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- Neville Vincent, VP and general manager, was interviewed by ABC Lateline Business on launch day, outlining the key findings from the report. A six minute interview with Neville was also broadcast on Sky Business News’ Tech Report programme.
- 40+ articles appeared in titles such as AAP, News.com.au, Herald Sun, Daily Telegraph, Technology Spectator, iTWire, Computerworld, Computerworld NZ, Computer Daily News, Channel News and The Channel, more than doubling 2009’s coverage.
- Over 100 local Aussies, watched by over 1,000 spectators, broke a new world record for the longest distance travelled on a slip and slide – 36.24kms in one hour (smashing the previous world record of 26kms)
- In just four days after the event, Carnival Spirit’s Facebook page saw more than 1,000 new fans, over 4,000 page views, 380 comments and likes and over 40,000 impressions of Carnival updates
- In total, over 1,600 names were entered on the Facebook page to name the Thrill Slide, exceeding KPIs seven times
- Key media coverage highlights included a call to action for Aussies to participate in the world record attempt by weather presenter, James Tobin on Weekend Sunrise (reaching 400,000), a call to action for Sydney-siders to attend the event in Sydney Morning Herald’s “what to do this weekend” pages (reaching 600,000) and TimeOut Sydney (reaching 105,000)
- Close to 9 million Australians were reached with messages about the campaign via more than 25 pieces of media coverage
- “A perspective on cultural resilience” Mr Barry Haase MP, Member for Durack
- “Human Resilience” Dr Mal Washer MP, Member for Moore
- “Colours of the outback races” Mr Bruce Scott MP, Member for Maranoa
- Senator the Hon Mark Arbib, Minister for Sport, Indigenous Employment and Economic Development;
- Senator Simon Birmingham, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Environment;
- The Hon Julie Bishop MP, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade;
- Senator Carol Brown, Senator for Tasmania;
- Mr Darren Chester MP, Member for Gippsland;
- Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation, Industry and Science;
- Senator Alan Eggleston, Senator for Western Australia;
- The Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP, Chief Government Whip;
- Mr Barry Haase MP, Member for Durack;
- The Hon Joe Hockey MP, Shadow Treasurer;
- Senator Gary Humphries, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel;
- The Hon Greg Hunt MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage;
- Mr Stephen Jones MP, Member for Throsby;
- Senator Barnaby Joyce, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Water;
- Senator Helen Kroger, Senator for Victoria;
- Mr Andrew Laming MP, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Services and Indigenous Health;
- Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Member for Fraser;
- The Hon Sussan Ley MP, Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning;
- Mr Michael McCormack MP, Member for Riverina;
- Senator Christine Milne, Deputy Leader of the Greens;
- Mr Scott Morrison MP, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Productivity and Population;
- Mrs Jane Prentice MP, Member for Ryan;
- Mr Bernie Ripoll MP, Member for Oxley;
- Ms Amanda Rishworth MP, Member for Kingston;
- Mr Alby Schultz MP, Member for Hume;
- The Hon Bruce Scott MP, Second Deputy Speaker;
- Mr Patrick Secker MP, Member for Barker;
- The Hon Wayne Swan MP, Deputy Prime Minister;
- Mr Dan Tehan MP, Member for Wannon;
- Senator Matt Thistlethwaite, Senator for New South Wales;
- Dr Mal Washer MP, Member for Moore;
- Senator Larissa Waters, Senator for Queensland; and
- Mr Tony Windsor MP, Member for New England.
Two Ogilvy PR Experts to speak at 1st Asia Pacific PR Summit on Measurement
Kieran Moore, CEO Ogilvy PR Australia
Marion McDonald, Managing Director, Strategy & Planning, APAC
The push to reform measurement in PR will be given further impetus by senior Ogilvy executives presenting at a major industry conference which begins in Hong Kong late this month.
Ogilvy PR has been driving the reform agenda in Asia Pacific, arguing strongly for a change in the way PR campaigns measure effectiveness. Kieran Moore, CEO, Ogilvy PR Australia and Marion McDonald, Managing Director, Strategy and Planning, Asia Pacific, will be presenting at the inaugural Asia Pacific PR Summit on Measurement in Hong Kong from 29th February – 1st March 2012.
The Summit will be conducted by the Asia Pacific Chapter of the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC).
In 2011, Ogilvy PR Australia attracted international attention by announcing it was abandoning Advertising Value Equivalent as a measurement tool. Ms Moore’s session ‘Chasing Magic Silver Bullets’ will discuss what she has learnt and her plans for Australia’s largest PR consultancy.
