 86, 91, 92, 93–4; impact of Winterkorn, Martin 86–7
Dieselgate 86–7, 88; reputation of 93–4 World Federation of Neurology 132
volunteers 20, 23 Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) 99
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) 104
Walker, Malcolm 96–7, 110
Walker, Richard 97, 99, 100, 104–5, 110 YouGov Brand Buzz 108
Walmart 20 YouTube 27, 119

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Public Relations Cases

Edited by Danny Moss

List of Figures vii

1 Chester Zoo: ‘Save Our Zoo’ 7

2 Moms Demand Action: Using Public Relations to Combat

3 Crowdsourcing Potential: Developing the Right Formula for the

4 A Perfect Storm: The Challenge of Public Relations in the Health and

5 The Comeback Niño: Puerto Rico’s Tourism Industry on the

6 Farm Town Strong: Overcoming the Rural Opioid Epidemic 49

8 Marketing the Rainbow: The Challenges of Minority Marketing and

9 The Volkswagen Dieselgate Crisis: Challenging Assumptions About

11 The M.O.M. Squad: PR Transforms Diverse Micro-Influencers into

12 Let’s Grab a Coffee: A Return to Public Relations Basics 121

13 Initiative Angels 131

0.1 Case Study Analysis Model – CDAO 3

11.6 Heroes News Story 119

Jamilah Ahmad, Ph.D., is a Professor currently attached to the School of

Meta G. Carstarphen Ph.D., APR, is a Gaylord Endowed Professor at the University

Mafalda Eiró-Gomes, Ph,D., is a Coordinator Professor of Pragmatics and PR at Escola

Miguel Ángel Herrera, is a renowned strategist in Public Affairs and Strategic

Kevin Ruck, is the co-founder of PR Academy, the largest provider of PR education in

Alfred Verhoeven, senior marketing and communication specialist Alfred Verhoeven

WHY CASE STUDIES?

USING THE CASE STUDIES

Figure 0.1 Case Study Analysis Model – CDAO

• Context: analysis of the external and internal environment and situational

COMPARATIVE LOOP LEARNING FROM CASES

DOUBLE-LOOP LEARNING FROM CASES

The Situation Factors

• Changes to the array of PEST-type considerations affecting the organisation’s

• Changes in the fundamental reasons driving the organisation’s strategy;

The key steps in conducting a double-loop learning case exercise:

This double-loop learning approach can be further enhanced by introducing a dynamic

Figure 1.1 ‘Save Our Zoo’ Campaign

THE STORY UP TO 2020

CHESTER ZOO’S SUPPORTERS

The Local and International Communities

Families and Schools

THE SAVE OUR ZOO CAMPAIGN

Figure 1.2 ‘Save Our Zoo’ Goes Viral

Figure 1.3 ‘Save our Zoo’ Campaign Timeline

Benchmarking the Save Our Zoo Campaign Outcome

Table 1.1 Breakdown of the largest fundraising charities COVID

Charity Organisation Charity COVID emergency

Red Cross £4.5 million

Source: ‘Covid-19 appeals at largest 50 fundraising charities have

Figure 1.4 ‘Save Our Zoo’ in Numbers

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Chester Zoo’s Crisis response takeaways:

… we are not anti-gun, we are anti-gun violence.

Figure 2.1 Fight Like a Mother (2019) Book

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

as infringing or diminishing the rights stated in the U.S. Constitution’s Second

• Restrictions on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (AFT) on collecting

MOMS DEMAND ACTION (MDA) CHRONOLOGY

• Collaborative and related organizations: Everytown, Giffords Law Center, etc.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Promote gun safety legislation and initiatives.

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND TACTICS

• Organize and empower volunteers (enabling them to work to their strengths,

• Six million MDA members.

THE NRA VERSUS MDA

1 For more detail see Watts (2019, p. 233).

In discussion sessions at workshops and interviews with senior practitioners we dis