Industries Objectives Case Studies

Case Study 4 Industry: Retailing Challenge: Raise Public Awareness of New Retail Store Locations Drive customer traffic to new location Generate positive media exposure Build relationships with local business community Demonstrate commitment to corporate citizenship Analysis A major retail client has an aggressive expansion program. It recognized that new store grand opening events do not attract media attention. The client carries out an ongoing community relations program through which it makes contributions to community-based nonprofit organizations as well as a signature program through which it donates new backpacks filled with school supplies to disadvantaged students across the country. Solution JKG Group's Public Relations team proposed leveraging the client's community relations programs to increase community visibility for new store grand openings. We suggested integrating financial contributions and backpack donations into the grand opening events. By adding this element, we believed these events would become attractive to local government and business officials, thus increasing the possibility that they would also participate in the new store grand opening celebration. All of these factors would then combine to attract local media to cover the event. Execution For each of the client's new store grand openings, JKG Group organizes a special ribbon-cutting event for local VIPs. Event logistics include arranging memberships with local chambers of commerce, extending invitations to local government and business officials as well as researching and recommending nonprofit organizations to receive donations. JKG also helps the client drive sales by arranging for key vendors to interact with customers and distribute product samples during each event - as well as during a subsequent daylong public grand opening. Public relations support includes preparing and disseminating media advisories and press releases, arranging photography for each event and distributing photos afterwards to local media. JKG is successful in generating media coverage for the majority of these events. Coverage is tracked, summarized and reported to the client as a means of quantifying the return on investment. BACK TO CASE STUDIES ©2008 JKG Group. All Rights Reserved.