“We commissioned qualitative and quantitative research among PR industry leaders in Australia last year and asked them what they thought would be the biggest threat to the industry in 2021,” Ms Moore said. “The top response was the need to quantify and redefine the way PR outcomes are measured. That equated with what we had been thinking for a long time, so we decided to do something about it.”
Ms McDonald, a former regional marketing head for several global FMCG and pharmaceutical giants, will present a workshop entitled ‘6.5 reasons for clients to invest in measurement that matters’ which will present the growing imperative for sharper measurement practices in the new era of accountability.
“CEOs are increasingly critical of CMOs and Communications Directors reviewing campaigns in ‘fluffy’ measures like coverage and brand image, seemingly disconnected from the boardroom language of effectiveness,” Ms McDonald said. “As clients seek marketing talent that understands return on investment and marketing analytics, organisations like AMEC have become highly valuable for senior marketers to improve their measurement skills.”
Ogilvy PR in the USA has been a long-standing member of AMEC. When the Asia Pacific Chapter of AMEC formed in late 2011, Ogilvy was one of the first agencies to join.
- Ends -
For further information, please contact:
Samantha Burgess-Allen
Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific
Office: +65 6213 7996
Mobile: +65 8525 9226
Ogilvy’s 360 DI team continues pattern of growth with new hire
January 19, 2012: Ogilvy PR Australia’s social media practice, 360˚ Digital Influence continues its strong pattern of business growth, this week announcing the appointment of Roger Christie as Senior Digital Strategist.
Charged with helping to further build the 360˚ DI business in Australia, which has seen rapid and consistent growth since launching several years ago, Christie was most recently Head of Digital at Sefiani Communications.
He will join the team at the end of January and begin work immediately on developing and delivering B2B social media strategies for a range clients.
Director of Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence Australia Brian Giesen said: “The addition of Roger confirms Ogilvy’s commitment to strengthening our social media capabilities off of the back of a highly-successful 2011,” he explained.
“Having someone with Roger’s experience and entrepreneurial drive joining the Ogilvy social media team in Australia is a major win for our business and we’re excited to have him on board.”
360 DI is part of Ogilvy PR Australia, a joint venture between Ogilvy Public Relations and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications services group.
Ends.
For more information contact:
Rebecca Tilly, STW Group
Ph: +61 410 501 043
About Ogilvy Public Relations
Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy PR) is a global, multi-disciplinary communications leader operating in more than 80 offices across six continents. In 2011, Ogilvy won more Cannes PR Lions than any other agency worldwide, was named Global Digital/Social Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report, won Specialist Agency of the Year in Asia Pacific (Campaign Asia), and won the WPP global, top award (WPPed Cream, Crème de la Crème) for the fourth time in five years. Ogilvy PR integrates deeply with all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines (advertising, direct marketing, activation, promotional, digital and entertainment) through the proprietary Ogilvy Fusion™ approach to delivering comprehensive, business solutions through content creation, community building, and communications with measurable results. Ogilvy PR is a unit of Ogilvy & Mather, a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY), one of the world’s largest communications services groups. For more information, visit our Web site at www.ogilvypr.com or follow us on Twitter at @ogilvypr.
Securing funding for children’s medical research
January 17, 2012 by admin
Filed under Case studies, CMRI, Public Affairs
January 17, 2012: Issue: The Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) is an independent research institute committed to research discoveries in the area of childhood disease. With its Westmead headquarters in Western Sydney, the Institute is operating at close to its capacity, limiting the scope of its research. CMRI has plans to build a larger facility to accommodate more scientists and redevelop its headquarters at a cost of approximately $133 million. In late 2010, with the NSW State election just months away, CMRI engaged P&P to secure a state government funding commitment for the redevelopment.
Challenge: With the opinion polls indicating a landslide victory for the NSW Liberal-National Opposition, many stakeholder groups were seeking to elevate their issues with the Opposition Leader, Barry O’Farrell, and his shadow ministers and candidates. P&P needed to make CMRI’s case stand out in this contested space.
Insight: Western Sydney is the home of a number of marginal electorates, as well as an expanding region and a target area for economic growth in NSW.
Creative Idea: Given the importance of Western Sydney to all political parties, we created a good opportunity for them to bolster their marginal seat campaign by funding CMRI’s redevelopment, and its economic and social benefits.
