Aims, objectives and realization

The original aims of the joint campaign included:

• raise money to buy home safety kits;

• fit 2300 home safety kits in two years;

• make contact with opinion formers;

• involve Eastern employees;

• secure some media coverage.

Achievements 18 months later included:

• involved over 100 Eastern staff as fitter;

• raised £ 95,000;

• fitted over 1800 kits (6 months still to go);

• made contact with over 280 opinion formers;

• MPs have helped fit kits;

• over 700,000 information packs delivered;

• held two joint-related entertainment events.

But we still have much to achieve and are now looking at ways of working together in the development of joint services.

The story of the award-winning partnership between Eastern Electricity and Help the Aged has encouraged both businesses to look to possible future developments. The Home Safety campaign was based on a thoroughly professional understanding of what both could offer. Solid research, meticulous planning, accurate delivery and constant evaluation delivered improved living conditions for older people throughout the area. It resulted in excellent PR for both organizations.

It was an experience from which both gained and on which they hope to build in the future.

Checklist for a successful campaign

1. Agree a clear message – backed up by research, statistics or case studies.

2. Plan the timing of the campaign – to co-incide with an event such as National Sunday for Elderly People – or to avoid the opening of the Conservative Party Conference!

3. Identify the target audiences for the message – and work out the best way to reach them.

4. Plan the event with your target audience in mind – deciding whether a conference, celebrity event, photocall, news release, advertisement or press conference is the best way to get the message across.

5. Decide the most appropriate media to carry the message – should it be national or regional newspaper, radio and television, magazines or maybe posters or leaflets?

6. Make sure your staff are well briefed – and your key spokespeople are well trained.

(Anne Gregory. Public Relations in Practice. – Kogan Page, 2001. – P. 123-135)

Exercises

1. Discuss the following questions.

1. What is the mission of Help the Aged?

2. Are there any fundamental differences between public relations activities and strategies of a charity and a commercial company?

3. How does the author of the text prove that Help the Aged is a highly visible charity with strong local roots?

4. What does the author describe as the number one enemy of charity public relations? What are the techniques that the charity uses to emphasize fun in fundraising?

5. What is one of the main concerns of the elderly people that was mentioned in the text?

6. How does new technology help solve security problems?

7. What partnership did the Charity form while implementing its Home Safety Campaign?

8. In which way did Eastern Electricity solve the problem of how to identify and train suitable installers of the home safety kits?

9. How did Eastern benefit from its partnership with Help the Aged?

10. Have you heard of any partnerships similar to that between Help the Aged and Eastern Electricity? Give your examples.

11. Why in your opinion was the example of Mrs. Jones discussed in such detail in the text?

12. Did the Charity achieve the original aims of its campaign? Please enumerate them.

13. What were the reasons for the campaign’s success?

1. Do you agree with the checklist for a successful campaign according to the author of the text? Can you add any items to the list?

2. Can you give any other examples of successful charity organizations?