public relations campaign case study

19 Successful PR Campaigns from Innovative Companies

• Megan Noorman
• December 28, 2023

Successful PR campaigns come in as many different forms as there are brands. What could be innovative and on-point for one company may be totally off-key for another.

Despite that, looking at other companies’ PR successes can still be helpful when developing a comprehensive PR campaign for your brand . So let’s look at 19 major PR successes over the years from companies across various industries and key takeaways to strengthen the impact of your next PR campaign.

1. The “Summer of Barbie” Campaign

The “Summer of Barbie” campaign, associated with the 2023 Barbie movie, created a global buzz. This vibrant campaign included painting mansions pink and setting up life-sized Barbie boxes for photo ops, leading to a surprising pink paint shortage. The campaign’s success was monumental, contributing to the movie’s staggering $2.9 billion global gross.

The Barbie campaign tapped into the nostalgia of a beloved brand while aligning it with contemporary trends. Brands can learn to blend nostalgia with modern elements to appeal to both long-time followers and new audiences.

By weaving a compelling narrative around Barbie and integrating it with real-world experiences, the campaign created a story that people wanted to be a part of. Brands should focus on crafting stories that are not only engaging but also offer opportunities for the audience to participate and contribute, creating a shared and more impactful brand journey.

2. Reinventing Financial PR with Dwolla

Dwolla, an established player in the modern payments platform sector, sought to rejuvenate its image and boost brand awareness in 2022. Zen Media’s approach was a dynamic 90-day PR blitz, focusing on forward-thinking announcements and unveiling new partnerships. This comprehensive strategy also highlighted unique case studies and proactive podcast pitches, cementing Dwolla’s position as a fintech thought leader. The outcome was impressive: over 170 media pieces and 250+ social media engagements, significantly raising Dwolla’s profile and exceeding their expectations in brand visibility.

Dwolla’s campaign also underscores the importance of innovation within industry norms. In the financial sector, where trust and reliability are paramount, Dwolla managed to inject freshness and dynamism into its brand image without losing sight of these core values. Brands in other sectors can take note of this balance between innovation and adherence to industry standards.

3. Lego Rebuild the World 

Their first global PR campaign in decades, Lego’s Rebuild the World was focused on inspiring creative thinking in kids—but also adults. As part of the public relations campaign, Lego asked customers to submit pictures of their creations, aggregated onto a 3D globe on the brand’s website. Users can move and spin the globe to see what people worldwide have created. 

The best part is that Rebuild the World struck the perfect balance between inspirational and playful—an exact fit for Lego’s overall brand personality.

4. Kamua’s Product Launch campaign

Our client Kamua, an AI-powered video editing platform, wanted to establish itself as an authoritative voice in the video editing industry and rapidly expand its base of dedicated users. 

We worked with them to create a comprehensive, strategic public relations strategy that included bylined articles by Kamua founder and CEO Paul Robert Cary; multiple monthly mentions including in tier-one publications; and, most importantly, a Product Hunt launch campaign that would get Kamua’s name and product in front of thousands of tech-savvy users and influencers. 

Kamua became one of the top three most-hunted products on Product Hunt, was featured in Product Hunt’s email newsletter , and was named Best Product of the Week by Product Hunt the week of its campaign. Just one outcome of this PR campaign? The platform gained 400 new users literally overnight.

Related read: Product Launch Marketing: Strategy, Plan, and Execute

5. Dove’s #TheSelfieTalk Campaign

A decade after the women’s skincare brand launched its Real Beauty campaign, it’s still going strong. 

Why? Because they’ve involved real women (and girls) every step of the way. Their latest campaign is a commentary on how social media affects girls’ self-esteem. Their #TheSelfieTalkCampaign shows a young girl editing a photo of herself to post online. To make their point, Dove shows this process in reverse. The advertisement ends by showing the girl’s natural face without makeup or filters. 

From honest conversations on beauty standards to what it means to “throw like a girl,” Dove’s public relations campaigns have evolved and adapted to the times by staying sincerely in touch with what its customers are experiencing in their daily lives.

6. BBC’s Peaky Blinders fan art campaign

Fan art is a world unto itself—but surprisingly few brands embrace this “unofficial” view, even though it’s probably the best possible source of user-generated content a brand could ever ask for. 

An exception to this was the show Peaky Blinders , which issued a call to fans to create art for their new season’s imagery in 2019. Not only did this generate interest among casual viewers and those who were not yet fans, but it also strengthened the relationship between the show’s creators and the viewers who love it—a win-win. 

Related read: How to Take Your User-Generated Content from Good to Great

7. Caldwell’s newsjacking campaign

Caldwell, a law firm specializing in high-growth startups and early-stage tech and life sciences, aimed to extend its brand beyond its founder’s reputation. The firm worked with Zen Media, and our innovative strategy involved a newsjacking campaign, seizing real-time opportunities for Caldwell’s attorneys to comment on global cases. This proactive approach led to numerous features in trade magazines covering tech and biotech cases, enhancing Caldwell’s visibility and establishing its lawyers as industry thought leaders.

Caldwell’s approach illustrates the effectiveness of creating a multi-dimensional brand identity . By showcasing their expertise on various platforms and media, they not only enhanced their brand visibility but also added depth to their brand’s persona. Brands should strive to create a diverse yet cohesive image that reflects their multiple strengths and areas of expertise.

8. The Eras Tour — More than just a concert

Can we call a concert tour a campaign? Why not! Taylor Swift took over the world in 2023 with her Eras Tour. She not only blasted through global attendance and revenue records for a tour and had a direct impact on local economies where she performed (and released multiple albums and a film), but she also created a widespread culture that consumed the market. 

The Eras Tour exemplifies the power of a holistic marketing approach. By integrating various elements—music, visual arts, storytelling—into a cohesive campaign, Swift managed to create a brand experience that was both immersive and memorable. Brands can learn to integrate different marketing elements to create a more comprehensive and engaging campaign.

Another critical aspect of the Eras Tour’s success was Swift’s strong fan base. Brands should focus on building and nurturing a loyal community around their products or services—it can be a powerful tool in amplifying the impact of campaigns.

9. State Street Global Advisors Fearless Girl 

The Fearless Girl statue that the Wall Street firm State Street Global Advisors firm placed to face down the famous Wall Street bull became a symbol of the financial sector’s lack of gender diversity, and the women who have been at the forefront of trying to change that. 

But in addition to its symbolic importance, it’s also a carefully crafted advertisement—one for the firm’s exchange-traded Gender Diversity Index SHE fund. 

The firm has faced some criticism over the years since putting up the statue, as it hasn’t always been clear whether State Street Global Advisors is making gender diversity a true priority. 

And this brings up another important point when it comes to creating successful PR campaigns: Your brand needs to put its money where its mouth is. If you say diversity, or sustainability, or another issue is important to you, make sure you’re backing that up with real action. 

Related read: Negative Public Perceptions and Other PR Problems: How To Change The Narrative

10. Calian IT & Cyber Solutions—Blending brands for a bigger impact

Following its acquisition of Computex, Calian IT & Cyber Solutions faced the challenge of merging brand identities and penetrating the U.S. market. They partnered with us at Zen Media, and we created a strategic PR roadmap, including curated proactive pitching topics to position two of Calian IT & Cyber Solutions’ senior executives as thought leaders in their areas of expertise. 

Zen would also help secure the executives Forbes Technology Council memberships and launch a regular cadence of published bylines. This robust campaign led to significant media coverage and awards, with Calian’s IT & Cyber Solutions division reporting double-digit revenue growth, largely credited to their expanded U.S. presence.

In merging two brands, it’s crucial to balance innovation with the preservation of core values and strengths that define each brand. This balance helps in maintaining loyalty among existing customers while attracting new ones.

11. New Cosmos USA’s community-first approach

New Cosmos USA, committed to preventing natural gas explosions with their DeNova Detect alarm, took a unique community-centric PR approach. In response to a gas explosion in West Reading, Pennsylvania, they collaborated with Zen Media for a rapid community support and media outreach strategy. This involved donations, local PSA publications, and educational materials on gas safety. 

The campaign, replicated in other locations, not only bolstered community safety but also positioned DeNova Detect as a leader in natural gas safety, leading to increased sales in those areas. By positioning the DeNova Detect alarm as a solution to a community issue, New Cosmos USA effectively aligned their product with community welfare, enhancing the product’s value proposition. Brands should evaluate the success of their campaigns not just in terms of sales but also by their impact on community welfare and social awareness.

12. Gender Pay Gap Bot Fights For Fair Wages 

As we’ve stated, many companies like to raise awareness of social issues and fight for change. The Gender Pay Gap Bot is an automated Twitter account that advocates for women’s rights to equal pay—and on International Women’s Day, the bot ran a PR campaign to hold companies accountable. 

Their slogan: “Stop posting platitudes. Start fixing the problem.” 

As companies in various industries filled users’ feeds with empowering messages, the Gender Pay Gap Bot responded with data revealing the inequities in compensation between their male and female employees. This PR strategy sheds light on these issues through transparency and neutral messaging. Today, the Twitter account has over 240,000 followers. 

13. McDonald’s ‘We Hire People’ Campaign

Companies that emphasize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are paving the way for a kinder, more inclusive world. Promoting these brand values through public relations strategies is a great way to show your commitment to welcoming all of your employees and customers. 

McDonald’s ‘We Hire People” Campaign does just this. The fast-food chain introduces viewers to many individuals with various cultural backgrounds, passions, and ages. The advertisement shows that McDonald’s doors are open to everyone. These messages are essential in 2024. 

14. Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ Campaign

This campaign has been one of the most successful PR campaigns of all time. The tagline “Just Do It” is simple yet powerful and has become synonymous with Nike’s brand identity. The campaign’s success is due to its inspirational message that encourages consumers to push themselves beyond their limits and achieve their goals. Nike has used the campaign to showcase its products as tools that help people achieve their athletic potential. The “ Just Do It” campaign has also featured famous athletes, such as Michael Jordan and Serena Williams, who embody Nike’s brand values of determination, perseverance, and excellence.

15. Google’s Year in Search

Google’s “Year in Search” campaign is an annual PR campaign that showcases the top trending searches of the year. The campaign has been successful because it taps into people’s emotional connections to current events and showcases Google’s ability to capture the pulse of the world through search data. The campaign is also highly shareable and creates a sense of community around the shared experience of looking back at the year’s top moments. The campaign reinforces Google’s brand identity as a company that is at the forefront of technology and innovation.

16. Red Bull’s ‘Stratos’ Campaign

In 2012, Red Bull sponsored Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking jump from the edge of space called the “ Red Bull Stratos. ” The campaign was a massive success, generating over 52 million views on YouTube and millions of dollars in earned media coverage. The campaign was successful because it showcased Red Bull’s brand values of extreme sports and adventure while also breaking a world record. The campaign was a testament to the power of experiential marketing and how brands can leverage events to create memorable and impactful campaigns.

17. Chipotle’s ‘Food with ‘Integrity’ campaign

Chipotle’s “ Food with Integrity” campaign was an innovative marketing campaign that aimed to differentiate the company from other fast-food chains by highlighting its commitment to sourcing sustainable and ethically produced ingredients for its menu. The campaign featured a series of advertisements that showcased Chipotle’s use of fresh, locally sourced, and sustainably-raised ingredients and its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

What made the campaign innovative was that it was not just a marketing gimmick; Chipotle really did change its sourcing practices to live up to the promises it made in the ads. The company worked directly with farmers and producers to develop sustainable farming practices, and it paid premium prices to ensure that the farmers were able to make a living wage. The success of the campaign was due to its resonance with consumers who valued healthier, more sustainable food options and appreciated Chipotle’s mission as much as its food.

18. Patagonia Says ‘Don’t Buy This Jacket’

Patagonia’s “ Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign was an innovative marketing campaign that aimed to encourage customers to buy less and reduce their environmental impact. The campaign was launched in 2011 and featured a full-page ad in The New York Times that showed one of Patagonia’s best-selling jackets with the headline “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” The ad went on to explain the environmental impact of the jacket’s production and encouraged customers to think twice before making a purchase.

What made the campaign innovative was that it went against the traditional marketing strategy of encouraging customers to buy more. Instead, Patagonia wanted to use its platform to raise awareness about the environmental impact of consumerism and to encourage customers to make more conscious choices. The campaign also reflected Patagonia’s long-standing commitment to sustainability and its belief that the company had a responsibility to minimize its environmental impact. The campaign was a success and helped to solidify Patagonia’s reputation as a leader in sustainability and environmental activism.

19. Airbnb’s ‘Belong Anywhere’ Campaign

This PR campaign was an innovative campaign that aimed to position the company as a global community that offered unique and authentic travel experiences. The campaign focused on Airbnb’s ability to connect people from different cultures and backgrounds, highlighting the role of welcoming and knowledgeable local hosts. The campaign was successful because it tapped into the growing trend of experiential travel and emphasized the community aspect of travel. It helped establish Airbnb as a disruptor in the travel industry and drove significant growth for the company.

Creating an innovative, successful PR campaign requires a team of experts who know your brand inside and out. If you’re looking for help making your next PR campaign stand out, get in touch with Zen ! 

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10 of the Best PR Campaigns of 2022 & 2023

Dec 6, 2023

16 min. read

Getting your brand noticed and not just seen is arguably becoming harder. The bar to entry for new brands is lowering, thanks to digital technology and talent access across borders. Consumers are constantly bombarded with advertising messages—as many as  10,000 ad impressions per day —which leads to overstimulation and a reluctance to retain information. But a strong PR campaign can be game-changing for brands that want to break through the noise and be remembered. 

Unlike traditional advertising or marketing , a PR campaign is designed simply to get people talking. It’s a way to put your brand in the spotlight, drum up some press, and make a lasting impression on your audience. 

What exactly goes into a PR campaign? Let’s look at some specifics as well as some of the best recent PR campaign examples from 2022.

Table of Contents:

What Is a PR Campaign?

Why should campaigns be part of your pr strategy, how does a pr campaign work, best pr campaign examples of 2022, best pr campaign examples of 2023.

Let’s start with a definition . A PR campaign is a series of planned activities designed to give a company or brand publicity . Most PR campaigns have specific business goals, such as driving website traffic, getting notice about a new product, or drawing attention to a cause. Activities are carried out in a specific time frame relevant to the overarching goal. 

A successful PR campaign hinges on a strong communication strategy . Create the right message for your intended audience. Choose the right channels for your message. Know who else might be listening (e.g., your competitors). With communication as your foundation, your brand can start to make a positive connection with the public.

Tip: Want to learn how to create a PR campaign? This guideline will help you . Also, consider taking a look at our free PR in the Age of Influence Report .

In a world driven by sales messaging and calls to action, your public relations strategy can be a breath of fresh air for consumers. The brand isn’t asking for anything in return from the public. Instead, a PR campaign gives the audience a chance to learn more about the brand without marketing or sales pressure .

Taking this pressure away allows consumers to lower their guards and be more receptive to your company. A well-designed campaign breaks through their internal “ad blockers.” Campaigns aren’t just about the products or services you sell, but rather your brand identity .

As a result of a great PR campaign, brands can establish greater credibility with their audiences and build stronger media relations . Brand identities become stronger and more memorable. And in many cases, sales naturally follow.

Tip: Learn about the differences between marketing and PR .

We have already published another dedicated blog telling you how to create a PR campaign , but in general, they work like this:

Every PR strategy begins with a goal . Maybe you want to call attention to a new product or a rebrand. Or maybe you want to put your brand in a positive light after  receiving some negative publicity . Whatever your goal,  start your PR campaign  with a goal and work backward to decide the best approach for sharing your message.

Some PR campaigns are nothing more than a well-written press release distributed on large media networks - for example via our press distribution service . News media outlets, blogs, and other publishers may pick up the press release and share it on their channels. You can share this same press release on your channels, too, such as a website , blog, email subscriber list, and social media. 

Or, you might choose to launch a solely social PR strategy . Social media PR targets your social audiences and relies on likes, shares, and comments to help you spread the word. You can also pay for ads to expand your PR campaign’s reach.

Other campaigns take publicity to new heights, though. For example,  Red Bull’s New Moon event  showed wingsuit-clad stuntmen descending from the sky with sparklers, creating the image that UFOs were landing on Earth. In the UK,  a nude art installation  promoted Sky Arts and its milestone in becoming a free-to-air television channel.

Whether a written press release or a live publicity stunt, a PR campaign’s role remains the same: to intentionally attract attention from an audience to promote a brand (and ideally receive some sort of response).

For help planning, executing, and measuring the impact of a PR campaign while minimizing their time and cost investment, get in touch to learn more about Meltwater's media database  and  PR reporting .

Ready to  launch your own PR campaign ? Glean some inspiration with some of the best PR campaigns we’ve seen in 2021-2022. 

1. Airbnb.org for Ukraine Campaign

For most of 2022, Ukraine has been plagued with war, unrest, and plenty of uncertainty. Millions of people have lost their livelihoods. With the war’s end nowhere in sight, many brands have stepped up to support refugees and those who have stayed behind to support and defend the country.

One brand campaign that stands out is Airbnb.org . The short-term rental company hit the ground running in partnering with international and regional nonprofits and governments to secure housing for up to 100,000 refugees. The company has been coordinating efforts to offer shelter and safety free of charge . More than 28,000 people have signed up through Airbnb.org to offer temporary housing to others, while Airbnb founders have committed to match donations up to $10 million.

In addition (and thanks in large to user-generated social media PR ), people around the world starting booking rooms at properties in the Ukraine as a way to support hosts during the conflict. This movement started as a way to send immediate assistance to those whose travel businesses had been impacted.

2. Penguin Random House’s Unburnable Book

In response to schools banning and burning books, publisher Penguin Random House launched an unburnable copy of Margaret Atwood’s acclaimed dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale. The book represents one of many works that has notoriously been the target of book bans. Wrapped in a black cinefoil jacket, the book features white heat shield foil pages , nickel wire binding, stainless steel bands, and high-temperature adhesives to protect the freedom of expression. The book was placed on Sotheby’s auction, with proceeds promised to PEN America to continue protecting free speech.