Campaign: The campaign involved first building the case for the benefits of the redevelopment, followed by direct engagement with party leaders, ministers and shadow ministers, as well as candidates in the seat of Parramatta, where the CMRI is based. Tours and the facility were held and decision-makers were taken through the redevelopment plans.
Outcome:
On 21 February, just over one month before the election was held, the Liberal-National coalition announced a $20 million funding commitment for CMRI’s redevelopment. The announcement was made by the now Premier Barry O’Farrell and the now Health Minister Jillian Skinner.
“This commitment from the NSW Liberals & Nationals is a huge boost to children’s health and medical research as well as the economic and social infrastructure of Western Sydney.”
Professor Roger Reddel, Lorimer Dods Professor and CMRI Director.
The Great Information Glut 2011
January 9, 2012 by admin
Filed under Case studies, Featured, Hitachi Data Systems, Technology
January 9, 2012: The rate at which information is being used, shared and saved in the workplace is increasing at an incredible rate. At work we’re constantly becoming more connected, using more technology and creating more digital information.
In 2009, Howorth worked with Hitachi Data Systems to develop a public relations campaign that would provide a first perspective on the ‘Information Glut’, in a report which underlined how many organisations had been choked or rendered inflexible by the sharp growth in information.
Two years on, Howorth and Hitachi Data Systems revisited the subject to analyse whether the information glut was still a growing concern for businesses in Australia and New Zealand. In order to better understand the macro economic effects of the problem, Deloitte Access Economics was also commissioned to assess the extent to which information glut was impeding business productivity, and the benefit of improved information management on performance and the broader economy.
The Great Information Glut 2011: key findings
Hitachi Data Systems commissioned an independent study conducted by AMR, which found that 40% of organisations in Australian and New Zealand are suffering from too much information, up 5% from 2009. Almost every respondent (95%) admitted they experienced some degree of glut, with a quarter reporting significant impact on organisational performance.
Analysis by Deloitte also found that information glut is affecting Australia and New Zealand’s GDP and therefore their global competitiveness – estimating mismanagement of information is costing Australia’s economy at least $3bn per year and New Zealand $400m per year.
Hitachi is calling for businesses to start acting in order to manage the growth of the glut, stressing that Australia can no longer afford to be a nation of business bystanders. This ‘information intervention’ requires organisations to take a big picture look at existing systems and strategically align information management with business imperatives.
Howorth devised a media strategy that would maximise the reach of this news, conducting a series of embargoed media briefings with business and technology media to amplify the amount of quality media coverage. Following the briefings, a general news release was distributed.
The launch of the report received significant media coverage, with more than 40 pieces of traditional print and online media coverage.
Highlights included:
You can download a copy of the Great Information Glut 2011 report here
Ogilvy PR Australia appointed to support Veda PR activities in 2012
Sydney, December 16, 2011: Ogilvy Public Relations Australia, a joint venture between Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and STW Group, has been appointed by Australasia’s leading data intelligence and insights firm Veda, following a competitive pitch.
The appointment from January next year, will see specialists from Ogilvy PR’s business-to-business consultancy Howorth and sister consumer and brand agency, Pulse work together to develop and implement a national PR campaign for Veda.
Howorth and Pulse will be supported by Ogilvy’s 360 Digital Influence teams to ensure social and traditional media integration. Ogilvy PR will also work closely with Veda’s communications team to grow brand awareness of the company, with a particular focus on its Commercial Credit Risk and Consumer Credit Risk (B2C fraud identity and credit file) markets.
A leader in credit reporting, analytical tools and marketing services, Veda serves a diverse range of markets including large financial institutions, small to medium sized enterprises, and consumers. It provides services in Consumer Credit Risk, Commercial Credit Risk, Credit Analytics, Data Solutions, Fraud and Electronic Verification, Insurance, Automotive, Customer Location Services and Commercial Information Brokerage.
Kieran Moore, Ogilvy PR Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, said the win reaffirms Ogilvy PR Australia’s ability to offer highly specialised services tailored specifically to meet a client’s business needs.
“The grouping of expertise from multiple agencies and practices is a key strength within the Ogilvy PR offering in Australia and one which enables us to meet the diversity of client’s requirements within very specialised areas,” she explained. “We are also finding the demand for this approach is increasing within the current climate and having our deep expertise under one roof facilitates a tailored response that can address complex requirements. We are excited about the prospect of putting this deep specialisation to work for an outstanding market leader such as Veda.”
