Overview

• The American Energy Innovation Council’s (AEIC) mission is to increase public investment in the development of clean energy technologies to foster strong economic growth, create jobs in new industries and reestablish America’s energy technology leadership.
• AEIC members are:  Bill Gates, chairman and former chief executive officer of Microsoft; Jeff Immelt, chairman and chief executive officer of GE; Norm Augustine, former chairman and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin; Ursula Burns, chief executive officer of Xerox; John Doerr, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers; Chad Holliday, chairman of Bank of America and former chairman and chief executive officer of DuPont; and Tim Solso, chairman and chief executive officer of Cummins, Inc. The council is staffed jointly by the Bipartisan Policy Center and the ClimateWorks Foundation.

Communications Challenges

• Widmeyer Communications partnered with the AEIC as the group was formally organizing, and was given four months to provide the organization with an identity, website and social media presence as well as to manage a Washington, DC press conference.
• Widmeyer was also tasked with developing coherent messages for the new organization with CEOs of divergent backgrounds and experiences. With the U.S. still in the midst of an economic recovery, breaking through the economic stories and making the case for investments on energy R&D presented challenges for the AEIC.
• In the weeks leading up to the press conference, the fallout from the oil spill in the Gulf region and the extensive coverage by energy reporters and media outlets threatened to take away the AEIC’s window of opportunity to manage the news cycle with its message on the value of investments in energy R&D.

Strategy

• The AEIC needed to reach beyond the Beltway to generate public interest in their nontraditional messages, so Widmeyer developed and executed a strategy that didn’t rely solely on conventional outreach to national and regional media. While Widmeyer secured significant national media hits, we also developed a plan to reach constituents through social media channels, including Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.
• In organizing and managing the AEIC’s press conference and release of its energy business plan at the Newseum, Widmeyer relied on their knowledge of the DC and national climate to secure a high profile venue and to oversee all details of the press conference.
• Widmeyer leveraged established relationships with reporters at national print, radio, TV and online earned media to secure coverage for the event.
• As part of the overall promotion of the Council and the press event, Widmeyer developed an advertising strategy to raise awareness and reach key influencers.

Tactics

• A name, a logo and a brand identity were developed for the organization.
• Widmeyer produced individual videos of each AEIC principal being interviewed about their views on energy innovation. These interviews were compiled into an iconic video featuring all the members making the case for more investment in energy R&D. The video was featured at the press conference, on the AEIC website and was promoted through the social media channels Widmeyer developed for the AEIC in the weeks ahead of the event, including a Twitter Profile and a YouTube channel.
• Eye-catching advertisements were designed and placed in the Washington Post and Capitol Hill newspapers. With the phrase, “America spends more on potato chips than it does on clean energy R&D,” the ads helped simplify the message and generate interest on Capitol Hill for the AEIC and its business plan.
• Widmeyer also designed their website, produced a print and online report, built a social media presence and managed a Washington, DC press conference.

Results

• Widmeyer secured extensive coverage of the AEIC’s press conference in top-tier media outlets and publications.  Coverage included USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Associated Press, Reuters, BusinessWeek, ABC News “This Week”, CNBC’s “Power Lunch” and CNBC’s “The Call”, Bloomberg, Bloomberg TV, PBS “NewsHour”, and National Journal.
• Widmeyer also conducted outreach to state-based outlets, resulting in coverage outside the Beltway in outlets such as the Indianapolis Star, Charlotte Observer and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• The development of the brand, identity and print report helped facilitate the organization’s effort to secure a White House meeting with President Obama, as well as meetings with senior Members of the House and Senate following the press conference, to discuss the release of the AEIC’s business plan and potential legislative avenues for enactment.

Overview

• On May 11, 2010, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced the most significant private effort in our nation’s history to bring racial healing to communities and dismantle structural racism in America.  The America Healing initiative – a five-year, $75 million commitment – will fund community efforts across the country that address the consequences of racism, including disparities in education, economic achievement and health attainment to create equitable opportunities for all of our nation’s children.
• The Foundation engaged Widmeyer Communications to develop and execute a strategic communications plan which included media relations, branding, launch events and creative material development.