3. Iceland’s Out-Horse Your Email Campaign

With travel back on the menu for millions of tourists, Iceland is taking advantage of people’s wanderlust and encouraging them to disconnect from work . The Out-Horse Your Email campaign is a clear winner in tourism PR. The country’s tourism board build a giant working keyboard – big enough to hold a horse! – and taught the horses to walk on it. Tourists can l et the horses handle their inbox while they sit back and relax on their Icelandic vacation. The idea is to show that nothing is more important than taking time to disconnect and enjoy a well-deserved trip abroad.

4. IKEA’s Seed Ball Campaign

A fun PR and social media campaign , IKEA created a playful take on its famous Swedish meatballs with its release of the IKEA Seed Ball – at least, the instructions on how to make one.

The Seed Ball is a savory, nutritious treat for bugs created in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund . Using simple ingredients like clay, dirt, and wildflower seeds, IKEA fans can craft their own seed balls to nourish the insect community.

5. LEGO's MRI PR Campaign

LEGO has always been focused on childhood development and fun, so it’s no surprise their public relations strategy includes a little something for younger audiences. The company recently donated 600 LEGO magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner building kits to help children overcome fears of getting an MRI scan . Through play, role-playing, and interactive building, LEGO and hospitals can help children to build confidence while learning and having fun in an otherwise nerve-wracking environment.

6. Coinbase Super Bowl QR Code

It’s bold of a brand to promote themselves so subtly on such a huge national stage like the Super Bowl. But the stunt paid off in spades for crypto brand Coinbase. The company paid nearly $14 million to show a black screen with a colored floating QR code . Curiosity seekers that scanned the code were directed to a link to receive $15 worth of free Bitcoin.

The ad proved so popular that the resulting website traffic crashed the company’s app. It racked up more than 20 million hits shortly after airing.

7. ITV’s Second-Hand Wardrobe Campaign

While many TV stars enjoy top-rated wardrobes from designer brands, ITV decided to take a different approach with its newest season of Love Island. The channel recently teamed up with eBay to announce that the show’s contestants would be wearing second-hand items in an effort to promote sustainable fashion .

With the fashion industry often coming under fire for their wasteful practices, this PR campaign encourages the practice of buying used, even when you’re a celebrity.

8. Dove #TheSelfieTalk Campaign

PR and social media go hand-in-hand , especially when it comes to gaining a response from your audience. Getting your audience involved in a communication campaign leads to user-generated content that can naturally strengthen the impact of your campaign.

As a leader in body positivity for women, Dove stays true to its brand with its latest social PR movement, #TheSelfieTalk . Aimed at young girls and women, the campaign is a smaller piece of the larger #NoDigitalDistortion movement that is working to improve body image .

The brand features two digital download kits as part of its campaign: one for parents and one for teachers. Each kit includes ways to talk to kids and teens about selfies and how to embrace individuality and body positivity.

Are you interested in more Dove campaigns? Learn how Dove raises the bar with its #ArmsUp campaign .

9. Gymshark’s Mental Weight Campaign

A champion of physical and mental health, Gymshark brought awareness to the often-secretive nature of mental illness in a communication campaign. In a series of weightlifting photos the brand posted on social media, subtle statements on the sides of free weights remind us all that the loads we carry in our minds can often be as heavy as the weights we lift at the gym .

10. CPB London’s International Women’s Day Campaign

Combatting gender pay gaps and promoting inclusivity have been common trends among PR campaign examples. One creative agency sought to expose gender biases that many people have but don’t always recognize it with a recent poster campaign. The team researched common gender biases according to how children perceive men and women in the world. The company then turned those insights into colorful posters that were displayed throughout London. By helping to uncover unconscious biases, the company brought awareness to gender issues at a critical time – International Women’s Day.

Tip: Learn how to hire a PR agency and how to hire a marketing firm .

The best PR campaigns are those where creativity knows no bounds. Best of all, any brand can benefit from a little PR, whether you’re executing a local campaign or running a national promotion.

Let’s look at 10 brands that have nailed the art of PR in 2023.

1. Coca-Cola’s “Create Real Magic” 

When the clock struck 2023, AI seemingly landed on everyone’s minds. The likes of ChatGPT and AI art generator Dall-E shone a game-changing light on content creation, inspiring one of the most recognizable brands to leverage the publicity of these new tools.

The result was the “Create Real Magic” campaign, which encouraged customers to create their own AI artwork for the brand. Using popular tools like Dall-E, fans could add their own spin to how they envision the brand — regardless of design skills.

Not only did Coca-Cola find a fun way to engage and connect with fans, but it also amassed a large volume of user-generated content to share on social media and use throughout its marketing.

2. Oatly’s “FckOatley” Website

Many brands tend to shy away from potentially bad publicity. But Oatly decided that since bad publicity happened anyway, the brand should lean into it and take control of the narrative . 

In light of boycotts and online criticism, the brand created a website for people to air their grievances and learn more about the why behind the company’s decisions and the backlash (such as the Glebe Farm lawsuit ). 

This tongue-in-cheek approach allowed the brand to acknowledge the public outrage but also control it , to a degree. The brand used the website to share its side of the story and show it truly does listen to its customers. The website carries multiple domains, none of which were promoted by the brand but rather discovered organically by the customers.

3. French’s Mustard-Flavored Skittles

America’s favorite mustard brand isn’t quitting its day job any time soon, but the past few PR campaigns indicate they have a serious sweet tooth that mustard just can’t satisfy. 

Take the latest PR stunt, for example. Earlier this summer, you might have seen bright yellow Skittles appear along the famous red flag logo. It wasn’t a trick — the brand really did collaborate with Skittles to create a mustard-flavored treat. 

Comments rolled in, spouting everything from, “This wasn’t on my 2023 Bingo card” to “Is this April Fool’s Day?” And it’s not the first time the brand has successfully sweetened its PR. They’ve also collaborated on mustard doughnuts and mustard ice cream!

4. Tito’s in a Can

PR campaigns aren’t always what they appear to be — and that's part of what makes them so effective. That’s the story with Tito’s in a Can, which as it turns out, isn’t exactly Tito’s in a Can.

Rather, it’s Tito’s in a Can. See the difference?

The website gives customers a clear breakdown of how it is — and isn’t — what you think. Rather than bottling Tito’s famous vodka in cans, it created a can-like koozie to keep your Tito’s cold. It’s an empty can until you add your Tito’s, at which point it becomes Tito’s in a Can. 

Lots to unpack there, but that’s enough to get people talking and enjoying the brand in a whole new way .

5. Dove’s “Stand Up for #KidsOnlineSafety” Campaign

Dove is no stranger to social advocacy, body positivity, and helping people feel good about themselves. Their recent hashtag campaign is no different, this time focusing on kids and their growing use of online channels. 

Partnering with Common Sense Media and Parents Together Action, the campaign aims to draw attention to the Kids Online Safety Act, which is legislation to help protect kids from online content that may be detrimental to their mental health.

The campaign tracks with Dove’s previous commitments to caring for the whole person, not just how they look and smell. It also demonstrates that PR efforts can be powerfully effective with the right partnerships .

6. Casper’s “Get Paid to Sleep”

Studies show that more than half of Americans have napped on the job. Your current boss might not approve, but if sleeping sounds like a dream job (pun intended), mattress brand Casper has your back.

The company offered a cushy job to a lucky few people—sleep your normal sleep for $25 per hour. The sleep participants also earned free Casper products , plus they could wear their pajamas to work. Sounds like a win/win.

7. Who Gives a Crap’s “Flush Your Ex”

Throwing a flaming bag of dog poo on your ex’s front step is so old-school. Cheeky toilet paper brand Who Gives a Crap found a better idea, and it’s way less messy. 

As part of a Valentine’s Day PR campaign, the company offered to “turn your ex’s empty promises into something that’s actually useful.” Customers could mail their old love letters to the company and have them turned into 100% recycled toilet paper. 

8. VisitLEX’s “Horse Kicks”

New York City is known for the Statue of Liberty, Philadelphia for its cheesesteaks, and Boston for its beans. When people think of Lexington, there’s no mistaking it for anything other than the capital of horse racing. So when the city’s tourism department needed a campaign idea, it naturally involved the city’s iconic history of horses.

The resulting campaign was a fake line of designer horseshoes , called Horse Kicks. These specialty sneakers began as a stunt to promote the city, but growing interest from the public turned it into a real collection of shoes, a storefront, a website, and lots of eye candy.

The campaign racked up more than 3 billion earned media impressions , millions of new social media followers, celebrity shout-outs, and even brand collaborations and custom orders from NFL and NBA teams and others. 

9. Walker’s “Heart-Shaped Crisps” Campaign

If you’ve ever thought your potato chip looked like a heart, a dog, or the shape of Florida, you’re not alone. Most chips aren’t perfect circles, and Walkers decided to call out that little detail just in time for Valentine’s Day. 

The brand opted to give away £100K to anyone who found a heart-shaped crisp in their bag of Walkers. Customers were encouraged to send in a picture of their finds for a chance to win some cash. The PR stunt was a huge hit, but it got even better when one unlucky customer missed his chance at the cash since he ate his special chip before he could redeem it.

10. Vimto to Vimpto

English is hard, so it’s no surprise that there are several words that people commonly mispronounce: acai, GIF, and cache, to name a few. Bbrand names can be easily mispronounced too, but one company decided to roll with it for a PR campaign.

Vimto, a popular brand of drinks in the Persian Gulf states, heard one too many people pronouncing its name as “Vimpto,” which inspired a new campaign. The company added a “P” to its logo along with a new tagline: ‘Changing our name to Vimpto… seeing as you all pronounce it that way.’

It was relatable, honest, and humorous , making for a successful campaign — so much so that many Vimto drinkers thought the change was real! At least it got people talking, which is the point of every good PR stunt.

How will you create your next PR campaign? Meltwater can help you shine when you need it most. Our PR strategy tools and expertise help you create and manage your PR campaigns from end to end. Request a demo today by filling out the form below.

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What is a PR Campaign? {And Famous Examples}

Public relations is a critical part of any company, brand, organization, and for public figures. The way PR works is by initiating and releasing campaigns to build the reputation of those entities. But what exactly is a PR campaign? There are many details and features to a successful PR campaign, which need to be considered in order for it to be a hit and meet objectives. In this article, we will go through everything surrounding PR campaigns - from a public relations campaign definition, its aims and goals, the measure of success, and some PR campaign examples, which have stunned the PR stage.

What is a public relations campaign?

A PR campaign can take on different shapes and forms - as a result of the different objectives that brands have.

Essentially, the definition for a PR campaign is a combination or collection of practices that have specific objectives and share the same goals for a business.

Public relations in its meaning is rather self-explanatory. The practice of public relations manages a brand’s reputation - what a brand does, what it says, and what others say about it. PR overlooks the image of the brand, and all values associated with it in the eyes of the public.

A campaign is the action of keeping that reputation, and maintaining a good relation and understanding between the brand and its public. It is not just content that is released to the press. Campaigns have many aspects, including content, public speeches, engagement with the audience, feedback, communication of values, etc.

Public relations specialists take a company’s idea, and expand its application, turning it into a success for the company and for the eyes of the public.

Simply put, a PR campaign is the combination of different practices with specific objectives, which share the same goal and within a fixed time frame.

What are the objectives of a PR campaign?

Despite the different formats that PR campaigns come in, they all have common, or shared, benefits that will positively impact your business.

To begin with, they increase the generated interest in your brand, which in turn opens up more opportunities for development. Consistent campaigns with consistent values are certain to build a sense of loyalty in your customer base, thus impact sales and revenue, and gain the attention of investors.

On a more long lasting note, they establish your brand’s identity (ideas you put forth, values you back up, etc.) and establish your brand in the industry by increasing your credibility. Inevitably, this helps to educate the public about your brand as well as the industry you’re involved in.

Here are some objectives that PR campaigns have in their pursuit of success.

PR campaigns can increase brand awareness

Consumers have an overwhelming choice of content in the form of TV, outdoor, online, and radio ads, so it’s increasingly hard for brands to cut through the noise. PR campaigns focusing on the public will drive awareness and attract stakeholders (customers, the media, and investors). Through well-devised PR campaigns, companies can take their content to the next level and use it to increase online presence and drive traffic. Campaigns can get people genuinely interested in what you say and encourage them to subscribe to your news channel to learn more.

Identify target audience

One of the main objectives of PR campaigns is to target the right people. As with any other company, yours also has a preferred public group that it needs to favor. In this regard, PR campaigns aim to identify the proper target audience for your brand.

This includes categorizing them based on interests, online platforms, social media involvement, timing, etc.

Using data-driven approaches is the most effective method of identifying the perfect target audience for your brand and is a goal for every PR campaign to have the success it aims for.

Raise your brand’s reputation

Reputations are built through effective PR campaigns. A campaign aims to show you enacting your brand’s values and what makes you unique. In other words, to highlight your reputation - what you say and what you are. The purpose is to give people a favorable impression of you and influence people to take positive action surrounding your brand.

Grab the media’s attention

Like it or not, you’ll need to engage in media outreach. A well-run campaign can turn heads and help you stand out. This is one of PR’s ultimate goals. Media attention can amplify your message to the right audiences, letting you be seen by those that matter and giving you credibility. Use for lead generation. A good piece of media coverage will inspire your company's blog and social media channels. Your site's SEO will benefit from all of these factors, too.

Stakeholder relations

PR campaigns can lift you above the pulpit by highlighting why you’re a good investment. Publicizing your company's successes helps generate interest, demonstrates your commitment to your customers, and promotes your brand image. Investors love to see this.

Use press releases, thought leadership, and tailored media engagements to garner attention from future potential venture backers.

To provoke a reaction

PR strategies can create bonds between a brand and its audience. An emotional connection is the holy grail of a PR strategy. People repeatedly use brands they feel connected to and talk about them to friends and online. Brand mentions across social media will reinforce your online presence.

Providng cost-effective marketing

PR goals always has a specific objective and often a given timeline. This is due to KPIs, resource spending, and ROI. This is where PR campaigns come in useful. PR campaigns are a cost-effective way to get your message across. This is because online content can be shared far and wide and stays in the digital universe for a considerable time. You can use content generated from a PR campaign across your channels and use previous campaigns for new creative ideas.

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How to measure the success of a PR campaign?

You might think that measuring the success of a PR campaign is rather difficult since the metrics can be fluid and hard to put into numbers. After all, how do you measure reputation, trust, loyalty, credibility, etc.? There are many different variables in action when it comes to brand awareness and sales growth, which makes it difficult to directly link a company’s success to the promotion of a PR campaign.

There are, however, certain metrics that can tell you how successful your PR campaign is.

PR metrics are a compilation of measurements that indicate the performance of specific PR projects. They are quantifiable, and created with the objective of securing the overall communications goals of these projects.

To put it simply, metrics in the form of numeric values exist that can indicate how successful a PR campaign is, whether business growth is achieved, and the extent of that growth.

But in order to put the theory into practice, we will discuss some metrics that can help visualize the measurement of success. In the following sections, we will provide 7 different metrics for success. These metrics reflect on business performance and growth in relation to a PR campaign that has been released to the public in order to generate positive reputation.

1. Website visitors

A good way to measure the success of a PR campaign is to keep track of the numbers of your website visitors. Depending on the immediate increase or decrease in your website traffic right after a PR campaign’s initiation can be informative about the success in affecting the public with the campaign.

2. Domain authority

Domain authority of a website evaluates the website’s relevance for a specific topic or industry. Search engines calculate your score depending on the likeliness for your website to appear higher in a search engine results page, with an average domain authority being between 40 and 50 . It is a good numerical way to measure the influence your PR campaign has had on the target audience.

3. Engagement

Engagement is rather self-explanatory. The metric tracks how engaged your audience is with your brand and your campaign. It can be identified by the likes, comments, shares, etc. on online posts regarding your company. If that number increases, then your campaign is doing well. Additionally, engagement is evident in the number of people that interact with your contact (divided by the number of total people) as well as organic mentions of your brand.

4. Press articles

The number of press articles your brand secures in media outlets is precious for the success of a PR campaign. Securing publications on various platforms, and by different media outlets and journalists might not have a numeric equivalent. But the mere number of articles in existence can show that a campaign is doing well. After all, an abundance of articles means that the reach is increased and the more people see it, the more likely it is to be engaged.

5. Sales figures

Sales are affected by other variables than just PR campaigns, and can increase or decrease with time. They will certainly not boom overnight, but a steady increase directly after the wrapping of a PR campaign can tell you that people are persuaded by that campaign and it helps guide them in their consumer decisions.

6. Media content evaluation

It is important not only to have a lot of media articles, but also to evaluate their impact. If you have a large number of actionable content, that can benefit your company in a more indirect way. Actionable content is knowledgeable and provides brand awareness, which can affect your target audience in a positive way that can increase sales steadily. Positive content simply increases and betters your brand’s image and reputation. That affects the mindset of potential customers in a way that makes them more affiliated with your brand.

7. Mentions

Mentions include any occasion where your brand is mentioned in the media or online. It is a rather informative and data-driven metric that helps you establish brand visibility. It is a good way to know that your PR campaign is being seen, not only by customers but also journalists, online bloggers, etc. A good way to measure mentions is with software available, e.g. Google Alerts is a good starting point, but there are many other media monitoring tools .

How to create a PR campaign

Which outlets are most appropriate for your needs and to reach your intended audience? Where do they get their information from? What sort of outreach is resonating with them? Research could also involve looking at competitors. Work out how you can differentiate yourselves from them.

You cannot get to your destination if you don’t know what it is. Similarly, you cannot conduct a PR campaign without specified goals. So it's important to set some. These could be any manner of things. Increased sales and higher brand recall to secure ‘x’ investment. The point is it needs to be measurable. How will you know if the campaign is having the desired impact? It’s important to set realistic goals and timeframes.

Remember to stay results driven! A goal can seem abstract and far away. By setting objectives, deliverables, KPIs, and check-in points per goal, you enable yourself to measure progress and performance - a.k.a., determining if the goal/s are going to be met within your set timeframe or if something needs to be altered.