Veda’s Marketing Communications Manager, Katherine Craig, said: “Veda is undergoing an exciting period of growth and change and we needed a PR agency with a track record in delivering successful campaigns. We were very impressed by Ogilvy PR’s understanding of the challenges and opportunities in our market, and in their ability to offer a depth and breadth of expertise. Ogilvy PR’s approach and philosophy matched well with ours, and we look forward to working with the team to make 2012 a successful year.”
Ogilvy PR Australia is a joint venture between Ogilvy PR Worldwide and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications services group. Veda is Australasia’s leading provider of commercial and consumer data intelligence and insights and has been at the forefront of the information services industry for many decades.
Ends. For more information contact Rebecca Tilly, STW Group, Ph: +61 410 501 043
A new look for Pulse
December 5, 2011: 2011 was a big year for Pulse Communications and what better way to end the year than with a fresh new start.
Following eight very successful years, Pulse has reinvigorated its visual identity to reflect its offering and essence, helping the brand to continue to lead the rapidly-changing consumer PR landscape. 2011 has been our most successful year to date with some of the biggest consumer PR account wins in the industry including Activision, Mattel, Malaysia Kitchen and Milo. We’ve also received recognition for some of our best work with two Asia Pacific Sabre Award wins, a NSW and national PRIA Golden Target award win and we were a finalist for the PR Agency of the Year in the 2011 B&T Awards.
Managing Director, Matt Buchanan, said “Our new logo is the visual representation of a much wider piece of work to craft an agency which will deliver to the needs of clients, media and consumers in a rapidly shifting market. The new identity expresses the brand’s new mantra to ‘be curious’ – a rallying cry to ensure that we are consistently producing both strategically and creatively excellent work.”
Curious? We’d love to chat some more, please get in touch with Matt Buchanan matt@pulsecom.com.au
Ogilvy PR announces leadership changes at Parker & Partners and OgilvyEarth
Ogilvy Public Relations Australia today announced new leadership at public affairs and government relations specialists Parker & Partners and sustainability communications consultancy OgilvyEarth.
Ogilvy PR Australia is investing further in OgilvyEarth, announcing that after a decade at Parker & Partners Managing Director Sarah Cruickshank will move formally into the role of OgilvyEarth Managing Director.
Former senior political adviser Mathew Jones, with Ogilvy PR Australia since 2008, will take on the role of Parker & Partners Managing Director. Both changes are effective 1 January.
“Politics and policy making have never been more interesting and the requirements on public affairs professionals have never been so complex, and so we’re thrilled to announce that Mathew Jones will take on the role of P&P Managing Director after three years at Ogilvy PR,” said Ogilvy Public Relations CEO, Kieran Moore.
“Mat came to us after a stellar career in NSW Labor politics and government, and since joining Ogilvy PR has excelled at providing top quality advice and support to clients engaging with governments and other stakeholders.
“He has also driven some of our key thought leadership initiatives, including the State of Change booklet on the change of government in NSW, work which just last month won an Atticus Award from WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell in London.”
Mr Jones said that in its 14 year history the company’s client roster had never been stronger, providing public affairs support to category-leading corporations in industries including QSR, resources, FMCG, technology, childcare and airlines.
“It’s a really exciting and interesting time for the public affairs and government relations sector, with greater scrutiny and oversight and the impact of technology on communications demanding both strong specialisation and broad skillsets.
“Last week’s events in Canberra once again demonstrated the quick moving political ground. In this environment clients demand not only access and knowledge, but the ability to forecast and interpret trends and respond intelligently to developments.”
Ms Moore said the changes at OgilvyEarth were the next stage in the evolution of the practice in Australia.
“Sarah’s move is a testament to her dedication to OgilvyEarth and her knowledge of and passion for the sustainability policy area,” Ms Moore said. “OgilvyEarth was created here in Australia – where it is the recognised leader in sustainability communications – and has now been successfully established across the global Ogilvy network.”
Ms Cruickshank will be supported by Practice Director Teljya Oka-Pregel – who commenced full time with OgilvyEarth in July 2011 following her in-house role with a major blue-chip company driving its sustainability communications strategy – as well as a dedicated team of sustainability consultants drawn from across the Ogilvy PR Australia business.
She will continue to manage a select high-end client roster at Parker & Partners in a new role of Executive Counsel.
“CEOs, sustainability managers and communications specialists now recognise the need to transform their business operations, but understand it isn’t necessary to have scored a perfect 10 before they communicate this,” Ms Cruickshank said.