Communications Challenge

In a culture that has started to question if racism still exists, how do you introduce, explain and generate widespread awareness of the long-standing effects structural racism has in America and the urgent need for social and institutional reforms to combat its effects?  Widmeyer Communications was challenged with laying the groundwork to strategically communicate the unprecedented nature of the Foundation’s commitment to dismantling structural racism in the United States and helping to ensure a brighter future for all of the nation’s children. We addressed this by developing and executing a plan that incorporated the following overarching objectives:

• Develop a brand image and voice to position the initiative as the nation’s most significant private-sector effort aimed at ending structural racism in the United States.
• Reinforce the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as the key private entity that is helping vulnerable children to achieve their full potential as individual members of society, as well as contributors to its betterment as a whole.
• Generate informed and open dialogue on the national, local and personal levels so as a nation we put racism in front of us to, ultimately, put its effects behind us.
• Lay the foundation for ongoing media coverage of America Healing grantees and the initiative as a whole.

Strategy/Tactics

• Widmeyer hosted an intensive message development workshop to define the goals and voice of this huge endeavor.
• Working closely with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, we guided branding exercises to create the name America Healing: A Racial Equity Initiative of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, as well as a unique logo.
• To launch America Healing, Widmeyer developed a two-part launch event plan including a press event with rigorous discussion followed by an evening reception hosted on Capitol Hill.
• To add a human face to the importance of the initiative, the Widmeyer Creative Team produced a signature video for event screening, to distribute to online video channels and to send to funders.
• We identified America Healing grant organizations that had compelling media stories, and invited representatives from the organizations to attend the May 11^th events.
• Widmeyer conducted target media outreach to top-tier national and regional outlets of the America Healing grantees in attendance at the launch events.

Results

• With a defined voice, logo and launch plan, Widmeyer Communications’ research and creative teams created an overall message framework and branding guidelines for America Healing to ensure consistency throughout all materials, both physical and digital.
• Widmeyer executed a morning press event with a panel discussion including, Fred Keller, Trustee; Congressman John Lewis; Sterling Speirn, President and CEO, W. K. Kellogg Foundation; Dr. Gail Christopher, Vice President for Programs, W. K. Kellogg Foundation; Dr. David Williams, Professor of Public Health, Harvard University; Brigadier General David L. McGinnis, United States Army (Ret.); and three grantees.
• More than 200 interested stakeholders attended the press event along with media outlets including Washington Post, Chronicle of Philanthropy and New America Media, among others.
• The event was streamed live on www.AmericaHealing.org where viewers from across the country joined the launch experience.  Social media was also utilized throughout the event with real time photo uploads to Flickr and tweets kept @america_healing followers updated on significant quotes.
• Later that evening, on Capitol Hill more than 100 Hill staff members, grantees and stakeholders congregated to further the discussion on racial equity.  Representatives Mark Schauer (MI), Vernon Ehlers (MI), Melvin Watt (NC) and Hank Johnson (GA) each made remarks during the reception.
• As a result of the Widmeyer team’s efforts, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and America Healing grant organizations were covered in Associated Press, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Battle Creek Enquirer, Oakland Tribune, CBS Radio (National), Tell Me More (NPR National) and The Huffington Post, among others.

Overview

• For the fifth year in a row, THIRTEEN & WLIW21, New York’s flagship public broadcast stations, turned to Widmeyer Communications to support the 2010 Celebration of Teaching & Learning.

Communications Challenge

• Widmeyer needed to generate support for and raise awareness among educators and key influencers in the tri-state area and nationally about the Celebration of Teaching & Learning, a premier two-day professional development conference where K-12 educators, administrators and policy makers come together to help shape the future of our schools.

Strategy/Tactics

• Widmeyer engaged educators in the excitement of the Celebration. Driven by the theme, “Where Knowledge Meets Inspiration,” Widmeyer developed consistent messaging that was woven throughout all marketing and communications, including the Web site, weekly email blasts, posters, invitations, print and TV advertising and even editorial articles written about the Celebration.
• Widmeyer utilized quotes and comments from Celebration alumni to encourage educators to “join the conversation,” to underscore the importance of collaborating, celebrating and sharing with fellow educators.
• To accelerate the promotional campaign, Widmeyer developed and carried out engaging online and social media strategies, which included online banner ads, Google AdWords, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr, as well as email blasts delivering important messages and updates.