Decide on your audience

One size does not fit all. You may find it helpful to segment your audience based on data. Who is visiting your website? What are your demographics? This can impact your strategies and the type of publications you contact to share your message. Think about it. If you want to advertise a luxury car brand, doing it in an outlet whose readership is mainly students would not be a good investment.

This is where you decide on the tactics. An important part of any PR strategy is knowing how and where to deliver your message. If you scan your environment, you can find suitable inspiration for inserting yourselves into the conversation that aligns with your goals, such as newsjacking or making the most of a current topical discussion to show your relevance and expertise in a given area.

Get started

Time to begin. Whatever tactics you decide on in the above step, it's time to implement them. Make sure you’re on brand with your communications. Don’t hit send without double-checking everything. A typo can undo all the hard work of an otherwise relevant and engaging press release. Don’t fall into the trap of overdoing data usage; fact-check everything.

Follow-up with journalists. Give it 2-3 days before you do so. Ask if they need more information.

If you are unsure how to follow up, check out our guide here for expert tips. Remember that you may need to work a little harder to convince them of the newsworthiness of your content. So be prepared to show them why it is just that.

The moment of truth—time to measure the efficacy of your campaign. Based on the first step, this should now be possible. Check media mentions, social media engagement, sales inquiries, and conversions. Work out what went well and what could be improved. Then, get to work making adjustments.

Remember that point about being results driven? If you had continuous measurement systems in place, the final ‘moment of truth’ shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. You’ll know what to expect from the measured data and how to proceed with your next steps, hopefully without any major shocks.

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Tips for a successful PR campaign

Set clear objectives.

It’s not enough to simply say that PR campaigns have objectives. They also need to be set in stone. A part of the work of PR specialists is to define these objectives. In doing so, aspects that can affect the size of the objectives need to be considered.

For example, restraints on budget and time can be a cause for a more realistic approach. A good PR campaign does not set itself to achieve something impossible but establishes reasonable expectations for its impact.

With the resources each PR team is given, their job is to set clear, reasonable, and achievable goals for the campaign that is in the making.

Analyze context

Analyzing the context in which the campaign will be released is essential to its success. An important objective of that campaign is to analyze the environment. A campaign’s activities vary. It can include working with media outlets and journalists, holding speeches at public events, maintaining reputation, crisis communication , public engagement, etc.

What needs to be assessed is the context in which the campaign will take place. This includes thinking widely about your industry of influence. What are some issues within the industry that you can address or ideas that innovate the field that you can spread? These are the foundations of your PR campaign. The context shapes the type of content the campaign will contain. This is why it’s an important objective to analyze and define the context to have a relevant and successful campaign.

Right place at the right time

The time and place to spread positive information about your company can greatly improve the brand's reputation. Attending events focusing on positive activities is a great opportunity to share how your company has contributed to the industry. Each activity the company has participated in needs to be shared, and an objective of PR campaigns aims to ensure these activities are spread through various channels.

Additionally, it is important to sync your timing with events within the sphere. Holding events right after a major crisis in the field can separate you from the negative associations with that event. Sharing achievements shortly after other news can be beneficial, too. It all comes down to PR specialists maintaining the right timing for the campaign.

Dynamic content

We can use Digital PR for SEO improvement . A good online reputation can get you some strong backlinks . If you stay consistent in your PR performance, it can easily result in obtaining some links from authoritative sites in your industry - Google loves this. When digital PR and SEO work together, your communication goals will be within reach. You must pay attention to the quality of your backlinks- always ensure they are valuable for your business.

Depending on the expectations of your digital PR campaign, the goals you set will either look similar to the above-mentioned or a little different. Overall, no matter the goal, the aim is to grow the business (depending on what that may look like to you) through the power of PR.

10 examples of famous PR campaigns

Of course, we can go on and on about PR campaigns and their objectives. But it is also important to show you some of the most unique and innovative ways that companies and PR teams have found to create PR campaigns.

The following section will introduce you to 10 examples of famous PR campaigns. They have managed to wow the world with their witty innovation and creativity. The successes are mostly due to the professionals in PR, which were able to combine important topics with their brands.

That is mainly why campaigns succeed. They take a social issue, industry issue, or other type of obstruction, raise awareness, and do so in a way that makes them connect to the company initiating that awareness. In doing so, companies cement their values and that they care about the community and the public.

But enough about how it’s done. Let’s get into the most interesting ways PR teams have managed to create campaigns, and see how those campaigns have succeeded in raising awareness, generating a positive reputation, and increasing their growth exponentially.

KFC campaign

KFC’s globally famous slogan “It’s finger licking good” received an increased backlash from the public in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The uniqueness in this example is the way the PR team handled the complaints and negative comments.

Instead of replying in a cold manner, generally associated with large corporations, the PR professionals at KFC played around with the slogan to make it a little more interesting. They blurred out the middle words (the source of backlash) in order for the slogan to read “It’s ****** ******* good” as a way to eliminate the negative reactions, while maintaining a harmlessly humorous approach.

The Heart Truth

The Heart Truth campaign launched in 2002 was aimed at spreading awareness about heart disease - the #1 cause of death among women in the US. At the time of the initiative, very few people knew about the dangers and seriousness of the topic.

The campaign (including the word play Heart-Hard) revolved around an evidence-based approach, while still managing to create an emotional connection with women in order to stimulate heart health. In the process, women were exhibited wearing red dresses as a symbol of heart disease and stroke, which should not be associated only with men. In the span of 10 years, approximately $800,000 was generated in addition to the awareness and engagement of women with their healthcare .

Dove’s campaign for real beauty

A research in 2004 showed the heartbreaking results that only 2% of women find themselves beautiful. As a response, Dove initiated a campaign using women who are not professional models, but everyday normal women. The goal was to bring a wider mindset to the idea of beauty standards within society.

The campaign had a huge success in bringing down the huge expectations for beauty, bringing awareness to the public, both in terms of the brand and in terms of the issue at hand. Statistics showed that the annual sales for Dove rose from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion in the first 10 years of the campaign.

Breathless choir

This campaign featured 18 people with breathing difficulties (cystic fibrosis, COPD, asthma). The major company Philips showcased these people getting over their fear to perform The Police song “Every Breath You Take” on stage in New York City.

The focus of the campaign was not just brand awareness, but more importantly awareness about the conditions that people suffer from on a daily basis. Philips had major success when placing people as the real heroes instead of products. They recorded their highest quarterly revenue increase of 14%.

Man lives in IKEA

This breakthrough in PR campaigns was an innovative and fun way to promote a brand’s story. Comedian Mark Malkoff was given the opportunity to live inside an IKEA. He uploaded short episodes of his experience and engaged with customers and IKEA fans alike.

The campaign created a unique and different way to tell the story of IKEA, and in a way that associates IKEA with a home. The campaign’s success was marked by judges of PRWeek, which found it deserving of three awards: Corporate Branding Campaign of the Year, Best Use of Online Media, and Campaign of the Year.

Doritos and the Super Bowl

Doritos had this idea in 2006 to utilize the power of social media to its fullest. They gave the ability for fans to be able to create their own customized Super Bowl ads.

They added a prize of $1 million if an ad were to rank #1 on the USA Today Ad Meter. This fresh and dynamic method to create a PR campaign was a huge success. The idea was to engage the audience as much as possible, making sure that they feel heard. Doritos then reported a 16% rise in sales just the week after the Super Bowl.

Barbie’s new career

The worldwide famous Barbie doll made a hit campaign in 2010 when the company Mattel asked the public to choose her next career after 125 career changes. Millions of people voted for a geeky barbie that had the profession of Computer Engineer. It was an innovative and new idea at the time, which supported the growing movement to empower girls, and added it to every girl’s most favorite and lovable doll.

The campaign increased brand awareness, as well as awareness for women being underrepresented in many careers at the time. It reached out to girls globally, and spread a positive message that they can be whatever they want.

Small business Saturday

In 2010, American Express had this idea to launch a campaign called Small Business Saturday. In practice, the company supplied 200,000 cardholders with $25 and simultaneously gave small businesses the opportunity to promote their company.

In collaboration with Facebook, the company showed that a large corporation can be locally beneficial.

The success was marked with public opinions stating that Small Business Saturday greatly improved the community and had a positive impact on small businesses. 90% of consumers were satisfied with the campaign and its effect.

Back to the start

Chipotle launched its first national TV ad in a unique and innovative way. It created a short animated film about a farmer who realizes he should farm with more sustainable and ethical methods.

The campaign brought awareness to the food production industry, as it preached that integrity and morals are essential to the practice of serving food. They did so in a fun way, and even featured Coldplay’s “The Scientist” to engage the public with entertaining and relatable content.

Mission to the edge of space

For the year 2012, Red Bull Stratos launched a very peculiar campaign. Instead of saying they launched a campaign, it is more accurate to say that they launched a helium balloon, because they did. Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumped from the balloon from a height of 127,852 feet.

This campaign was groundbreaking (no pun intended) as the skydiver became the first person to break the sound barrier in freefall.

The success of the campaign was marked when 8.3 million people watched this event live on YouTube, and Red Bull sales increased by 7% in the following six months. They generated $1.6 billion, marking the undoubted success of the campaign.

Now that you have a PR campaign definition, and are more familiar with PR campaigns, and seen some famous pr campaigns, and learned why they are important for the success of your business, it is safe to say that you would need one to craft the perfect campaign for you.

Even though we showed you the importance of PR campaigns, and all the details surrounding one, it is worthwhile to have experts guide you on your way to generate your reputation.

Campaigns are a steady process, with a lot of consistency, thought, and creativity put into them, and each is unique in its own way.

The perfect campaign for your company is the one that will be tailored to match your aims and objectives, your company’s visions and values, and the audience that you desire to reach.

Lastly, consider PRLab on your journey to set yourself on the map and apart from your competition, as you become an innovative and progressive thought leader in the industry you want to impact.

What makes PR Campaigns different at PRLab?

At PRLab, we pride ourselves on crafting PR campaigns that defy convention and deliver exceptional results. Our approach goes beyond the traditional playbook, blending creativity, data-driven insights, and a relentless pursuit of innovation to create campaigns that leave a lasting impact.

Strategic storytelling

Central to our approach is the art of strategic storytelling. We don't just disseminate information; we craft narratives that resonate deeply with our target audience. By understanding the unique essence of each brand, we unearth compelling stories that captivate, inspire, and drive action. Whether it's through captivating visuals, emotive messaging, or immersive experiences, our PR campaigns are designed to leave a lasting impression.

Integrated approach

Unlike traditional PR agencies, we take an integrated approach to campaign planning and execution. We seamlessly integrate earned media, owned media, and paid media strategies to amplify our reach and maximize impact. From securing media coverage to leveraging social media platforms and influencer partnerships, every element of our campaign is strategically coordinated to ensure cohesive messaging and maximum visibility.

Data-driven decision making

At PRLab, data isn't just an afterthought; it's the cornerstone of our strategy. We leverage robust analytics and insights to inform every aspect of our PR campaigns, from audience targeting to message optimization. By harnessing the power of data, we continuously refine and optimize our approach, ensuring that our campaigns deliver measurable results and drive tangible business outcomes.

Agility and adaptability

In today's rapidly evolving media landscape, agility is key to success. Our team at PRLab is agile, adaptable, and always one step ahead. We stay abreast of emerging trends, anticipate shifts in consumer behavior, and pivot our strategies accordingly to ensure our campaigns remain relevant and impactful in an ever-changing world.

Looking at our client, Smart Robotics

One unique aspect of Smart Robotics' approach to PR campaigns with PRLab is their commitment to strategic storytelling. They understand that effective communication goes beyond simply sharing information – it's about crafting narratives that deeply resonate with their audience. By uncovering the authentic essence of the brand, Smart Robotics develops compelling stories that captivate, inspire, and drive action.

In addition to traditional PR channels, Smart Robotics recognizes the integral role of LinkedIn thought leadership in their overall strategy. Through thought-provoking content and engaging interactions on LinkedIn, they position themselves as industry leaders, build credibility, and establish meaningful connections with their audience. By leveraging LinkedIn as a platform for sharing insights and expertise, Smart Robotics strengthens their brand presence and enhances their overall PR efforts.

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15 of the Best Public Relations Examples to Inspire Your Next Campaign

Published: June 29, 2022

Journalists crave juicy stories and viral marketing campaigns, but standing out in a sea of conventional pitches is one of the biggest challenges for any public relations professional.

When you need a dose of inspiration, it can be helpful to explore the most compelling PR plays in recent years. To save you some time, we curated a list of the absolute best of the best to get the creativity flowing for your next campaign.

Read on to get inspired by some of the best minds in public relations.

The 15 Best Public Relations Examples to Inspire Your Next Campaign

• Spotify: Wrapped
• Subway: Eat Fresh Refresh
• HostelWorld: Even Divas are Believers
• Lego: Rebuild the World
• Dove: #TheSelfieTalk
• Ikea: #StayHome
• Stabilo Boss: Highlight the Remarkable
• Logitech: BS Detection Spoof
• Old Spice: Paper Blazer Ad
• Star Wars: Passing the Box-Office Baton to The Avengers
• Johnnie Walker: Jane Walker
• AirBnB & BBC Earth: Night at Blue Planet II
• SpaceX & Tesla: SpaceX Sends a Tesla into Outer Space
• State Street Global Advisors: Fearless Girl
• ALS Association: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

1. Spotify : Wrapped

Image Source

Spotify's Wrapped campaign has quickly turned into a viral, end-of-year event. Since 2016, the streaming app has provided each user with a "wrap up" of their listening habits which are delivered in colorful, eye-catching graphics. Naturally, you can share your stats on different platforms, like Instagram and TikTok.

Spotify's Wrapped is not just another marketing campaign— it's a viral, multi-platform, FOMO-inducing social campaign. It's highly personal, relevant, and shareable. It's this winning combination that its rivals, namely Apple and YouTube, haven't been able to recreate.

2. Subway : Eat Fresh Refresh

For the longest time, Subway has rolled out countless marketing campaigns featuring its trusty tagline, Eat Fresh! But now, in light of changes to both its brand and menu, a new campaign has emerged, fittingly titled "Eat Fresh Refresh." The campaign includes many sports stars, like Steph Curry and Serena Williams, who lend their humor to promote Subway's new meal options. In one commercial, Tom Brady pulls a loaf of bread from an oversized perfume bottle. "Smells so good, you can almost taste it," he narrates. It's a humorous take on the moody, often confusing perfume ads – while highlighting Subway's new ingredients and options.

3. HostelWorld : Even Divas are Believers

Traveling the world can give you some of the best experiences of your life, but it can also thrust you into situations that you’ll want to scrub from your memory, like staying the night in a hostel. There are countless hostel horror stories online and hundreds of videos that mock their hospitality scattered throughout social media -- so needless to say, they don’t have the best reputation.

But HostelWorld, a hostel booking website, decided to team up with Mariah Carey to freshen up their image and showcase the pleasant reality of staying in a modern day hostel. Together, they blasted through affordable accommodation stereotypes by spotlighting the lesser known luxuries of hostels like having access to the same facilities as more expensive accommodations, but at a cheaper price, and being able to connect with other fellow travelers.

HostelWorld’s message is simple: if hostels are nice enough for divas like Mariah Carey, then they’re nice enough for everyone..

4. Lego : Rebuild the World

According to Lego, rebuilding the world starts with a single (lego) brick. It's a powerful message for those rebuilding their lives following several tumultuous years — and one delivered by a company that believes in building, experimenting, and breaking the rules. 

This campaign is not only well-timed, but it effectively presents its products in such a way that goes beyond their basic functionality.

5. Dove : #TheSelfieTalk

When it comes to creating positive brand associations, Dove is in a class of its own. For example, its #TheSelfieTalk campaign takes a poignant look at the pressure young girls feel to look "perfect" — and the lengths they take to appear this way online.

It's one of many campaigns by Dove that explores how the beauty industry impacts women's self-esteem and body image. As a result, the brand is often associated with positivity, self love, and confidence.

6. Ikea : #StayHome

During periods of lockdowns, Ikea wanted customers to see their homes from a new perspective. Enter the #StayHome campaign, a love letter to our homes, and all the life moments that happen there. It reframes the idea that our home is a place we're trapped in, to a place of warmth, shelter, and growth. It's a message of hope that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

7. Stabilo Boss : Highlight the Remarkable

There have been remarkable women throughout history that might not have been celebrated as they should have been. Stabilo Boss — the company that sells highlighter pens — started a campaign to highlight these women and their incredible accomplishments. 

Stabilo took famous black-and-white photos from historical moments and drew a yellow highlight line to showcase the woman in the photo that made it all happen. The Boss PR campaign highlighted women like Katharine Johnson, the NASA mathematician responsible for the calculations that sent Apollo 11 to the moon. Other examples include Nobel Prize winner Lise Meitner and First Lady Edith Wilson.

The campaign blew up on social media and went on to win multiple awards.

8. Logitech : BS Detection Spoof

Hours after April Fools Day, almost every marketing publication rounds up the best spoofs, pranks, and stunts that distracted everyone at work that day. One of the funniest spoofs that earned a spot in all the major roundups this year was Logitech’s fake Business Speak Detection product video. By giving their product a punny, yet subtly accurate name, the video pokes fun at most businesses’ obsession and overuse of buzzwords. But it also has the feel of a real product overview, which makes it even more hilarious.

9. Old Spice : Paper Blazer Ad

When Fragrance brands advertise in magazines, they usually show off their aromas by drenching an ad with their latest cologne or perfume. But Old Spice realized people usually don’t enjoy unexpectedly pungent scents violating their nostrils when they’re flipping through their favorite magazine.

So, in typical Old Spice fashion, they gently ribbed other fragrance brands by inserting a paper blazer doused in their new cologne, Captain, in their print ad in GQ magazine. Then they wrote about how these paper blazers can help men attract attention not only with trendy style, but also with masculine smell. The only drawback of the blazer is that it'll turn into papier-mâché on you in the rain.