“What is important is being able to show that an organisation takes sustainability seriously and this commitment is supported at the most senior levels, that the organisations has commenced its journey of improvement, and that its roadmap to greater sustainability is clear and measurable.”
OgilvyEarth recently announced its formal partnership with the Carbon Disclosure Project, an international NGO that operates the only global climate change reporting system for companies, and is a Major Partner of independent research think-tank The Climate Institute.
Ms Moore said the leadership changes meant Ogilvy PR would go into 2012 putting renewed energy and commitment into key parts of the business.
“The fact that we’ve been able to fill these key roles internally shows just how much talent we have here at Ogilvy PR, and that there are fantastic career opportunities within the company that keep employees interested, engaged, and challenged and which meet long-term career goals,” she said.
The changes at Parker & Partners include Canberra Managing Director Greg Sam, who will leave to take up new opportunities outside public affairs consultancy.
“While we understand Greg’s desire to move on to other challenges after eight years with the company we’re very sad to be losing him and wish him all the best,” Ms Moore said.
Ogilvy Public Relations Australia is a joint venture between Ogilvy PR Worldwide and the STW Group. It is the largest and most awarded public relations agency in Australia, scooping more than 50 Australian and global trophies in the last two years, including the top honour amongst all WPP-owned PR agencies.
Carnival Cruise Lines: Slips and Slides to a new World Record
November 30, 2011 by admin
Filed under Carnival Cruise Lines, Case studies, Consumer, Featured
November 30, 2011: The Issue: How to build excitement and anticipation for the world’s largest cruise line, Carnival Cruise Lines, a brand barely known in Oz? And how to whet the Aussie appetite for a very different style of cruising in a marketplace not only cynical about cruising, but which had also yet to experience the ship, Carnival Spirit, due to arrive in Sydney Harbour in a year’s time in October 2012? That was the mission of consumer public relations agency, Pulse Communications.
The Challenge: Amid a sea of cruise industry negative perceptions and myths, the Pulse team was challenged by Carnival Cruise Lines not only to build excitement for the brand, but also to promote the launch of its Thrill Slide – the world’s steepest and fastest water slide at sea.
Our Insight: To engage and excite Aussies, the Carnival Cruise Lines and Pulse teams understood they needed to bring a piece of “Aussie spirit” to the Carnival Spirit. That meant inviting Aussies to be a part of it – by naming it.
Creative Idea: The “Name the Thrill” public relations campaign was born. Pulse created a consumer experience that invited Aussies to experience the ‘thrill’ of the anticipated Carnival Thrill slide, and then invited them to name it. Building on the great Aussie tradition of the slip and slide, Pulse and Carnival created a 30 metre inflatable Slip & Slide, inviting hundreds of Aussies to attempt to break a new world record for the longest distance travelled on a slip and slide in one hour.
Campaign: The world record attempt was held at Cronulla beach, one of Carnival Cruise Lines’ target audience hotspots. Volunteers to break the record, from local Surf Life Savers to Fitness First members and local triathletes, all took part for the love of Slip & Slide and through a carefully orchestrated media campaign. Driven by a fully integrated campaign across Facebook, NOVA Sydney’s breakfast program, and traditional and social media, Aussies were
invited to get involved, break a record, enter their name the slide submission , then watch as the visual content from the day unfolded.
Outcome:
In total, approximately 1.5 million Australians were touched by the ‘Name the Thrill’ slide public relations campaign
2012 Parker & Partners Politzer Prize winners announced: Barry Haase MP takes the Politzer Prize!
Nola Marino MP and Ken Wyatt MP accepting the Politzer award on behalf of Barry Haase MP
Parker & Partners is pleased to announce the winner of this year’s prestigious Politzer Prize. Western Australian Member for Durack, Barry Haase’s photo “A perspective on cultural resilience” beat more than 60 high quality entries to take the main award. He was awarded the Politzer Prize on Tuesday night at Parliament House, along with a cheque for $5,000 to go to the charity of Mr Haase’s choice – The Royal Lifesaving Society.
Parker & Partners’ Managing Director, Sarah Cruickshank congratulated Barry Haase MP: “His picture is not only visually stunning; it perfectly encapsulates the theme of this year’s Politzer Prize – Resilience – designed to portray the spirit of the Australian community and environment to fight back against adversity.”
“This year’s competition theme was inspired by the significant natural disasters and resultant human challenges faced by so many Australians at the outset of 2011, and our participants put considerable thought into their entries accordingly” she said.
