Divorce Lawyers Aren't So Bad After All
The American Bar Association wanted to let people know about a new educational program aimed at minimizing divorce. The ABA's Family Law Section retained us. We were to publicize the program's availability, and the positive contribution lawyers can offer. From a cover story in Time, to The Wall Street Journal, we got the message across. Within a year, more than 1,000 high schools added the program to their course curriculum. And Hillary Rodham-Clinton praised the ABA's efforts in her book, It Takes A Village.
Rebranding a Major Firm…And Getting Business
When a national law firm wanted to enhance its reputation for targeted transactional areas of business, we implemented an integrated public relations campaign to help the firm promote individual practice groups, star attorneys and strategic business units focused on vertical markets. We kicked off the program by creating, and then maintaining, a continuing buzz in the business press about the firm’s growth, refocusing efforts, mergers and acquisitions. We also identified niche media opportunities (e.g. authored articles, expert source quotes, speaking engagements and seminars) to make the firm’s services and attorneys better known to specific industries and decision makers. Generating more than 500 media stories and promotional opportunities in the first 12 months of the campaign, we helped open doors to requests for legal services in new markets.
Physician Builds Specialty Surgical Practice
A neurosurgical practice was one of the first to use a minimally-invasive surgical procedure to treat carpal tunnel syndrome. The practice engaged us to educate the public and occupational health professionals—to make them receptive to the benefits of an advancement that, at the time, was still considered controversial. From Risk Management to Occupational Health & Safety, CNN, and the Web, we told the story. Referrals multiplied nationwide.
Patients Line Up for New Medical Procedures
When a new laser technology was developed to curb snoring, the international medical manufacturer that developed it hired us. Our charge? Make the public and the medical community aware of the procedure. From Good Morning America to Consumer Reports, we got the word out. Physicians clamored to buy the new laser. And patients lined up for treatment.
A Community Nursing Program Reaches Its Goals
When a large health system endowed money to create a parish nursing program, its goal was to bring a continuum of health services closer to the needs of the community of more than two million people. It also, however, wanted to publicize these grants and make people aware of available services and garner recognition for the magnitude of its community commitment. Within just six months, our public relations efforts secured coverage in more than a dozen targeted publications, from Hospital and Healthcare News to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
High Tech Company is a "Good Neighbor"
When a high tech company launched service in various communities across a region, it wanted to be known and respected for more than the service it was selling. It wanted to be perceived as good neighbor -- an organization that was as invested in the community as its longtime residents are. Our job was to create a community relations program that aligned the company with the causes near and dear to each community's heart, and then, to publicize the company's activities, ranging from working with a local police force to creating specialized scholarship programs in local universities and developing a regional safety program that grew out of a nationally-reported disaster. A minimal financial investment in these programs returned significant publicity dividends in outlets ranging from features in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the National Examiner to television segments on Philadelphia's NBC-TV affiliate.
Regional Accounting Firm Builds Niche Referrals
When a regional accounting firm wanted to expand its business and sew up a competitive edge, we helped the firm refine a niche marketing focus and command attention, respect and referrals in specific lines of business. To establish a stronghold for its Medicare reimbursement to construction specialties, we positioned its star accountants and consultants as the “experts” through speaking engagements, seminars and trade and general press interviews, while helping guide the firm’s professionals on their personal networking and direct sales outreach plans.
Managing a Labor Crisis
When a nationwide childcare provider was faced with unionization, it needed help addressing labor issues in a clear and consistent manner, as well as direction in how to best communicate with its diverse group of employees. Our first goal was to identify the issues, then to help management crystallize responses and message points. The challenge was to be ready for anything – which we did by creating a crisis communication plan, anticipating potential problems and readying management to deal with them in advance.
From one-on-one media coaching sessions with management to preparing speeches and letter writing campaigns to employees and handling media inquiries, we worked closely with the company to weather its potential business storm.
Public Education Builds Communities
When 49 education associates wanted to raise community appreciation for public education, they came to us to craft an integrated marketing and public relations campaign. From television and radio commercials, to billboards, transit displays, exhibits and brochures, our campaign got the word out. But it wasn't just paid advertising that made the difference. Our publicity efforts generated more than a dozen news broadcasts on network affiliates and 100 feature stories in daily and weekly community newspapers, each highlighting the contributions of public school educators and the value of public education.
Advancing a Public Agenda
A few years ago, low income housing in Pennsylvania was placed at risk by state legislation proposing drastic funding cuts. A tenants’ advocacy group asked us to create a public event that would demonstrate exactly how these cuts would affect individual local communities. We helped create a media event that did just that. A tower of blocks, representing the number of low-income houses currently available, was constructed in a high traffic Center City location. Representatives of various disenfranchised and physically challenged groups participated by taking down the tower, one block at a time, and handing blocks with a request for public support to passersby. The highly visual event sparked a flurry of media coverage, which we followed up with authored opinion pieces, a series of editorials, public affairs interviews, petitions and letter writing campaigns.
Providing a Call to Action
When funds for an international social action program were threatened by new restrictions, a cooperative of social service and advocacy organizations asked us to mount a local campaign to both raise public awareness of the problem and provide a call to action. The campaign’s ultimate goal was two-fold: to get the public involved, by writing letters and emails to legislators, and to generate private donations. We launched into action by setting up editorial board meetings, communicating the message to the media through targeted press releases, and placing letters to the editor and commentaries on radio news and public affairs programs. Our efforts helped local members of the cooperative gain a voice on the issue, with media coverage of protests, special events and seminars adding a local angle to breaking news that was being covered both nationally and internationally.
Creating an Event You Can’t Ignore
Taking an already successful fundraising event to an even higher level of achievement was our mission. The national charitable organization behind one of the region’s largest cycling fundraisers wanted to raise public awareness and participation for the event’s 20th anniversary. The local chapter charged us with expanding media coverage beyond the community newspaper arena to major dailies and business publications. Toplin provided targeted pre-event media relations and strategic marketing advice, helping the organization to expand corporate sponsorship, team participation and public involvement, beating all previous records for dollars raised. Nearly 5,000 people participated, raising more than $2 million.
Reviving a High Flying Event
When the U.S. Navy had few advertising dollars available to help revive a grounded vintage air show, they depended on Toplin’s public relations expertise to get the job done. A targeted pre-event media relations campaign, coupled with partnering with area community leaders and special interest groups, resulted in the event drawing a crowd of more than 100,000 people. Day-of and post-event publicity raised the event’s level of public awareness to unprecedented heights.
Reaching Key Decision Makers: Setting the Stage for Change
A Philadelphia research and advocacy group published a landmark report to get area leaders thinking about regional economic responsibilities, rather than their individual industry and local concerns. The firm retained Toplin to set the buzz in motion. We got the word out through media briefings, op-eds, interviews and authored articles. In just one month, some 50 placements created a groundswell of interest in the program, with more than10,000 reports distributed to civic leaders, state and local politicians, CEOs and members of the community—exactly the audience the client wanted to engage to initiate change.