Humor and cleverness is one of the best ways to appeal to your audience and gain earned media attention, and it seems like Old Spice can leverage them both on any marketing channel.

10. Star Wars : Passing the Box-Office Baton to The Avengers

Congratulations, @MarvelStudios and @Avengers : #InfinityWar . pic.twitter.com/PnHfaouOlP — Star Wars (@starwars) May 1, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War recently shattered Star Wars: The Force Awakens ’ record for the biggest opening weekend ever by grossing over $250 million. LucasFilm, the studio that created and produced Star Wars, wasn’t bitter though.

Instead, they were proud of their friends over at Marvel Studios, and sent them a heartwarming congratulatory tweet. By applauding them for their incredible accomplishment, and not sulking about their broken record, Star Wars earned the respect of movie lovers everywhere -- not to mention some media coverage for the gesture.

11. Johnnie Walker : Jane Walker

To promote gender equality and honor the many achievements of women throughout history, Johnnie Walker launched a female version of its whisky on International Women’s Day called Jane Walker . The limited-edition bottle featured a woman on their iconic logo, instead of a man, which connected the brand to individuals who also support their commitment to social progress.

In March 2018, Johnnie Walker released 250,000 bottles of Jane Walker, and for every bottle sold, they donated $1 to organizations that empower women. This tangible impact helped their campaign gain even more support and publicity.

12. AirBnB & BBC Earth: Night at Blue Planet II

Blue Planet II is considered the greatest nature series of all time , with its first episode attracting over 14 million viewers and earning the title of Britain’s highest rated TV show in 2017. Watching the show can almost place you into the habitat they’re filming, but BBC Earth wanted to take things to the next level for their biggest fans: they offered them a chance to experience what it’s like to be a researcher and filmmaker for Blue Planet II.

To do so, they teamed up with AirBnB to run a contest for their members, and two lucky winners got to spend three days and two nights in the Bahamas on the research and exploration vessel used in the show’s filming. During their expedition, they lived with and discussed work with researchers and dove deep into the Atlantic Ocean in a submarine with filmmakers to observe some of nature’s most unique underwater wildlife. By offering a once in a lifetime opportunity, BBC Earth could get more people to watch their hit show, and AirBnB could build their brand affinity.

13. SpaceX & Tesla : SpaceX Sends a Tesla into Outer Space

View from SpaceX Launch Control. Apparently, there is a car in orbit around Earth. pic.twitter.com/QljN2VnL1O — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2018

Everyone knows Elon Musk wants to send humans to Mars. So when SpaceX launched their newest rocket, Falcon Heavy, into space, it made some headlines. But when the Falcon Heavy suddenly shot a cherry-red Tesla Roadster blasting David Bowie’s 1971 hit “Life on Mars?” into orbit, it was being called the greatest automotive PR stunt in history.

The car will now float between Earth and Mars for millions of years, and serve as reminder for current and future generations to always reach for the stars. The success of both launches also improved SpaceX and Falcon Heavy’s reputation. Falcon Heavy is now the most powerful rocket on earth, so it’s realistic to say it can launch heavy satellites and future space stations into orbit, shuttle cargo to Mars, and even transport humans to the moon. And that’s exactly what Elon Musk needs the public to think if he wants to accomplish his ambitious goals.

14. State Street Global Advisors : Fearless Girl

On the morning of International Women's Day , the world woke up to find a four-foot high statue of a girl across from the Charging Bull statue on Wall Street in New York. She is standing tall and brave, hands on her hips, in a dress and high top converse. 

Fearless Girl, as she is called, was commissioned by the investment management firm State Street Global Advisors as a part of their campaign to pressure companies to add more women to their boards. By standing up to Charging Bull , she is standing up for gender diversity on Wall Street. 

Some argue that the girl's defiance toward the bull — and male-dominated corporate boardrooms more generally — is controversial . There has been lots of pushback to the statue, but in general, this PR campaign received widespread support for the women's movement and diversity in the workplace and remains outside the New York Stock Exchange.

15. ALS Association : ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

A few years ago, videos of people dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads flooded social media, now known as the Ice Bucket Challenge . The viral sensation of 2.4 million videos was a way to raise awareness of a neurodegenerative disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. The idea was to raise money for the ALS Association and research on the disease. 

The viral challenged raised more than $115 million dollars, with almost $80 million going towards research. The campaign was a massive success -- awareness and funding for ALS has skyrocketed, all thanks to millions of people giving themselves brain freeze.

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• How to Write a PR Case Study: A Comprehensive Guide

Home » How to Write a PR Case Study: A Comprehensive Guide

A well-crafted public relations case study can be an immensely powerful tool for PR professionals, agencies, and freelancers. It’s more than a one-off success story; it’s a compelling display of strategy, execution, and results that can attract new clients and showcase your talent. 

Case studies equip customers with a better understanding of the challenges their PR firm or freelancer has faced, as well as how they have resolved and overcome those barriers to success. 

Dive into our comprehensive guide on how to write compelling public relations case studies that resonate with your audience and drive results.

Start Strong with the PR Challenge

Begin your PR case study by outlining the challenge your client faced. Detail the initial situation, the client’s goals, and their aspirations. Whether it was a viral social media campaign , a groundbreaking product launch, or a crisis management triumph, set the stage for the journey ahead.

Structure the PR Case Study for Clarity and Engagement

Craft a structured narrative that captivates your audience from start to finish. Provide a brief overview of the client and their market context before delving into the specifics of the project. Break down the case study into manageable sections such as the challenge, strategy, execution, and results. Seamless transitions between sections ensure a compelling storytelling experience.

Harness the Power of Data Visualization

Enhance the credibility of your case study by incorporating hard data and statistics. Use infographics or charts to illustrate key metrics such as increased website traffic, social media engagement, or media placements secured. Visual representations not only validate your claims but also make complex information more digestible for your audience.

Amplify with Client Testimonials

Inject authenticity into your PR case study by including testimonials from satisfied clients. Let their voices narrate the success story alongside your own. Look for testimonials that are specific, enthusiastic, and aligned with the narrative of your case study. Personal insights from clients add credibility and resonance to your accomplishments.

Promote Your Success Story

Maximize the impact of your case study by promoting it across relevant channels. Share it within your professional networks and online communities to amplify its reach. Optimize your content for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords and shareable elements. Make it easy for prospective clients to find and engage with your success story.

Still Seeking Inspiration?

Explore examples of stellar PR case studies for inspiration:

• Visa: Establishing Visa’s voice in the world of NFTs and crypto commerce
• Dove: D ove turned its back on beauty filters. Literally. Here’s why.
• Sparkling Ice: Giving Back

Crafting a compelling public relations case study requires attention to detail, storytelling finesse, and strategic promotion. By following these guidelines, you can create impactful case studies that showcase your expertise, attract new clients, and solidify your reputation in the industry.

Ready to elevate your PR game? Start writing your next standout case study today!

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How To Create PR Case Study Examples That Win New Business

PR case studies are essential to showcasing campaign achievements and illustrating exceptional work.

• Struggling to turn client successes into compelling case studies that actually land new deals?
• Tired of case studies that feel like dry, self-promotional brochures which put people to sleep?
• Worried that existing case studies are not showcasing the team’s expertise and unique value proposition in a way that will resonate with potential clients?

These marketing resources help prospective clients understand how PRs establish brand identity and present clients in their best light. When it comes to getting potential clients to sign on the dotted line, a strong PR case study should get them to put pen to paper.

This article offers a roadmap to crafting PR case studies that wow. We’ll cover:

• The secret sauce to crafting narratives that resonate with the target market.
• Transforming data into digestible (and brag-worthy) results.
• Adding a dash of personality to make the case studies stick.

Why Do PR Case Study Examples Matter?

The absence of PR case study examples can create a question mark for prospective clients. Naturally, they want to learn about what PRs have achieved for others. Social proof is perhaps the most powerful tool agencies and freelancers use to get prospective clients over the finish line. Effective PR case study examples can inspire confidence and ultimately, conversions.

Many prospective clients are looking to peers to make purchasing decisions. They seek a sense of assurance from those around them. With access to a range of PR case study examples, individuals or organisations can make informed decisions about moving forward. Ideally, PRs should assemble a full stack of case studies to help move the needle.

There is no shortage of ways for PRs to share case studies in their marketing. Aside from simply having a dedicated case studies page on their websites, PRs can strategically place case studies on landing pages. If prospects are still in the consideration phase of the buyer’s journey, a few solid case studies could help to push them further down the sales funnel .

7 Tricks & Tips for Crafting Public Relations Campaign Case Studies That Stick

Believe it or not, there is actually a magic formula for crafting perfect public relations campaign case studies. While we do not claim to know much about sorcery or wizardry, we’ve learned a few tricks for producing compelling case studies over the years. As a go-to coverage reporting tool, Releasd works directly with PR agencies and in-house teams . Let’s break it down.

Focus on saying something genuinely meaningful

PR case studies should reflect an ability to deliver results. While this might sound obvious, many case studies get caught up in talking about solutions without mentioning the problems . Effective case studies resonate with prospects because the initial problems faced by clients typically align with the problems prospects are currently facing. It’s all about alignment.

When prospects begin to see themselves in each case study subject, this increases the conversation power of the case study as an asset. The case studies should explore how agencies or freelancers took a client from A to B – highlighting the initial problem and the solution. If case studies only focus on B (the solutions), they lose their conversion power.

Experiment with unconventional formats

The best PR case studies swing for the fences and communicate narratives in unconventional ways. Experimenting with different types of media, including interactive graphics and videos, can help to illustrate each client’s journey from the initial problem to the solution. In other words, don’t play it safe. Bring something prospects want to browse through to the table.

Box-standard testimonial soundbites often fail to pack a punch. Sure, sprinkle a few of these throughout each case study – but don’t put them front and centre. Instead, leverage graphics and videos to illustrate each client’s journey. To tell the client’s story, some PRs choose to write their case studies using the client’s voice (in the first person) or simply include a video of the client.

Add context to the case study

To set the scene, an effective case study should answer the following questions:

• Who is the client?
• What does the individual or organisation do?
• Why do they do what they do?
• How long have they been doing this?
• How successful are they at what they do?
• What problem were they trying to solve?

Stay authentic and honest

While case studies should positively reflect on a business, PRs must focus on authenticity by offering an honest account of their own performance. If there were areas for improvement in a campaign, there is nothing wrong with mentioning these. At the same time, PRs can also share metrics that seem unremarkable but help to paint a complete picture of campaign performance.

Include original imagery and graphics

Take some time to play around with the format of case studies. Original images and graphics can help bring each case study to life, especially if these images include real people. People want to see the faces of those who have experienced success working with a PR agency or freelancer. The case studies should offer an insight into exactly who these clients are.

Demonstrate PR impact with tangible benefits

What has the PR agency or freelancer enabled the client to achieve? Demonstrating the impact of a campaign is an important part of communicating value. Prospective clients want to know what is possible and the easiest way to show them is through case studies. If they choose to invest in PR services, they need an understanding of what is realistically achievable.

Celebrate PR success

Many PRs underestimate the potential conversion power of case studies. As a result, they often fail to dedicate enough time to developing these marketing resources. Pushing these resources further and pouring time into crafting them may pay dividends in the long run. To get prospects over the finish line, the perfect case study may be the missing piece of the puzzle .

Closing Thoughts on Developing PR Campaign Case Studies

Developing compelling case studies takes time and effort. Bringing everything together will require input from clients. With this in mind, PRs should make a clear list of materials needed for the creation of the case study. Making the process as seamless as possible will help to prevent back-and-forth communication with clients.

Those using our PR coverage reporting tool can easily pull client data from past reports to create engaging case studies.

Interested in exploring the possibilities of our coverage tool? Book a 15-minute demo with our team today.

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Richard Benson | MD, Releasd One of the most fiercely debated topics in PR surrounds the industry’s ability to prove

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Example Silver Anvil Case Studies

Use these example case studies to help prepare your entry for the Anvil Awards . A full database of case studies from Silver Anvil winners dating back to 1968 is also available. 

Community Relations > Associations/Nonprofit Organizations

Papitto Opportunity Connection

Here to Listen. Here to Help

In the past two years, America has begun to face a long overdue reckoning for the systemic racism that has created measurable socio-economic disparities between white communities and communities of color. The Papitto Opportunity Connection was established to change that narrative and empower Black, Indigenous and People of Color in education, skills-training and entrepreneurship in Rhode Island. The Perry Group created a comprehensive community relations campaign to overcome significant trust hurdles and encourage BIPOC nonprofits to apply for grants. By the end of 2021, 100+ non-profits serving BIPOC communities would seek funding and POC would commit more than $50 million.

BOK Financial

Ragan Consulting Group

Brand Journalism: The Statement

BOK Financial used a research-informed business case to pitch brand journalism to leadership. Right as the initiative gained ground, the pandemic hit and derailed plans for a new owned content website. But the communications team persevered with the belief that owned content was a powerful avenue to build brand recognition, increase visibility for company experts and provide valuable information directly to audiences including commercial clients and prospects. After a makeshift approach for nearly a year, https://thestatement.bokf.com/ was launched. The content highlights all lines of business and geographies using a journalistic approach, which is promoted through a variety of channels.

Royal Caribbean (ca-rib-EE-ann) Group

Weber Shandwick

From “Floating Petri Dish” to “Safer than Main Street” - Navigating the Pandemic, Regaining Trust and a Healthy Return to Sailing

In March 2020, as the pandemic surged worldwide, Royal Caribbean Group’s Corporate Communications team had to help restore an industry facing an existential challenge. As a result of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “No Sail Order,” cruise companies spent months navigating uncertain waters and the possibility of industry-wide bankruptcy. The effort to build confidence, provide reassurance and regain trust in the industry’s commitment to safety required an incredibly coherent communications machine that could change the narrative from “Floating Petri Dish” to “Safer than Main Street.” Royal Caribbean Group achieved this with a plan unlike any other.

World Thrombosis Day

Stanton Communication

World Thrombosis Day Helps the World Learn “How to Save a Life”

World Thrombosis Day is a global health campaign that aims to spread awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide: thrombosis, commonly known as blood clots. Through a strategic public relations plan incorporating partner agencies across the globe, World Thrombosis Day effectively secured over 6.1 billion global impressions, inevitably saving lives from this potentially fatal and often misunderstood health condition.

Marcus Thomas LLC

Troy-Bilt Fence Talks Program

Troy-Bilt is on a mission to make yardwork less of a chore by being a helpful partner in the yard. Research revealed a serious need for content addressing common lawn and garden challenges, so Fence Talks launched in 2020 to meet that need. Influencers addressed yard questions driven by social listening insights, creating high engagement and building brand awareness during peak gardening season. Building initially on the pandemic lockdown-driven interest in outdoor projects, the program has continued through 2021 and has shown measurable increases in brand awareness, preference and perceptions of Troy-Bilt as helpful.

Diocese of Pittsburgh

OPR Group, Pipitone Group, CorCom, Inc and Hoffmann Murtaugh

Pittsburgh's Catholic Schools Are Lighting the Way

Student enrollment in Pittsburgh’s Catholic schools was in a 10-year decline, marked by school closures, consolidations, and teacher layoffs. Worse still, the peak infection period of the Covid-19 pandemic was an “accelerant” fueling continued decline. The Diocese of Pittsburgh and OPR Group developed the Lighting the Way campaign to persuade parents of the important values and attributes of a Catholic education, overcome a decade of decline, and increase enrollment. Through an integrated marketing campaign of storytelling and strategic messaging, enrollment in Pittsburgh’s Catholic schools increased more than 12%, far surpassing public and private school enrollment during the same period.

FleishmanHillard

The Greatest Delivery: UPS Healthcare Leads Worldwide COVID-19 Vaccine Logistics and Distribution

If COVID-19 was the global story for 2020, the rollout of the vaccines was its turning point – shifting the narrative from hardship to hope. As a preferred logistics provider, UPS saw this opportunity to showcase its role in a once-in-a-century, global event. UPS generated exposure for its growing healthcare services business, credit to the UPSers who made this massive effort possible, and support for philanthropic efforts to increase health equity worldwide. UPS met the moment – delivering more than one billion doses and generating 9,800 stories that positioned the company as a key driver of this century’s “greatest delivery.”

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Vaccines Bring Us Closer campaign

To provide a safe treatment environment for patients with cancer and catastrophic diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital took decisive action and required all employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The institution’s mandate occurred when few in the region had made this difficult, and sometimes controversial, decision. Partnering with experts across the hospital over two months, the internal communications team developed an agile and analytical approach when addressing employee concerns. Using a variety of storytelling methods and educational materials to combat vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, the team successfully implemented tactics to achieve the institution’s goal of 98% employee vaccination adherence.

The SCN Coalition

MorganMyers

The SCN Coalition: Battling A Bug to Improve America’s Soybean Profitability and Sustainability

America’s farmers are waging war against the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) to improve profitability and sustainability by harvesting more soybeans from less acres. These parasitic roundworms feed on soybean roots, robbing 23% of the plant’s yield potential, requiring farmers to plant more acres to feed the world. Research showed many farmers were unaware of SCN’s resistance to their management until The SCN Coalition, a public/private partnership, created a campaign to help farmers actively manage SCN. To date, this campaign has motivated up to 18% more farmers to actively manage SCN, enabling them to farm more sustainably and profitably.

Schleich USA

Brilliant PR & Marketing

Schleich “Chief Storytelling Officer” Campaign

Animal figurine manufacturer, Schleich, sought holiday awareness with parents and demand from kids. Noting a conflict between the desires of the groups, Brilliant PR & Marketing sought to rally parents to give kids gifts that help them become change-makers while giving kids an unexpected way to get what they want. After searching for a kid to fill the role, Schleich’s new Chief Storytelling Officer drove the message home in a holiday video series. Coverage included a feature on The Kelly Clarkson Show. 19% of the brand’s audience reported seeing advertising during the campaign window and Schleich’s holiday sales increased 77%.