“Barry’s photo tells a great human story of a 105 year old Indigenous elder still living alone, medicine free, in Mr Haase’s electorate of Roebourne, Western Australia, and outliving the built environment around him.”
Ms Cruickshank commended the more than 30 Federal parliamentarians who participated this year. “Their support for Politzer is evidence of the great respect, pride and passion each of them has for their constituencies. We are thrilled that each year the number of entries continues to grow.”
“Our Politzer Australian Political Photographic Competition has been embraced by parliamentarians from across the political spectrum and it is great to get a glimpse of our politicians’ genuinely creative flair – something not normally seen in the hectic pace of their day-to-day lives,” she said.
The winning Politzer entry, along with the 13 Finalists, were selected by a panel of leading press gallery journalists including: Mike Bowers, David Speers, Malcolm Farr, Lenore Taylor, Simon Benson and Steve Lewis.
Mr Bruce Scott MP, a previous Politzer winner, this year won the A-PAC Award, selected by Politzer Prize sponsor, the Australian Public Affairs Channel, for his photo “Colours of the outback races”.
“Parker & Partners has a longstanding tradition of supporting the not-for-profit sector, through our pro bono work for a range of community based organisations, and our annual sponsorship of the Federal Press Gallery Midwinter Ball. We are very pleased to present our annual $5,000 donation to Mr Haase’s charity of choice.”
Competition background: Parker & Partners, Australia’s leading bipartisan public affairs firm and part of Ogilvy PR Worldwide, launched the Politzer Prize in 2006 as an annual photographic competition for Australia’s Federal politicians to showcase their passion for their communities. All Members and Senators are invited to submit a photo, with the finalists comprising the annual Parker & Partners Australian Political Calendar, and vying for the prize of $5,000 to donate to a charity, school or non-government organisation of their choice. The final 13 photographs to be included in the 2012 calendar have also been announced. Photos entered can be viewed on: www.politzer.com.au.
Parker & Partners would like to thank the supporters of the 2012 Politzer Prize:
Canon Australia and A-PAC – Australia’s Public Affairs Channel.
Winners:
Winner – 2012 Politzer Prize
Commendation – 2012 Politzer Prize
Winner – A-PAC Award
Full list of participants
For further information, comments or images, please contact Peta Lange on 02 6215 4200.
Ogilvy PR campaign showcased at PRIA leaders’ event
At a Public Relations Institute of Australia Leadership Breakfast Lelde McCoy shared success strategies from Ogilvy PR’s award-winning “To donate life, discuss it today-OK” campaign developed for the Organ and Tissue Authority.
The public relations campaign has won both Australian and international awards.
Lelde told the audience that the campaign had a clear outcome in mind – getting more Australians knowing and sharing each other’s organ and tissue donation wishes.
“Whilst most Australians support donation, the campaign needed to convert this support into the actions required to ultimately increase family consent rates. It also needed to address the misconception that it is enough to register your intentions regarding organ and tissue donation on your driver’s licence. In Australia organ transplantation will only proceed if family consent is given.”
Ogilvy PR’s strategy was to increase Australians’ knowledge so that they could make an informed decision, promote family and community wide discussion through the media, correct misconceptions through helpful resources and social media channels and provide information and practical tools to facilitate grassroots involvement by the sector.
Key campaign tools included a Family Discussion Kit, leaders’ Action Kits, and a campaign launch with former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, a heart value transplant recipient.
Lelde said that throughout the six week campaign there was an ongoing conversation with the Australian public.
“This campaign lent itself to the telling of inspirational stories about donor families and transplant recipients. We used a variety of mediums including Facebook. Media, especially TV doctors were helpful in getting our message across. Community organisations working in the sector were also actively involved, implementing information activities at a grassroots level.”
The campaign resulted in 429 pieces of positive media coverage. Significant support was generated through building an online community for DonateLife – Facebook fan numbers increased by more than 1,000 per cent. The DonateLife network held 95 events and community leaders publicly supported the campaign.
In terms of outcomes, levels of family discussion increased by 10%, of which 83% were rated by respondents as memorable conversations. Knowledge of family member’s wishes increased by 7%; and awareness that family consent is requested before donation can proceed increased by 9%.
Importantly, 2010 organ donation figures show that 309 donors and their families saved or significantly improved the lives of 931 Australians in 2010. This is the highest annual total of transplants in Australia’s donation and transplantation history.