COMMUNITY RELATIONS

The Problem

BT has been a retained client of Couchman for three years. The company's CSR projects including BT Schoolfriends, a primary school literacy project, are run on a national basis. The challenge for this key, centrally co-ordinated project was to achieve high levels of coverage at a local level.

The Approach

Capitalising on the visual appeal of young children, Couchman arranged for an editorially trained photographer to visit a representative school in each of the 20 principal Schoolfriends regions. BT staff volunteers were supplied with branded t-shirts and photographers were briefed to produce photos that were likely to appeal to local papers.

Following submission of contact sheets, a selection was made from the best photographs and submitted to one selected high circulation newspaper in each of the relevant areas. Follow-up calls were made to establish success rates and obtain voucher copies of the publications.

Outcome

Coverage was achieved for every single one of the 20 projects. In all but one case an attractive photograph with prominent BT branding was featured.

Applications from volunteers within BT grew substantially, as did awareness of the scheme - which was evaluated independently by Impacon. The photographs were also used by BT internally to promote the scheme in their own publications and as part of a Community Relations road show.

The project was researched, carried out and completed within three months.