The PEEPS® Brand

Coyne Public Relations

PEEPS® Makes a Triumphant Return to Shelves for Easter

PEEPS® was noticeably missing from stores since spring 2020 as the brand shut down the factory to prioritize employee safety. With many 2020 holiday traditions uprooted, PEEPS® wanted to make Easter 2021 one to remember with the biggest comeback of all time. Coyne PR helped develop a multi-faceted campaign to announce the brand’s return and leveraged social media, traditional media and influencers to sustain momentum and excitement ahead of Easter. New product announcements and unique partnerships like PEPSIxPEEPS® made it hard to miss this sweet comeback, hitting every major news outlet, and saturating news cycles from January through April!

Chase Oaks Church

Debuting the New Era of Local Good Center

Three Box client Chase Oaks Church created Local Good Center (LGC) to serve the North Texas community through advocacy, wellness, job readiness and education programming. The Center first opened its doors to the public in 2014, and due to an increase in demand, quadrupled its space and expanded its service offerings in 2021. Three Box was tasked with introducing the next generation of LGC to external audiences to build awareness, increase engagement and drive action around the new Center’s grand opening weekend on November 6. Our budget for this program was $7,000.

Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)

McDougall Communications

Alerting the World to MADE: Mask-Associated Dry Eye

Several weeks after COVID-19-related mask wear became widespread, eye doctors began noticing more patients presenting with dry eyes. Sensing this issue could have global clinical relevance, the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, quickly developed a focused, 18-month communications program to alert the eyecare community and general population to mask-associated dry eye—MADE. Despite zero budget and an already overextended staff, a small team advanced the knowledge of medical peers on six continents, helped millions of consumers understand and counteract this new phenomenon, and gained worldwide exposure for CORE’s scientific expertise.

Stacy's Pita Chips

Ketchum, G9, David & Goliath, OMD and Hello Alice

Stacy's Rise Project: FoundedByHer

Stacy’s Pita Chips is a female-founded brand and longtime advocate for female advancement. To launch the third Stacy’s Rise project, they focused their efforts on helping female founders be found through financial investment/executive mentorship for 10 selected founders, partnerships with Hello Alice and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, the creation of an online database for consumers to find and support female-owned businesses and through the distribution of an educational infographic. The program garnered 814MM+ media impressions, including interviews for the founders with top-tier media outlets.

City of Austin, Austin Resource Recovery's Public Information and Marketing Team

Final phase rollout of curbside composting collection for Austin residents

In February 2021, Austin Resource Recovery (ARR), completed the fourth and final expansion of its curbside composting collection program. ARRs Public Information and Marketing Team (PIO) announced the final roll out in December of 2020 and began a year-long advertising and outreach campaign. The goal of the campaign was to inform residents and encourage participation. PIO’s advertising and community outreach were planned with environmental justice as one of the guiding principles. The campaign was highly effective, decreasing contamination from 2.8% to 1.25%, increasing the amount of diverted material and increasing the pounds of curbside compost collected.

Johnson & Johnson MedTech

J3, Mac Strategies and Havas PR Italy

My Health Can't Wait - A Global PR and Public Affairs Effort to Support Patients

After the successful 2020 launch of My Health Can't Wait, Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s global education initiative and online resource to help patients and providers safely navigate patient care during the pandemic, the campaign returned in 2021 with a more targeted focus. With a year’s understanding of how the pandemic prevents patients from receiving care, the campaign replicated its previous 360-degree-surround-sound amplification strategy through earned media, social promotion, and third-party engagement, but localized these efforts around the globe, in six key regions, calibrating outreach activities based on the region’s biggest needs, key patient populations, and most urgent therapeutic areas.

Southwest Strategies

Falck Ambulance Unseats 23-Year Emergency Medical Service Incumbent –Twice

Southwest Strategies (SWS) led a comprehensive and successful public affairs campaign for its client, Falck, to unseat a 20+ year incumbent ambulance provider from the City of San Diego’s Emergency Ambulance Services contract. Over the course of a two-year request for proposal (RFP) process, Falck was awarded the contract twice. Despite an aggressive misinformation campaign and an RFP process that was interrupted and restarted, SWS navigated Falck to victory after a unanimous (9-0) City Council vote in April 2021. The success of this campaign is attributed to SWS’ public affairs strategies, community coalition, and Falck’s world renowned reputation.

Washington State Department of Health

Vaccinate WA

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) partnered with C+C to develop a social marketing initiative designed to get 70% of Washington adults vaccinated. Ongoing research informed all elements o the campaign. The campaign strategy hinged upon building receptivity, intention and action – including among hesitant populations. A wide suite of tactics supported the campaign strategy including, influencers, organic social advertising, expert panels, partnerships and materials. The result? As of the end of January 2022, 83.7% of Washington adults had initiated vaccination and progress to “close the gap” had been made among three of the hesitant population groups.

Associated General Contractors, Oregon-Columbia Chapter

Quinn Thomas

Build Oregon: Build What Matters

To help AGC overcome its increasingly difficult challenges with attracting the next generation to the construction industry, Quinn Thomas (QT) developed a comprehensive brand strategy and communications program. By conducting research with industry members and its target audiences, QT uncovered existing brand and channel misalignment and misconceptions among AGC’s audience. QT then developed and deployed a highly successful brand refresh, owned channel refresh and ongoing paid media, influencer and social media campaigns. The highly successful program beat all 1st-year goals by 82-290% and drove a high level of interest in construction careers among target audiences.

• Individual Awards
• Gold Anvil Award
• The Outstanding Educator Award
• The Patrick Jackson Award for Distinguished Service to PRSA
• Paul M. Lund Public Service Award
• The John L. Paluszek Atlas Award for Lifetime Achievement in International Public Relations
• Public Relations Professional of the Year Award
• D. Parke Gibson Award

Example Silver Anvil Award Case Studies

Search all silver anvil award case studies, order additional or replacement trophies.

Talkin' Baseball

Let's talk about baseball, the sports world, and the overall relationship with public relations.

Case Study: Nike & Colin Kaepernick “Just Do It” Campaign

Case Study: Nike’s 30th Anniversary “Just Do It Campaign” With Colin Kaepernick

Brian Urvater and Courtney Vandegrift 

Comm 473: PR Campaigns

Professor Renea Nichols

September 28, 2021

When Nike released the 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign, Nike’s brand leadership team members were taking a calculated risk. They knew full well how Kaepernick’s high profile protest might rub some of its consumer base the wrong way, yet they moved forward with it anyway In 2018, Nike launched a new ad campaign that was based on a strong political conflict capable of tearing apart the United States. The nation was polarized as a result of increased racism, police brutality, and social injustice. In the midst of an era labeled as the Black Lives Matter movement, where african americans felt oppressed and helpless due to the violent attacks against black communities across the country, Nike drew a great deal of attention with their new campaign strategy that showed support for black communities, athletes, and civil liberties proponents. The ad featured professional football player and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick, best known for taking a knee during an NFL game’s national anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality. The advertisement image began with a quote that stated “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Since Nike is a sports gear and apparel company, their products fit well into this campaign strategy because it highlights a celebrity athlete that is known worldwide. Their main objectives were to bring headline attention to the campaign by highlighting athletes that were pushing boundaries in society in some way.

This case study’s purpose is to research the public relations methods used in the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” Nike social media campaign featuring prominent NFL figure Colin Kaepernick. With input from former NFL player and founder of Go Big Recruiting Ross Tucker, this paper reflects the communications strategies used by Nike’s PR department to send a specific message to their target audience and influence their perception and brand loyalty. By taking a stand for a controversial social figure during a time of political disarray, Nike took a risk to convey their brand as a platform that brings attention to important social and political matters. Since the launch of the campaign in 2018, Nike has continued to represent themselves as an organization that supports local communities and athletes. By bringing more thought to important social issues such as systemic racism and police brutality, their objective is to use sports as a platform to accelerate social movements and reflect their brand as an organization in favor of activism and reform. Their message to consumers is strong and impactful, showing consumers that it is more than just sports, but also about making the world a better place by giving athletes a platform to discuss social problems and encouraging young athletes to take a stand for their own values and beliefs.

Communication Plan

Situation Analysis:

Nike is a retail organization that provides high quality athletic products that are used by professional sports organizations and aspiring athletes around the world. The light weight material of their clothing and the superiority of their sports products have made Nike the most prominent sports brand in the world. The company has partnerships with several professional leagues including NCAA, NBA, MLB, and NFL. In terms of distributing products, Nike has over 1,000 factories and over a million employees, which makes for a fast, efficient distribution process that translates to major financial success. The company brands itself well with a globally recognizable swoosh logo and a short, confident slogan known as “Just Do It,” which represents their mission to inspire athletes to pursue their wildest hopes and dreams. Nike not only uses famous athletes to endorse their products and engage with their sports-devoted audience, but the organization also pays close attention to social trends and issues that are impacting the United States. By using social responsibility to advance their agenda, the organization increases their popularity and widespread attention, and ultimately influences brand loyalty among consumers. Additionally, the use of controversial social justice campaigns has proven to be beneficial to Nike’s reputation of goodwill because it can lead to national headlines and widespread media attention that helps guide public opinion in the area of social awareness.

The organization depends on the United States market for revenue more than any other country. 40% of Nike’s revenue comes from North America, which leaves the company exposed to factors that can negatively impact the business. It presents a high risk when a company focuses on a single market because public relations and marketing campaigns can backfire if that specific market does not agree with the ideas presented by the organization’s campaign. Accordingly, this specific case study reviews a high risk social media tactic during a time of social dispute in the United States. With Nike’s growing competition, it is important for them to discover new strategies of engaging the public and grabbing the attention of their audience in which they simultaneously represent the values and beliefs of their brand.

In 2016, world renown San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a stand against social injustice and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem before a nationally televised game. This act led to public backlash from angry consumers over the idea that a high profile figure disrespected the U.S. flag in front of thousands of people. However, this performance of social activism came at a time of mass hysteria during BLM movements, where the nation was polarized due to increased rates of police cruelty and inequity among black communities. Young black athletes around the country were determined to fight for their civil rights and protect their liberties. In their pursuit to support athletes and black communities, Nike supported social justice activism by launching a social media campaign that focused on the controversial behavior of the NFL star. The organization’s goal was to convey the bigger picture of sports by incorporating the concept that athletics can be used as a platform to bring attention to important social and political issues. At the same time, Nike hoped to encourage consumers to follow their largest dreams and stand up for what they believe in. This multifaceted technique was a unique way of expressing the organization’s core standards and values. In a time of social dispute, Nike aimed to gain massive media attention through the campaign by developing a high risk social media strategy that would get people talking about sports and its relationship to real world issues.

Following his idea to kneel during the national anthem, an outbreak of disapproval for Colin Kaepernick surged throughout the nation. A poll during the 2016 season named Kaepernick the most disliked player in the league, with 37% of caucasians saying they “disliked him a lot,” and 42% of African Americans saying they “liked him a lot.” However, according to survey research conducted by YouGov to determine how Nike customers feel about Colin Kaepernick, 46% of responses revealed a positive outlook on the NFL star while 23% see him in a negative light. This reveals that a majority of Nike customers support social activism and the push for reform in the area of racial inequality and police cruelty. Therefore, by creating a social media campaign around Colin Kaepernick and social activism, Nike hoped to strategically reach their target audience and influence public opinion about their brand. However, other research states that 53% of Americans object to the idea of kneeling during the national anthem because they consider it to be disrespectful to the flag and the country as a whole. There was a high risk in launching a marketing campaign that was created from these statistics, but Nike is a company that thrives on taking risks with the public because they want their organization to be unique and stand out among others.

According to the Washington Post, the decision to use Colin Kaepernick as the main figure in their ad campaign was popular among young Americans. Cindy Boren from the Washington Post stated that “a Quinnipiac University poll showed voters approved of Nike’s decision to feature Kaepernick in its latest ad campaign, 49 percent to 37 percent.” The poll also determined that there was a large age gap among people who agreed and disagreed, “with those 18 to 34 approving of Nike’s decision by a 67-21 margin, while voters 65 and older disapproved of the decision, 46 to 39 percent.” Overall, the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” campaign was creative in the sense that it took a controversial social issue and turned it into something positive and innovative, in hopes that it would be beneficial to social movements, activist athletes, and eventually would influence product sales.

On the political side of the research that went into this campaign, there was a strong disconnect between opinions of whether kneeling during the national anthem was considered to be morally acceptable. According to a NY Post article, in a poll of 1,570 Americans, “Democrats strongly favored the right to protest, at 77%. Only 20% of Republicans, and 20% of self-described Trump voters, said yes. Along racial lines, 77% of blacks, 57% of Hispanics and 47% of whites answered positively.”

Nike also collected data about the overall reactions of consumers to brand’s voices about social issues and controversial topics. In a poll conducted by Sprout Social, 1,000 American consumers were asked if “people want brands to take stands on important issues.” 66% of consumers responded that “it is important for brands to take public stands on social and political issues.” This information was important to Nike’s decision to launch this campaign because it conveys what consumers are looking for in a brand. Many consumers, especially younger people, look for brands that they can personally connect with from an ethical standpoint. Furthermore, a 2017 survey from Edelman found that “the majority of millennials (60%) are belief-driven buyers” that trust a company based on the company’s brand identity and social/political beliefs. 53% of Millennials pay attention to how companies that they purchase goods and services from act with political and social matters. Moreover, 80% of teens, which is a huge target audience for Nike, support the Black Lives Matter movement. Looking at this research from an economic standpoint, younger generations are crucial for Nike to engage with through tactics such as these. According to a Forbes article by Jules Schroeder, “Millennials have $200 billion in buying power and Gen Z has $143 billion in direct buying power”, which is an area Nike wanted to take full advantage of with this campaign strategy. Nike’s decision to take a public stand on a social issue and promote Kaepernick in order to gather more attention and connect with their audience on a deeper level was a thoroughly researched public relations strategy. 

Nike aimed to create a strategic communications plan that highlighted social and political issues that were impacting athletes and communities around the country. More specifically, the campaign intended to support the revolution against social injustice in black communities due to implications of racism through police brutality and racial profiling. In order to accurately display their support for social movements occurring throughout the U.S., Nike centered their campaign strategy around Colin Kaepernick, whose decision to kneel during the national anthem to protest against racism and social injustice conveyed his will to sacrifice his career for the greater good. However, his actions on the field also sparked mass amounts of controversy throughout the country. 

One objective for this strategy was to raise awareness about an important issue. Nike describes themselves as an organization committed to addressing systematic racism and supporting local communities. They thrive on showing their support for social movements and using their platform to address underlying societal issues. By combining the sports world with the need to raise awareness about important topics, the campaign strategy targets a wide array of people. Not only did Nike desire to catch the eye of black communities, athletes, and sports fans by promoting a controversial social problem through a large, sport-based platform, but the organization also aimed to target millennials and Gen Z-ers in hopes of positive responses in a harsh political climate. Additionally, Nike planned to gain widespread media attention that would advertise the goodwill of the brand and appeal to younger, more prosocial generations. Additionally, the attention gathered from the campaign would boost brand loyalty and social media engagement. Although it involved high risk, the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” campaign was something that yielded extreme success.

Another objective included exemplifying the organization’s mission statement. As expressed by the founder of Kaye Media Partners Karen Mcfarlane, “Nike’s mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. Colin Kaepernick, through his advocacy, conviction, and talent on and off the field, exemplifies those values in the strongest of terms.” By launching a strategy that uses a prominent athlete who is known for social activism in the campaign, it will raise awareness for the issue and positively impact the social credibility of Nike. Additionally, by utilizing a notable person who gained national attention for sparking a controversial issue, Nike aimed to earn massive media attention that would engage their audience in order to promote the ethics and goodwill of the brand. This strategy brings attention to social concerns and connects the activism for these issues to Nike’s brand. Furthermore, this campaign tactic gives athletes a platform to speak out about their views on social issues, thereby impacting a large target audience of sports fans, young athletes, social activists, and black communities. Through this campaign strategy, Nike conveys that their organization stands by its athletes through political chaos and controversy, which sends a clear message about the brand’s identity to the target audience about what kind of company Nike intends to be known as. This communications plan proves that the company is principled and loyal to its publics, and is willing to fight for social justice despite the risks involved.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBnseji3tBk

Execution: 

To execute this plan, Nike made the decision to partner with notable NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The campaign, launched in Fall 2018, includes a close up image of Kaepernick with the quote, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” across the picture. The famous Nike swoosh logo and slogan is printed on the bottom. This poster was distributed through social media platforms and on billboards. The campaign was first announced through Kaepernick’s social media accounts, which increased the amount of initial views and shares. In addition to social media shares, the image was also printed on billboards in prominent locations such as Times Square.

The poster is paired with a full advertisement called “Nike Dream Crazy” that features young and experienced athletes and encourages viewers to follow their dreams despite any roadblocks that may hinder their success. The narrator of the commercial says, “because calling a dream crazy is not an insult, it’s a compliment.” Not only does the ad stimulate viewers to push for their biggest goals, but it also addresses the idea that it’s bigger than sports; it’s about making a difference in society and the world. The ad expresses this message by featuring pro athletes such as Lebron James and Colin Kaepernick. A video of all star NBA player Lebron James speaking out at a rally is accompanied by the narrator saying “don’t become the best basketball player on the planet, be bigger than basketball.” This message encourages the audience to take a stand against social issues just as Lebron James and Colin Kaepernick have. 

The audience is able to see Nike as a company that protects social equity and works for the benefit of communities. The commercial tries to spread the message that sports are not just for entertainment, but they are a platform for spreading valuable messages and ideas that can positively impact society. Another theme is also presented in the commercial that reinforces the idea that people should work for their dreams no matter what barriers they have to break through. This message is presented with the stories of athletes like Shaquem Griffin, who plays in the NFL with only one hand, and Serena Williams, who grew up in Compton and later became one of the most talented athletes in the world. Overall, the creative aspect of this campaign sends two messages to publics: It’s bigger than sports, and anything is possible if you put your mind to it. As per PR and customer service expert Anna Cachares and digital marketing specialist Beth Kramer, “Nike released the Nike Dream Crazy ad featuring Kaepernick on YouTube, which has over 2.6 million views. It is worth noting that Nike launched these ads on social media, not on traditional channels, which suggests that they are targeting younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z).”

In addition to the graphic and advertisement that Nike launched in the fall of 2018, Nike also began selling merchandise that symbolizes Kaepernick’s impact. For the four year anniversary of Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem, Nike created an all black jersey with the number 7. The number 7 is representative of Kaepernick’s jersey when he took a  knee playing for the San Francisco 49ers.  “Through his continuous commitment, the number 7 jersey has become an iconic symbol for progress and positive change” (Nike). This jersey sold out on the Nike website. “True to each other.
 True to the movement.
 True to 7,” (Nike). Selling merchandise that goes along with the social activism campaign also adds to the execution of the overall strategy because it further emphasizes the brand’s dedication to their cause. Nike is able to make extra profit off the campaign’s theme by selling custom jerseys that symbolize working towards progressive social movements and change.

Analysis and Evaluation:

This case study introduces the idea that Nike’s PR department is willing to abide by a “high risk, high reward” policy. The fact that research showed a split between public opinion of the Colin Kaepernick crisis in relation to the Black Lives Matter movement conveys that Nike is a brand focused on supporting high profile figures that are willing to push for social reform. In Nike’s “Black Community Commitment” page on their website, they reference that addressing systematic racism and encouraging action and reform is a top priority of the company. The brand identity Nike creates through supporting a controversial figure’s social advocacy is  a great method of engaging their younger audience. Nike uses sports as a way to bring people together in unifying fashion to bring attention to important social issues and 

spark change. Their use of innovative social media strategies not only increases their reputation of being a brand of goodwill and ethics, but it also grabs massive amounts of attention from media and consumers. By using Colin Kaepernick as a main figure to promote social activism in the area of racism and police brutality, the organization was able to make national headlines and promote their brand as an inspiring, community-driven company that is focused on using sports to make a change in the world. Former NFL player and entrepreneur Ross Tucker agrees that it is a lot more common in recent years for athletes to have a cause and stand up for issues that are important to them, and brands are beginning to take advantage of this factor because large audiences are likely to be “receptive and supportive to that.” A large company like Nike is able to take risks with controversial issues to gain media attention because they have a wide array of publics. However, In Tucker’s case, he tends to stay neutral with political statements because he does not want to “turn off” one side of his audience as a result of conflicting viewpoints. With their big 

following, Nike has developed a strategy of using risky PR tactics to promote the goodwill of their brand, which is something that other smaller companies are unable to do in today’s political climate.

The poster image was successful in generating attention and presence on social media, and the video ad was successful in spreading important messages and influencing public opinion. According to Scharninghausen in the business wire press release, the single best thing about the ad as per 48% of viewers was the theme and message. In the first 24 hours of the campaign’s launch, Nike brought in $43 million worth of earned media, and their brand mentions increased 135% with over 2 million mentions (Cachares & Kramer).  In addition, “Advertisin g analytics company Ace Metrix says that the Nike Kaepernick ad is “less polarizing than social media suggests.” Just 13% of consumers reported that they were less likely to buy from Nike after viewing the Dream Crazy Kaepernick ad. This dropped to 10% among Millennials and 6% to Gen Z.” 

Overall, the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” campaign was created because it took a controversial social issue and turned it into something positive and innovative, in hopes that it would be beneficial to social movements, activist athletes, and eventually would influence product sales. In this case study, Nike proved that by supporting communities and athletes affected by social issues in the United States through unique social media marketing campaigns, and by tactically using prominent figures, target audiences can be successfully reached, ultimately having a positive impact on a brand’s social and economic success.

Current Information: ( https://about.nike.com/ )

The number 7 jersey being sold on the Nike website symbolizes the progress Kaepernick has contributed to the Black and Brown communities. This all black jersey is created and sold for the anniversary of Kaepernick’s impact.  The corporate website offers insight into Nike’s mission and goals. “Our mission is what drives us to do everything possible to expand human potential. We do that by creating groundbreaking sport innovations, by making our products more sustainable, by building a creative and diverse global team and by making a positive impact in communities where we live and work.” This current information ties into the case study topic because it provides information about Nike’s determination to make a difference in society by positively impacting communities in times of social despair. On the corporate website, there are four subcategories that describe the values of Nike as an organization, which ultimately support the campaign strategy for the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” slogan. The first category is “innovation,” where the company states that “to make big leaps, we take big risks,” which is true to the Coin Kaepernick issue because Nike supported an individual who was extremely controversial at the time for his activism for social justice. Next, the website refers to the team at Nike, where they describe their team of workers as “empowered, diverse, and inclusive,” ultimately representing the brand as a team that is united by sports. This is a feature that was represented in the Colin Kaepernick advertisement and currently persists as a main theme of Nike to encourage diversity and harmony despite cultural or racial backgrounds. Additionally, the website offers a look into “social and community impact,” where the company describes their belief that the power of sports can help change the world for the better. This concept was expressed with emphasis in the Kaepernick campaign, and is still a main theme of the organization that they continue to work towards today. Finally, Nike references “sustainable business innovation” on the corporate website to highlight a “sustainable future” in sports where athletes are able to thrive on a healthy, fair playing field and simultaneously use the power of team sport to improve social issues and positively impact the world. 

Current Impact:

Nike’s legacy from the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” campaign continues to live on and have an impact on society today. In a 2019 New York Times article titled “Colin Kaepernick ‘Dream Crazy’ Ad Wins Nike an Emmy,” Nike’s ad campaign conveys its creative nature as the advertisement was awarded an E mmy for being an outstanding and creative commercial. The idea of including a social aspect that relates to sports not only attracts young viewers and sports fans to the brand, but it also engages an audience of politically interested publics. People interested in politics and social activism now see Colin Kaepernick as the face of the NFL for his actions on the field, and they are more impacted by Nike for their brand values and support of a controversial athletic figure (Junge Welt, 2021).

The organization continues to support athletes that stand up for social movements and systematic racism, leading to a return of support from activist athletes. According to a 2021 Huffpost article, “longtime Collingwood sponsor Emirates condemned racism and said it was behind the club “proactively adopting changes as per the recommendations identified in their report.” In a statement.” As a result of media success with Colin Kaepernick and the will to work towards a better future for the world, Nike continues to use the same PR strategy to promote their brand and connect with their target audience that supports defending social movements. Nike expressed that the company st ood “against racism and discrimination in any form,” and that it believed “in the power of sport to create an equal playing field for all”. Current articles illustrate the idea that Nike’s media success in a harsh political climate during their 2018 campaign suggests that the same social media tactics can be effective in encouraging brand loyalty among consumers: “Since Nike is known for large-scale advocacy campaigns to drive social change through sport, most notably with US footballer Colin Kaepernick, one expert said the brand could see its partnership with Collingwood as an opportunity rather than a PR nightmare (Williams, 2021).” Their new campaign with Collingwood will accomplish the same goals because it has potential for controversy while also articulating the company’s focus on fixing social issues and resolving systematic racism around the world.

Nike also continues to push for the advancement of social movements by spending money on lobbying efforts. Years down the road, the company still pushes the idea of being viewed as a social activism organization by lobbying on topics such as physical education grants, taxes and climate change, as well as the “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.” Nike is an organization that has been heavily criticized in the past for their use of sweatshops and child labor in developing countries. “‘In the first three quarters of 2020, Nike spent $920,000 on in-house lobbying of Congress and other federal agencies,’” the New York Times reports” (Lowe 2020). In order to convey to the public that the company holds  good intentions and stands against unfair labor, they donate large sums of money to lobbying efforts. These issues have stemmed directly from the Kaepernick “Just Do It” campaign as Nike continues to adhere to the public by supporting social movements and the theme of making the world a better place.

Nike also continues to push their campaign with Kaepernick by c ommemorating anniversaries of his call to action with the kneeling protest. Four years after the social activism outbreak, Nike still pushes the campaign by selling special all black #7 Colin Kaepernick jerseys to increase profits and build off the highly su ccessful campaign. The company is able to continue their successful campaign by showing constant support for the activist athlete, commemorating him by holding special anniversaries that honor his stand against systemic racism and social issues related to the BLM movement. According to a recent article by Aaron Colen on Blaze Media, Kaepernick released a statement on social media about the bigger picture of sports and football, which is an idea that Nike forms around their brand through this campaign: “Four years ago, I took a knee to protest against systemic racism and social injustice,” Kaepernick wrote on social media. “It was that day that the number on my jersey would come to represent something greater than football, somethin g greater than me. Since then, the number 7 jersey has been a symbol for advancing the liberation and well-being of Black & Brown communities. Thank you for staying True.” People seem to resonate with the idea of buying Kaepernick apparel to support a social movement; “Nike released just two products related to Kaepernick, both of which were produced in seemingly low volumes and quickly sold out. They have been out of stock  for months, and consumers searching ‘Colin Kaepernick’ on Nike’s website are encouraged to sign up to be notified about ‘future Colin Kaepernick products,’” as per a NY Times article. Nike is able to profit off these continuous social media campaigns because the connection to Colin Kaepernick went viral online and had an emotional conne ction with many viewers. 

Despite all of the reactions from consumers, Nike did not put out any news releases for this campaign. The company communicated to their audiences and launched the cam paign primarily through social media and on billboards. On September 3, 2018 Colin Kaepernick posted a tweet of the Nike image he was featured i n. Nike retweeted this image and then launched the video advertisement a few days later. The only comment about the case came from Gino Fisanotti, North America’s vice president of brand for Nike. “We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward,” (Nike features NFL’s Kaepernick among athletes in ‘Just Do It’ campaign). Nike reported to ESPN about the partnership, and that business was the first one to spread the news.

Although Nike did not make many public statements, multiple media agencies and businesses made a comment about the campaign. The National Football League (NFL) issued a statement in support of the campaign just one day after the launch.‘“The National Football League believes in dialogue, understanding and unity,” NFL executive vice president of communications and public affairs Jocelyn Moore said Tuesday in a statement. “We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities . The social justice issues that Colin and other professional athletes have raised deserve our attention and action,” (NFL, 2018). This statement came to a surprise to some, since Kaepernick has been in a collusion case with the NFL since 2017.

Other media outlets covered the issue emphasizing the losses Nike was facing, and not on the issue Nike was taking a stance on. News outlets talked about how consumers were boycotting the brand. The Business Insider featured an article that talked about the hashtag, #Justburnit, which trended on social media with images of people destroying their Nike merchandise. This response toward the campaign showed a side of anger and opposed the collaboration.

This case study of Nike’s partnership with Colin Kaepernick provides a lot of insight in the field of public relations. Public relations professionals can learn from Nike’s strategies in this case to implement a strategic communications plan that engages their own audience in a meaningful way. Nike took a calculated risk when partnering with a public figure known for his polarizing beliefs. However, with Nike’s plan, they were able to create a campaign that drew in the attention of others. Their campaign provided the company an opportunity to use their platform to make a difference in society. Touching upon societal issues can be difficult, but when done appropriately they have a great impact. In addition to how Nike executed their plan, public relations professionals can take away how to use multiple platforms to get a message across to their audience. Nike utilized social media to spread their campaign as well as billboards in standout locations to grab the attention of others.

Another corporation who had a similar case to Nike was Pepsi. P epsi’s “Live for Now – Moments”  campaign. This campaign was a video designed to come across as an advertisement that promotes diversity, unification, and touch on the issue of police brutality, similar to Nike. They also featured a public figure, Kenall Jenner to grab their audience’s attention. However, the advertisement was poorly executed and outraged many viewers due to the insensitivity in the short film. The advertisement shows a diverse crowd of people coming together to protest. The crowd is then joined by celebrity Kendall Jenner, who leaves her photoshoot to join the protest and hand one of the police officers a pepsi. After he takes a sip, everyone who engaged in the protest celebrates. The execution of this advertisement made the issues of racial inequality and police brutality a simple fix. Pepsi released a statement apologizing for the advertisement and explaining that their intended message was not relayed appropriately. This advertisement was taken off air almost immediately.

Another campaign that was successful in getting their message across to viewers was Airbnb. Airbnb created a campaign in response to President’s Trump  closing the Ame rican borders to refugees in 2018. The advertisement aired during the Superbowl and was highly favored by the audience. The campaign was called “We Accept” and showed pictures of a bunch of different people of different nationalities. The quote on the advertisement read We believe no matter who you are, where you’re from, who you love or who you worship, we all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept.” Similar to Nike, Airbnb used their platform to address racial inequalities in society and bring attention to this issue. Although they did not use a celebrity, their timing of the advertisement got a huge amount of attention.

I believe that the tactics Nike used in this campaign were exclusive to their organization because it is difficult for a brand to side with a political viewpoint without losing a large chunk of their viewers. In a polarized political climate, organizations must be wary of the consequences of taki ng a side that part of their audience will not agree with. However, a company as big as Nike researched how people felt about Colin Kaepernick’s actions in order to determine the best strategies to implement into the campaign. Since they adhered to their young target audience and took a risk that conveys their brand identity and represents Nike as a brand of goodwill that supports social movements and activism, I think their PR department successfully accomplished their goals and objectives. I think their use of a prominent social activist figure in sports was a perfect way to display their brand identity and engage the most people possible. They were able to clearly get their message across to viewers that people should express their beliefs and fight for their values, even if it means losing everything you have worked for. After all, this idea of standing up for your own principles is the whole premise of the “Just Do It” slogan. Therefore, as a public relations professional, it is clear to me that their strategy of showing how people can “just do it” in a way that represents sports and social activism simultaneously was a remarkable way of gaining media attention and support from consumers.

References:

Balkam, J. (2021). Nike & Colin Kaepernick — A Case Study on Authentic Cause Marketing. Retrieved 28 September 2021, from https://medium.com/3-win-sponsorship/nike-colin-kaepernick-a-case-study-on-authentic-cause-marketing-1f8d2af02211

Carissimo, J. (2021). Colin Kaepernick joins Nike’s 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. Retrieved 28 September 2021, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/colin-kaepernick-nike-just-do-it-campaign-announcement-today-2018-09-03/

Case study: PepsiCo & Kendall JENNER’S controversial commercial . astute. (2020, February 21). Retrieved September 28, 2021, from https://astute.co/pepsi-kendall-jenner-commercial/  

Draper, K., & Creswell, J. (2019). Colin Kaepernick ‘Dream Crazy’ Ad Wins Nike an Emmy. Retrieved 27 September 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/sports/football/colin-kaepernick-nike-emmy.htm

Gilliland, N. (2021, February 18). 10 brand campa igns that took a stand on social issues . Econsultancy. Retrieved September 28, 2021, from https://econsultancy.com/brand-campaigns-that-took-a-stand-on-social-issues/

Hunnicutt, T., Allen, J., & McGurty, F. (2018, September 3). Nike features Nfl’s kaepernick among athletes in ‘just do it’ campaign . Reuters. Retrieved September 28, 2021, from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nike-kaepernick/nike-features-nfls-kaepernick-among-athletes-in-just-do-it-campaign-idUSKCN1LJ21Y  

Jonathan Intravia, Alex R. Piquero, Nicole L eeper Piquero & Bryan Byers (2020) “Just Do It? An Examination of Race on Attitudes Associated with Nike’s Advertisement Featuring Colin Kaepernick”, Deviant Behavior, 41:10, 1221-1231, DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2019.1604299

Joon Kyoung Kim, Holly Overton, Nandini Bhalla, Jo-Yu n Li, Nike, Colin Kaepernick, and the politicization of sports: Examining perceived organizational motives and public responses, Public Relations Review, Volume 46, Issue 2, 2020, 101856, ISSN 0363-8111, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.101856 .

Li, J.-Y., Kim, J. K., & Alhar bi, K. (2020). Exploring the role of issue involvement and brand attachment in shaping consumer response toward corporate social advocacy (CSA) initiatives: the case of Nike’s Colin Kaepernick campaign. International Journal of Advertising , 1–25. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1080/02650487.2020.1857111

Merriam, L., & Quint, M. (2021). Nike Controversy: Colin Kaepernick Marketing Strategy Analysis. Retrieved 28 September 2021, from https://www.amanewyork.org/resources/nike-controversy/

Nfl. (2018, September 4). NFL: Issues raised by KAE PERNICK deserve attention . NFL.com. Retrieved September 28, 2021, from https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-issues-raised-by-kaepernick-deserve-attention-0ap3000000958222

Nike cashes in on Kaepernick and anthem kneeling with jersey celebrating the anniversary of the protests. (2021). Retrieved 27 September 2021, from https://www.theblaze.com/news/nike-commemorates-four-year-anniversary-of-national-anthem-kneeling-with-special-edition-colin-kaepernick-jersey

Nike’s Support For ‘Systemically Racist’ Collingwood A Critical Global Test For Both Brands. (2021). Retrieved 27 September 2021, from https://www.huffpost.com /archive/au/entry/nike-collingwood-lumumba-kaepernick_au_6025c91ec5b6591becd79cc1

Nike uses Kaepernick and BLM to distract you from their support of Islamophobic genocide. (2021). Retrieved 27 September 2021, from https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/nike-uses-kaepernick-and-blm-to-distract-you-from-their-support-of-islamophobic-genocide/ar-BB1bt97T

Stillman, J. (2021). Here’s the Data That Proves Nike’s Colin Kaepernick Ad Is Seriously Smart Marketing. Retrieved 28 September 2021, from https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/heres-data-that-proves-nikes-colin-kaepernick-ad-is-seriously-smart-marketing.html

What is a Public Relations Campaign?

Best examples of public relations campaigns, #1 carlsberg and the “adopt a keg” campaign.

• #2 Dove - Real Beauty

#3 Lego and the Rebuild the World Campaign

#4 state street global advisors’ fearless girl, #5 ikea and the #stayhome campaign, #6 zara’s at-home photoshoot.

• #7 Tesco's Support for the Hospitality Industry

#8 KFC and their New Version of the Finger-Lickin’ Tagline in a PR Campaign

To conclude, 8 amazing public relations examples to inspire your next campaign.

Kinga Edwards

Feb, 08, 2022

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Nowadays, companies are fighting to attract people’s attention. Whether it’s through social media marketing, offline marketing, or newsletters, it’s definitely a challenging task to stand out from the crowd, be seen and noticed. 

One common practice is launching PR campaigns. 

💡 Read Digital PR Explained: Best Strategies and Tools

To show you some of the best public relations examples, we introduce you to some of the most creative, impactful, and successful PR campaigns done by companies of various sizes and from different industries. 

Without further ado, let’s dive right in. 

A public relations (PR) campaign is a broad marketing strategy aimed to forge an emotional connection between your product, service, or business and your target audience. PR campaigns can involve researching social media trends, naming opportunities, booking preferred spokespeople for interviews or media tours.

Essentially, a public relations campaign consists of a variety of activities that serve a specific purpose and contribute to one and the same goal for a business. Public relations campaigns always have a specific objective, as well as a fixed timeline.

Making a PR campaign is an excellent method for marketing your company. 

It helps publicize your company’s success, shows potential customers what you are proud of, develops communication between clients and vendors, and introduces new products.

Nowadays, there are plenty of  PR campaign tools . They can make the work of PR managers easier in many ways. For example, by simplifying communication with customers (all you need is the correct address, easy to verify with a  email validation API ). Or, by creating press releases on popular media websites without making too much effort to promote your event.

Read What Is PR: Understanding Public Relations

As promised, below you’ll find some of the greatest public relations examples to inspire your next PR campaign. 

Read PR Statistics 2024: Trends and Challenges in PR

If you’ve been following our blog for a while now, you’re probably already familiar with this campaign. If not, now’s the perfect time to find out what it was all about. 

In an attempt to deal with the challenging period of time mixed with isolation caused by the COVID-19 virus, the world’s famous beer company from Denmark came up with a highly innovative and thoughtful “Adopt a Keg” campaign in 2020. 

The pandemic forced plenty of us, including bargoers, to stay home and avoid public gatherings. Many people had to say a firm “No” to our favorite meetings in bars and restaurants. 

Luckily, Carlsberg found a very interesting solution to respond to the decreasing number of beer units sold, while also staying on top of their efforts to maintain great brand awareness and image.

During the campaign, customers could scan Carlsberg products bought in-store to fill a virtual keg. When the establishments reopened, customers would receive two free beers for every 4 cans that they scanned with their smartphone while in isolation. 

Besides generating immediate in-store sales, this PR campaign built a lasting impression for the brand by emphasizing the importance of the safety and health of its consumers. It showed a customer-centric approach that is adjusted to the current situation and puts consumers’ needs first. 

Read Revolutionizing PR: How AI-powered Media Monitoring Can Benefit PR Professionals

#2 Dove – Real Beauty

Another company on our list of great public relations examples is Dove. It’s now been almost a decade since Dove, a women’s skincare brand, launched its Real Beauty campaign. It’s still a very powerful move for the brand to this today.

In the campaign, women and girls were shown at every stage of a certain process. The idea was centered around an artist who drew 2 sketches of one and the same woman. The first one is drawn based on how a woman describes herself. The next one reflects how a different woman describes the first one. 

As a result, the second drawing always turned out to be a bit better. That way, Dove wanted to share a message that women are more beautiful than they think they are. From discussing beauty standards to deconstructing the “throw like a girl” phrase, Dove’s Real Beauty campaigns have shown great solidarity with their customers.

How great would it be if we could all rebuild our world to what it was before COVID-19 hit us? Well, LEGO had a similar idea…

The year 2021 began with many people rebuilding and reinforcing their lives following a year of ups and downs. To promote hope, creativity, and resilience, LEGO launched its Rebuild the World campaign in pursuit of its brand vision. The idea perfectly fits into LEGO’s values, which highlight that the ability to build anything begins in early childhood.  

With a 13ft globe exhibiting creations from around the world, the LEGO Group has unveiled an awe-inspiring installation. The installation showcased the endless imagination and creativity of children. Hundreds of LEGO creations were sent to the company’s headquarters in Denmark. After over 2700 hours of work – a giant globe was finally put together. 

Adults and their children needed that message of unity and creativity now more than ever before. LEGO knew exactly how to address this need. 

This PR marketing campaign presented the brand’s products in a way that goes beyond their basic functionality. That also shows creativity in linking a meaningful message and the brand’s products together. 

This can be considered a great public relations example since it was well-timed, fits great with the nature of LEGO and their products, and drew a lot of attention.

All of this certainly contributed to LEGO’s brand reputation and awareness, bringing great results both in terms of PR and profit. 

Moving on, let’s have a look at how companies promote gender diversity. State Street Global Advisors’ Fearless Girl statue situated in New York, became a symbol of the financial sector’s lack of gender diversity, as well as the women working to change it. 

Additionally, it was a carefully crafted advertisement for the fund’s exchange-traded Gender Diversity Index SHE. Since putting up the statue, State Street Global Advisors has received a lot of publicity and even some criticism. It hasn’t always been 100% clear if it’s truly committed to gender diversity.

When it comes to PR campaigns, your company should make sure your words comply with your actions. Be sure you’re backing up your claims with your company’s real actions. Don’t use social topics for a marketing and publicity stunt.

This PR campaign was great as it touched upon a very relevant and current issue. It showed the public that the investment management division cares about the state of their industry. 

Ikea is worldwide known for its highly accessible home accessories and appliances. This Swedish home decor giant recognized the opportunity to encourage people to enjoy staying at home as lockdowns were being implemented around the world. 

As part of its #StayHome campaign, the brand paid tribute to homes around the globe. In the campaign, we were reminded there’s no place like home for those who are experiencing nostalgia, comfort, and togetherness. Although Ikea is a brand that is able to supply us with furniture and home goods that can improve any space quickly and affordably, that wasn’t the direct part of the brand’s message in this particular campaign. This time, the brand focused less on promoting itself and more on uniting with its consumers, showing empathy and understanding. 

This PR campaign showed appreciation for homes around the world, encouraging people to adapt to and embrace the new reality. Not only was it interesting to watch, but it also portrayed the company in a very positive light, clearly showing that it cares about the well-being of its customers.

Read 10 Key PR Campaign Metrics for Measuring Campaign Success

Moving on with the best public relations examples, it’s important to mention Zara. The internationally recognized clothing retailer also hopped on the stay-at-home trend to promote the idea that fashion is also important at home, even if no one apart from you can see what you’re wearing. The Shot From Home campaign featured models who took photos from their own homes rather than photoshoot studios or exotic locations. 

It was a fantastic response to declining clothing sales. And that’s because people were dressing for comfort rather than style due to the pandemic and a decreased number of opportunities to go out and dress up. 

#7 Tesco’s Support for the Hospitality Industry

It is always a pleasure to see a corporate organization display its solidarity – especially when they are large corporations. 

Businesses in the UK took a hit in 2020 (except for maybe those that produce hand sanitizers or face masks). The hospitality industry faced the consequences of the virus the most. Time in lockdown passed through and by mid-April, restaurants, bars, and pubs slowly began opening up again in the UK. This was when Tesco showed their British consumers that Tesco stores aren’t the center of the world by encouraging them to shop for their favorite beers in… local pubs. 

This is just one of many public relations examples that show thoughtfulness, empathy, and solidarity. 

Despite the “Finger-Lickin’ Good” tagline being firmly embedded in KFC’s branding strategy, it didn’t seem like the most appropriate message to be spreading in the middle of the pandemic. To stay relevant and up to date, KFC decided to temporarily cover the finger-lickin’ part in their communication – quite literally. 

By changing the previous slogan to one with the phrase finger-lickin’ being blurred out, the brand was able to advertise personal hygiene in a funny and humorous way, putting a hold on licking fingers for the duration of the pandemic. 

Public relations campaigns don’t have to be boring and highly corporate and KFC is the perfect example of that. 

Now that you know how far creativity and the ability to stay up to date with PR activities can take various brands, it’ll be easier for you to come up with your own set of great ideas for your next public relations campaign. 

In order to be perfectly prepared for the moments when a PR campaign will be more than needed for your brand, it’s important to always know what people are talking about you online . What’s the sentiment towards your brand like? How often are people talking about you? Are they talking positive or negative things? These are some of the things that absolutely must be monitored on a regular basis to react in time – before a public crisis around your brand’s name escalates. 

A very helpful solution here is Determ – an award-winning media monitoring and social listening tool which tracks your brand’s mentions all across the Internet.

Besides tracking mentions, Determ will help you understand the virality, reach, engagement, sentiment, and many more metrics crucial for understanding the perception of your PR campaign.

Interested in hearing more about it? Book a demo with our experts.

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11+ Public Relations Examples To Inspire Your Next Campaign

• by Onyinye Favour
• May 16, 2024

Table of Contents Hide

What is public relations, what is a public relations campaign, classic pr campaigns, digital public relations examples, public relations crisis management examples, nonprofit and advocacy campaigns, #1. building credibility and trust, #2. managing reputation , #3. creating a strong brand identity, #4. influencing public opinion, #1. know your audience, #2. create an engaging message, #3. leverage multiple channels, #4. monitor and adapt, what are the 7 types of public relations, who needs pr, what is the difference between marketing and public relations, related articles.

When you hear “Everywhere you go,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? MTN of course. This is one of the many successful PR campaigns I’ve witnessed. And one thing I’ve realized in public relations is that no two campaigns are alike. Each campaign is unique to its brand, just like Nike’s “Just do it” and Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke”. Here, I’ll share some examples of successful public relations campaigns and what we can all learn from them. But first, let’s understand the concept of public relations. 

• A public relations (PR) campaign is a broad marketing strategy that aims to create an emotional bond between your product, service, or company and your target audience.
• Examples of successful public relations campaigns include Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” Campaign, Dove’s “Real Beauty” Campaign, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Tesco’s Support for the Hospitality Industry, Spotify’s “Wrapped”, Tesla’s Launch Events and Elon Musk’s Tweets, etc.
• To create an effective PR campaign, first understand your audience, create an engaging message, leverage multiple channels, and monitor your progress to adapt to upcoming trends.

Public relations is all about managing and enhancing the public image of a company, individual, or organization. Unlike advertising, which directly promotes products or services, PR focuses on building relationships and creating a positive perception through various media channels. It’s an important tool for maintaining credibility and fostering trust with the public.

A public relations (PR) campaign is a broad marketing strategy that aims to create an emotional bond between your product, service, or company and your target audience. PR strategies may include observing social media trends, naming opportunities, and scheduling preferred spokespeople for interviews or media tours.

A public relations campaign is essentially a collection of activities that have a certain objective and contribute to a business’s overall goal. Public relations campaigns always have a specified goal as well as a set deadline.

Making a public relations campaign is an effective way to sell your business; It promotes your company’s success, demonstrates to potential customers what you are proud of, improves communication between clients and vendors, and introduces new goods.

Read Also: PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICES: The PR Blueprint for Getting Your Brand Noticed

Examples of successful public relations campaigns.

Here are some of the best public relations examples to inspire your next PR campaign.

#1. Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” Campaign

This has been one of the most memorable PR campaigns I’ve had so far. This campaign personalized bottles with common names, encouraging people to find and share a Coke with friends and family. The strategy was brilliant in its simplicity, creating a personal connection with consumers. I remember the excitement among my friends as we searched for our names, sharing pictures on social media. The campaign’s global reach was a testament to its success, significantly boosting Coca-Cola’s brand engagement.

#2. Dove’s “Real Beauty” Campaign

Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign is another classic public relations example. It challenged the narrow definitions of beauty by featuring real women of various shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. This campaign resonated deeply with me and many others, sparking important conversations about self-esteem and body image. The authenticity and relatability of the message helped Dove build a loyal customer base and positively impacted its brand perception.

#3. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took the world by storm in the summer of 2014. Participants were nominated to dump a bucket of ice water over their heads and donate to ALS research, then challenge others to do the same. This campaign’s viral nature and user-generated content were phenomenal. The campaign raised significant funds and awareness for ALS, showing the power of social media in PR.

#4. Tesco’s Support for the Hospitality Industry

Businesses in the UK suffered losses in 2020. The hospitality business was hardest hit by the virus. After the lockdown period ended, restaurants, bars, and pubs in the United Kingdom gradually resumed operations. Tesco encouraged British customers to shop for their favorite beers at local pubs, demonstrating that their stores are not the center of the world.

This is only one of numerous public relations examples demonstrating thinking, empathy, and togetherness.

#5. Johnnie Walker’s “Jane Walker” Campaign

To promote gender equality and commemorate women’s various achievements throughout history, Johnnie Walker created Jane Walker, a feminine version of its whisky, for International Women’s Day. The limited-edition bottle featured a woman instead of a man in their iconic image, connecting the brand to people who share their commitment to social development.

In March 2018, Johnnie Walker released 250,000 bottles of Jane Walker, donating $1 for each bottle sold to women’s empowerment organizations. This concrete impact boosted their campaign’s support and attention.

#6. IKEA and the #StayHome Campaign

Ikea is well-known around the world for its accessible home accessories and appliances. As lockdowns were being implemented around the world, the Swedish home decor company saw an opportunity to encourage people to appreciate being at home.

As part of its #StayHome campaign, the brand paid tribute to houses around the world. Throughout the campaign, we were reminded that there is no place like home for individuals who are feeling nostalgic, comfortable, and connected. Although Ikea is a business that can provide us with furniture and home items that can quickly and economically renovate any room, this was not the focus of the brand’s campaign. This time, the company prioritized connecting with its customers, demonstrating empathy and understanding, rather than marketing itself.

This PR campaign showed appreciation for homes around the world, encouraging people to adapt to and embrace the new reality. Not only was it interesting to watch, but it also portrayed the company in a very positive light, clearly showing that it cares about the well-being of its customers.

#1. Spotify’s “Wrapped” Campaign

Spotify’s “Wrapped” campaign is a brilliant use of personalized data. Each year, Spotify users receive a summary of their listening habits, which they can share on social media. This campaign not only engages users but also acts as free advertising for Spotify. I eagerly await my Wrapped summary every year and love seeing my friends’ posts as well. The campaign’s success lies in its ability to create a personal connection with users and generate widespread social media buzz.

#2. Tesla’s Launch Events and Elon Musk’s Tweets

Tesla’s approach to PR is unique, largely driven by its charismatic CEO, Elon Musk. The company’s launch events are highly anticipated, generating significant media coverage. Musk’s tweets, while sometimes controversial, keep Tesla in the public eye. I’ve seen firsthand how effective this strategy can be, as my clients often reference Tesla’s bold PR moves when discussing their own strategies. Tesla’s ability to maintain high visibility without traditional advertising is a testament to the power of innovative PR.

#3. Red Bull Stratos

Red Bull’s Stratos campaign, where Felix Baumgartner jumped from the edge of space, is a prime example of experiential PR. The live broadcast of the jump attracted millions of viewers worldwide. This campaign not only reinforced Red Bull’s association with extreme sports but also demonstrated the brand’s ability to push boundaries and captivate audiences.

#4. Guaranty Trust Bank’s “737” Campaign

Through the “737” campaign, GTBank introduced its mobile banking service, simplifying banking transactions for customers. This campaign generated a lot of buzz and excitement through strategic digital marketing and celebrity endorsements. And of course, it significantly increased the bank’s customer base and strengthened its position as a leading player in the industry. 

#5. MTN Nigeria’s “Everywhere You Go” Campaign

This campaign successfully positioned MTN as a reliable and ever-present telecommunications network. It increased brand awareness and customer loyalty through engaging TV and radio ads, thereby boosting market share and revenue. 

#6. Lego’s “Rebuild the World” Campaign

According to Lego, rebuilding the world begins with a single (lego) brick. It’s a powerful message for individuals rebuilding themselves after a turbulent few years, presented by a firm that believes in creating, experimenting, and breaking the rules.

This campaign is not only timely, but it also effectively showcases its products in a way that extends beyond their simple usefulness.

#1. Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol Crisis

Johnson & Johnson’s handling of the Tylenol crisis in 1982 is a textbook example of effective crisis management. When cyanide-laced capsules led to several deaths, the company quickly recalled the product and communicated transparently with the public. This swift and responsible action helped restore consumer trust. I often refer to this case when advising clients on crisis management, emphasizing the importance of honesty and prompt action.

#2. Toyota’s Recall Crisis

Toyota faced a massive recall crisis in 2009-2010 due to safety issues. The company issued public apologies and took corrective actions to address the problem. Although it took time, Toyota’s transparent approach and commitment to safety improvements eventually helped regain public trust. This example underscores the importance of accountability and continuous improvement in PR.

#1. UNICEF’s Kid Power Program

UNICEF’s Kid Power program uses wearable tech to encourage children to stay active while helping undernourished kids worldwide. The initiative gamifies physical activity, making it fun and impactful. I’ve seen the excitement in children participating in this program and the pride they feel knowing they’re helping others. This campaign effectively combines technology, engagement, and social good.

#2. #LikeAGirl by Always

The #LikeAGirl campaign by Always addresses gender stereotypes and promotes empowerment. It challenges the negative connotations associated with doing something “like a girl” by showcasing strong, confident girls. This campaign resonated deeply with me, highlighting the power of PR to drive social change and reshape perceptions. The positive impact on Always’ brand image and the broader conversation about gender stereotypes is significant.

Importance Of PR For Brands And Businesses

PR is absolutely important for businesses and organizations. Here’s why:

One of my earliest projects involved working with a non-profit organization. We wanted to raise awareness about our cause, but without the budget for large-scale advertising, we relied heavily on PR. By securing positive media coverage and engaging with the community, we built credibility and trust. People are more likely to believe news stories and articles than advertisements, which makes PR an invaluable tool for establishing a trustworthy image.

Effective PR can be a game-changer during a crisis. I recall a challenging time when a client’s product recall threatened to damage their brand reputation. Through transparent communication, prompt actions, and consistent updates to the public, we managed to not only salvage their reputation but also strengthen their customer relationships. Managing reputation isn’t just about dealing with crises; it’s about consistently communicating the right messages and values to the public.

PR helps in crafting a unique brand identity. By leveraging PR strategies like media relations, event planning, and thought leadership, you can position your brand as an innovative and trustworthy player in the industry. This strong brand identity helps attract customers and investors alike.

PR plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion. During a campaign to promote environmental sustainability, we crafted messages that resonated with the public’s growing concern for the environment. By aligning our PR efforts with current societal values, we influenced public opinion and encouraged positive behavior toward the brand.

Here’s what te president of Ballantines PR, Srah Robarts, has to say:

Tips for Creating Effective PR Campaigns

Having seen these few examples of public relations campaigns, here are some tips to guide you when effecting yours:

Everybody is not your audience. That’s why you should understand your audience and tailor your campaign strategies to resonate with that audience. For instance, the “Share a Coke” campaign succeeded because it connected with people’s desire for personalization.

A clear, engaging message is important. The Dove “Real Beauty” campaign’s success stemmed from its authentic and relatable message. Make sure your message is strong and memorable.

Using various media channels maximizes your campaign’s reach. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge’s success was partly due to its widespread social media presence. Don’t limit your campaign to one platform.

You must regularly track your campaign’s performance and maintain flexibility in your approach. Weekly reports and feedback help us refine our strategies and improve outcomes.

Here’s a detailed checklist for your reference:

The 7 types of public relations are:

• Media Relations: Managing relationships with the media.
• Community Relations: Building ties with the local community.
• Crisis Management: Handling emergencies and minimizing damage.
• Internal Communications: Engaging and informing employees.
• Public Affairs: Influencing public policy and government relations.
• Social Media PR: Managing online presence and interactions.
• Event Management: Planning and promoting events to boost brand image.

PR is essential for businesses, nonprofits, public figures, governments, and organizations of all sizes. It helps manage reputation, build brand awareness, communicate effectively with stakeholders, handle crises, and foster positive public perception. PR is important for anyone needing to maintain a favorable public image.

Marketing focuses on promoting and selling products or services through strategies like advertising, sales, and market research. Public relations (PR) aims to build and maintain a positive public image and relationships for a company or organization through media coverage, reputation management, and communication strategies.

In Conclusion

Public relations is an essential aspect of any marketing strategy. By understanding and leveraging different types of reach, using the right tools, and following best practices, you can significantly improve your campaign’s effectiveness. The challenges are real, but with consistent effort and strategic adjustments, you can overcome them. 

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So things related to the New Year, healthy habits, healthy eating , exercise , organization. Now, if you’re interested in landing in a national publication, you need to start looking at stories related to January. I know you’re thinking, “it’s September!” But they really are four months out. What are those things in January?

APRIL 23, 2019

Next up, if you’re blogging, asking similar questions of your blog traffic is a valuable exercise considering the impact it can have on site performance. Case Study : How We Grew Blog Traffic and Leads 110%: 543 pageviews (+20.9%). Case Study : How we grew blog traffic and leads: 13 (-13.3%). Subscribe: 37 (0.0%).

The APR Is a Mountain You Can Climb

NOVEMBER 17, 2016

I also created flashcards on Quizlet and invested in several of the recommended books for studying , especially Cutlip & Center’s “Effective Public Relations.”. Lastly, I fully invested in the APR online study course. I often downloaded the weekly webcasts to listen to while I was driving or exercising .

Marketing Content: A Decision Matrix for Reviews and Approvals Done

AUGUST 25, 2020

In an ensuing training exercise , and in the absence of access to higher-level leaders, I launched rotary-wing attack aviation in response to an enemy incident. Document all the content your organization develops regularly: blog posts, press release, case studies , sales sheets, and so on. Give our services a try.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Karen Freberg

MARCH 24, 2020

The goal for field is not to only be aware of what is familiar, but I’m covered new ideas, case studies , stories, and best practices that will help Advance our understanding and application of our ideas in the field. . We have a lot of resources, exercises , activities, case studies , and stories to share.

Eight Questions to Answer Before Accepting an Internship

PR Job Coach

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

If you decide to go the internship route while you job hunt, exercise caution in doing internships that do not help fulfill your career goals and strategy. Assisting an organization to sell books or some other product or service is not. As young professionals, your goal is to secure a full time professional position in public relations.

LISTEN UP! How Listening Reveals and Strengthens Reputation

Reputation Us

MARCH 4, 2019

Case Studies : Dive deeper into a customer or their individual story to obtain insights that may not be readily apparent from just sales or marketing data points. This is an exercise that frankly should not be performed internally by the company, but rather outsourced. INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES AND INNOVATION.

A New Approach to New Year’s Resolutions

JANUARY 7, 2019

Sure, some of the results of this exercise were silly (wishes for new pets like a Flemish giant rabbit and more time playing video games), but they were also revealing, encouraging and important (read more books, earn and save $1,000 from chores, be more present every day). Publish at least one results-heavy customer case study per quarter.

6 Best Practices for Identifying and Reacting to a PR Crisis

MARCH 1, 2016

Take for example one of Business Week’s “2012 Year in Crisis PR” case studies : Facebook. In other words, we don’t know the impact that changes to customer perception may have on our business. So we may be in “crisis” far more often than we are in crisis.

Using the PARLA Technique to Improve Business Processes

JANUARY 10, 2017

The more specific you can be in laying out the exact series of actions that were taken, the more your team will benefit from the exercise . If you’re stuck on where to start with the PARLA technique, consider these business applications: Case Studies . What steps did you take, and what individuals were involved?

LISTEN UP! How Listening Reveals Reputation

Case Studies : Dive deeper into a customer or their individual story to obtain insights that may not be readily apparent from just sales or marketing data points. This is exercise that frankly should not be performed internally by the company, but rather outsourced. INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES AND INNOVATION.

Visibility Marketing Book Helps Fix Messaging that “Probably Sucks”

David PR Group

JULY 20, 2016

Avrin offers a number of ideas and even includes exercises at the end of each chapter in his book to help you figure it out. In the book, he offers exercises on how to develop differentiators for your business. According to Avrin, the new normal is that everyone is good, and offering a quality product or service is table stakes.

Reflections from a #SMprofs on teaching SM: Lessons and some exciting developments

APRIL 30, 2018

The first one was a workshop exercise . This exercise helped them give them the confidence they needed to venture out in this particular area within the industry. It’s interesting to see what is in, what’s out, and what are some challenges and case studies that need to be noted.

How does a PESO framework help future comms?

JUNE 21, 2015

I feel that events like FutureComms often present some good theories, but there isn't enough 'how to' or case studies to understand how new tactics work. And if our PR campaigns don't have any impact on our client's business it has probably been a pointless exercise .

Updates to note for social media professors: Teaching resources

JULY 18, 2017

There should be some room to experiment around with these tools, and see what exercises and assignments work for your classes. Case studies of brands using Meltwater (Meltwater). Without a doubt, there are going to be more changes and case studies to explore. Snaphat geofilters). we need to be aware of these.

Announcing The Social PR Apprentice™ Training Program

Waxing UnLyrical

FEBRUARY 26, 2017

Quizzes and exercises throughout the training to help you test your newfound knowledge AND apply it at work. In-depth case studies that show you how to apply Social PR smarts in ANY situation. 10+ unbelievably useful and effective handouts, worksheets, mind maps, cheat sheets, AND slide decks for all the lessons.

Approaching Teaching Social Media In the New Academic Year

AUGUST 15, 2017

How do you try to integrate ALL of the latest changes, case studies , advances, and resources from the previous semester? What is exciting always is to see what professors have come up with to integrate new forms of technologies, platforms, and exercises to teach their students all about social media.

Keep It Simple In Marketing. Go Deeper In Sales.

APRIL 8, 2015

Perhaps you cite a successful example, a simple case study , of how you helped one of your existing clients achieve success. In fact, when you leave a first meeting, a good exercise is to reflect back on the meeting and ask yourself, “Who did more of the talking? The prospect or I?”.

BP As Environmental Steward

Flatiron Communications

APRIL 23, 2015

They did, and soon thereafter, the newspaper of record trumpeted on its front page above the fold (this was pre-digital) the revelation that set BP off on its transformational, case - studied journey.

Engage And Educate: Create Content Providing Value that Keeps The Audience Wanting More

AUGUST 23, 2024

Whether through personal anecdotes, case studies , or fictional scenarios, storytelling enables the audience to connect with the material on a deeper level. For example, a blog post about the benefits of exercise could include a call to action to sign up for a free workout plan.

Measurement… Supplemented

OCTOBER 22, 2010

But because as we’ve been getting deeper and deeper into the chat, participants – you – started asking for case studies . This was not just because I’ve known Priya for a while and long admired her smarts and tenacity. Theory is all very well, they (you) said. What about real-life examples?

How A Checklist Can Improve Your Freelancer Onboarding Process

Contently - Strategy

AUGUST 27, 2024

Marketers typically think about lobbing their pitch at prospective clients, but the same exercise could help you onboard freelancers. On the other hand, if you have a directory of standout articles, infographics, white papers , and case studies to choose from, they’ll have an easier time seeing things your way.

NFTs in and out of the Classroom

OCTOBER 16, 2021

Here are some ideas: Case studies . So, case studies for the class can share some great information and insights for the future. This could be an interesting exercise for classes to discuss in a debate situation. So, how can we incorporate NFTs into our classes? Some will, some won’t.

Behind-The-Scenes Look At How To Deliver a TEDx Talk

MAY 14, 2015

However, after experiencing this process, I highly recommend this exercise to every communication professional out there. However, creating the title is also a great exercise to keep your speech focused and on track. Creating my title. The first step was to create the title of my talk. This in itself was an interesting process.

The Battle for Trust: 18 Comms, PR and B2B Marketing Stats Summarizing 2022

DECEMBER 28, 2022

The exercise is a useful reflection on what happened over the course of this past year. The survey listed 16 possible formats and here’s how the most valuable format stacked up: 43% said research or survey reports; 40% said case studies ; 40% said webinars; 37% said B2B media and news; 34% said white papers; and. 34% said ebooks.

Make PR Measurement A Priority

MARCH 28, 2017

At that point, we altered our focus to target female runners concerned about safety while exercising outdoors. The report can also serve as the basis for creating case studies and award entries. This strategy paid off when retailers like Best Buy and Fleet Feet began stocking Wearsafe. Identify the “core measures.”

11 Steps For Crisis Management

Prohibition

DECEMBER 13, 2021

This is a fundamental part of a successful response, this component includes six important tasks, which are as follows: planning and organising; crisis training ; equipping; exercising ; reviewing and improving. As a case study , consider a technology breakdown. Recovery crisis management.

This Freelancer Onboarding Checklist Will Help Your Company

MARCH 15, 2019

Marketers typically think about lobbing their pitch at prospective clients, but the same exercise could help you here. On the other hand, if you have a directory of standout articles, infographics, and case studies to choose from, they’ll have an easier time seeing things your way.

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PR Case Study Online Resources

Pr case study books.

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• Evaluating Sources

Why use case studies? 

Case studies are detailed investigations of individuals or groups. Case studies can be qualitative or quantitative in nature and often combine elements of both. In Public Relations, case studies:

• Identify the challenge a particular customer faces
• Describe the solution provided by the company
• Illustrate the measurable results gained from using the service
• Arthur W. Page Society (Note: Case study archives are accessed from the bottom of the page.) Includes original case studies written by students enrolled in an accredited school of business, communication or journalism and who are pursuing a degree that is focused on corporate communications and the practice of public relations.
• PR Council Free access to case studies from over 100 of America’s leading communications firms.
• PRSA Case Studies The PRSA website includes a searchable database of Silver Anvil case studies. PRSA membership account information is needed to view the complete case studies.
• PR Newswire Case studies are often highlighted in PR Newswire. Select "Search within this publication." Then try searching "case study" using quotation marks.

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BUS203: Principles of Marketing

Media and Public Relations

Visit this interactive resource. You should briefly review each of the eight primer modules and note any resources or templates you find especially useful. These resources and templates may be helpful as you undertake a public relations campaign at a future date. We will refer back to this primer elsewhere in the course for specific examples supporting subunit topics ahead. For now, it gives a useful overview of the public relations craft and some tools at its disposal. This primer was prepared to help government and business leaders in the former Soviet Union transition from a centralized system to a market system. They were expected to interact with a more free and independent media. The concept of "public and media relations" was new to many of these leaders, so this primer provides a fundamental overview of PR's basic ideas and tools.

Module 8: PR tool kit

Crisis management case study.

You are a developer who has bought a large apartment building in the middle of Moscow occupied primarily by elderly people, and you plan to turn it into a luxury hotel. You are going to throw the old folks out so you can do this. The media love this kind of story, and they will likely portray you as a villain. Reporters will ask you why you are throwing the old people out on the street.

How might you respond to a reporter's questions?

Your Suggested Strategy:

8 key elements that help tourism digital marketing campaigns stand out

by Ronn Torossian | Sep 7, 2024 | Public Relations

Winning digital marketing agency campaigns for tourism involve a blend of creativity, data-driven strategy, and a deep understanding of the target audience.

Here are some key elements and examples that can help a tourism campaign stand out:

1. Targeted Content Marketing

• Create Compelling Stories: Develop engaging content that tells compelling stories about the destinations. Use high-quality visuals, videos, and local anecdotes to capture attention.
• Local Influencers and Bloggers: Collaborate with local influencers and travel bloggers to create authentic content that showcases the destination from a personal perspective.
• User-Generated Content: Encourage travelers to share their experiences and tag your destination. Feature this content on your platforms to build credibility and engage with your audience.

2. Social Media Engagement

• Platform-Specific Strategies: Tailor content for different social media platforms. Instagram might focus on stunning visuals and stories, while Facebook could highlight events and local experiences.
• Interactive Elements: Use polls, quizzes, and interactive maps to engage users. For example, a quiz to find out which local attraction suits their personality can be both fun and informative.
• Live Streaming: Host live tours or Q&A sessions with local experts to provide real-time interaction and insights into the destination.

3. Influencer Partnerships

• Micro-Influencers: Partner with influencers who have a dedicated following in the travel niche. They often have higher engagement rates and can target niche audiences effectively.
• Experience-Based Collaborations: Invite influencers to experience unique aspects of the destination, such as exclusive tours, local festivals, or hidden gems.

4. Paid Advertising

• Geo-Targeted Ads: Use geo-targeting to reach potential travelers in specific locations or those who have shown interest in similar destinations.
• Retargeting Campaigns: Implement retargeting to reach users who have previously visited your site or engaged with your content but haven’t yet booked a trip.
• Seasonal Promotions: Launch ad campaigns around peak travel times or holidays with special offers or packages.

5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Local SEO: Optimize your website and content for local search terms to ensure it appears in search results when users look for travel information about your destination.
• Long-Tail Keywords: Use specific, long-tail keywords related to the destination and activities to attract highly interested travelers.
• High-Quality Backlinks: Collaborate with travel blogs, news sites, and travel directories to build high-quality backlinks to your site.

6. Email Marketing

• Personalized Recommendations: Send targeted emails with personalized travel recommendations based on past behavior or preferences.
• Exclusive Offers: Provide subscribers with exclusive deals, early access to promotions, or insider tips to encourage bookings.
• Engaging Newsletters: Create visually appealing newsletters with travel tips, destination highlights, and upcoming events.

7. Data Analytics and Feedback

• Track Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and ad performance metrics to track the effectiveness of your campaigns.
• Adjust Strategies: Continuously analyze the data to understand what works and what doesn’t. Be ready to adjust your strategies based on performance and feedback.
• Customer Feedback: Collect and use feedback from travelers to improve your campaigns and address any issues or concerns.

8. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

• Virtual Tours: Offer VR tours of popular attractions or accommodations to give potential travelers an immersive preview of what they can expect.
• AR Experiences: Use AR to enhance physical experiences, such as providing interactive maps or augmented information about landmarks through a mobile app.

Case Studies of Successful Campaigns:

• Tourism Australia’s “There’s Nothing Like Australia” Campaign: Focused on user-generated content and featured stunning visuals of Australian landscapes. It successfully increased engagement and inspired potential travelers.
• New Zealand’s “100% Pure New Zealand” Campaign: Utilized high-quality videos and storytelling to highlight the country’s natural beauty and unique experiences, leading to increased tourism.
• VisitScotland’s “The Spirit of Scotland” Campaign: Emphasized storytelling and local experiences, featuring authentic content from Scottish locals and influencers. 

By combining these strategies and tailoring them to your specific destination and audience, you can create a winning digital marketing campaign for tourism that captivates and converts potential travelers .

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"Rs 5 Crore To Red Cross": Bail For 4 In Coaching Centre Deaths Case

The unprecedented bail condition seeks to deter people from committing the same or similar offence. the bail will be in effect till january 30, 2025.

Three IAS aspirants died on July 27 after a surge in rainwater flooded coaching centre basement

Four co-owners of a basement in a central Delhi building used as a coaching centre where three civil service aspirants drowned in rainwater have been granted bail by the Delhi High Court. However, the four must deposit Rs 5 crore with the Red Cross for the bail to be applicable to them, the court said.

The unprecedented bail condition seeks to deter people from committing the same or similar offence. The bail will be in effect till January 30, 2025.

The court asked the Delhi Lieutenant Governor to form a committee under the supervision of a retired high court judge to ensure that no coaching centres are run from basements in the national capital.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma of the Delhi High Court said the conduct of the co-owners is "unpardonable" and an "act of greed". Justice Sharma said the authorities must designate a place in Delhi where coaching centres can operate.

Three Indian Administrative Service (IAS) aspirants - Shreya Yadav, 25; Tanya Soni, 25, and Nevin Delvin, 24 - died on July 27 after a sudden surge in rainwater flooded the basement of a building in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar, where Rau's IAS Study Circle ran a coaching centre.

The co-owners of the basement -- Parvinder Singh, Tajinder Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Sarbjit Singh -- sought bail on the grounds that they were simply the landlords of the basement, which was rented out to the coaching centre, and so they have no link with the incident.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the bail application, saying the probe was in an initial stage and the accused should not be given relief until independent witnesses are examined.

The case is being investigated under the new criminal law Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), after it was transferred from Delhi Police to the CBI on the high court's order.

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