Results

• Even during a challenging economic climate, the Celebration broke records. Nearly 10,000 teachers, school administrators, business leaders and policymakers, from all 50 states, D.C., Canada and Puerto Rico attended the conference.
• This year’s Celebration featured the most prominent schedule of speakers and talent in the event’s history, as attendees heard firsthand from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley who had a rare and candid conversation on stage; CEO of The Jim Henson Company Lisa Henson; host of NBC’s Meet the Press David Gregory; ten-time Grammy Award winning composer, vocalist and conductor Bobby McFerrin; musician, and television and  film actress Queen Latifah, who appeared with an outstanding group of urban high school students; international public servant Her Majesty Queen Noor; and many more.
• Coordinated by Widmeyer, on March 4, the Empire State Building proudly shone in yellow, blue and red in honor of the Celebration of Teaching & Learning and the commencement of the first annual “New York Celebrates Teaching & Learning Week” as proclaimed by Mayor Bloomberg.
• Building upon the successful use of Twitter during Celebration 2009, the Celebration’s following increased this year by nearly 900%. Those interested in the Celebration were encouraged to use the hashtag #Celebration2010 whenever they tweeted about the Celebration in advance of the event, during a session they attended, or any general Celebration comments. Tweeting by bloggers, attendees, speakers and sponsors resulted in more than 1,050 tweets with the Celebration hashtag.
• The Celebration expanded its online presence and audience this year with the creation of an official Facebook page, an active community of more than 1,600 fans.
• Prior to the Celebration, the event was featured in news outlets, calendar listings and blogs such as: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Public School Insights blog, Staten Island Live, Lower Hudson, ED.gov, eSchoolNews, GothamSchools and ABC 7 Eyewitness News. Also, this year saw the first Hispanic news coverage for the Celebration, with a NY1 Noticias segment on speaker Chris Emdin. More than 40 reporters attended the 2010 Celebration representing 30 outlets including: The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Weekly Reader, Teacher Magazine, Scholastic, AFT Publications, NY1 & NY1 Noticias, The New York Times Learning Blog, GothamSchools, ElizabethOnline, Just Call Me Ms. Frizzle Blog, LinkEducation and more.
• This year’s event saw a significant rise in the amount of blog coverage, as prominent blogs such as Teacher Magazine, an Education Week publication, and Just Call Me Ms. Frizzle, a leading science education blog, live-blogged from the Celebration.
• As a result of strategic outreach, the number of Celebration promotional partners this year increased by 40% compared with 2009 and included groups such as The After School Alliance, Computer Science Teachers Association, National Science Teachers Association, New York State PTA, Teach for America, Brooklyn College School of Education, Seton Hall University and many more.

Overview

• The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics promotes a reform agenda that emphasizes academic values in an arena where commercialization of college sports often overshadows the underlying goals of higher education.
• Serving as a national leader in college sports reform, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics conducted a year-long examination of the economics of college sports surveying close to 100 university presidents. The findings were released during the Commission’s commemorative 20^th Anniversary meeting and complimented the launch of College Sports 101, an interactive, Web-based report that provides an overview of the business of intercollegiate athletics.
• Widmeyer has worked with the Commission since 2005, providing strategic communications planning, media relations and event planning.

Communications Challenges

• Widmeyer Communications was charged with securing national media attention for the Commission meeting, the organization’s 20^th anniversary, the release of the university-presidents’ survey and the launch of College Sports 101.
• Widmeyer was also challenged with ensuring that all of the Knight Commission’s efforts were presented in a cohesive message that received national media attention.

Strategy

• While promoting three distinct initiatives under one umbrella was a challenge, reaching out to sports and higher education stakeholders was an opportunity for the Commission to use this highly visible moment to reach target and influential publics.
• Widmeyer crafted a strategic and integrated approach that:
  • articulated the Commission’s 20-year commitment to reforming college sports;
  • presented the most compelling findings from the university-presidents’ survey on college sports finances;
  • highlighted the launch of the online report, College Sports 101 and communicated tailored messages to policymakers, higher education and athletics stakeholders.

• Widmeyer leveraged its established, professional relationships with reporters at the nation’s most widely consumed publications and broadcast stations to guarantee a coordinated message was reported to the public.
• Implementing a tiered media outreach strategy, Widmeyer rolled out messages to media on an embargoed basis.

Tactics

• Target specific audiences through both traditional and online media to seed and advance the Knight Commission’s stakeholder and influencer relationships
• Identify media who would be most receptive and interested in the three items we were pitching
• Secure top-tier media for a nationwide telebriefing to ensure broad reach
• Identify trustworthy reporters to honor the embargoed materials
• Tease out key findings in the presidential survey and connect the findings to research featured in College Sports 101
• Develop tiered media strategies to most effectively distribute the Commission’s message to stakeholders and the general public
• Create compelling and comprehensive media materials including press releases, fact sheets, advisories, message points, e-blasts and online content to integrate all of the Commission’s efforts
• Develop dynamic, interactive online content to engage audiences around the Commission’s past and present work
• Create a detailed schedule of events to ensure seamless logistical execution of the program at the anniversary meeting

Results

Placement in prominent news publications across the country, unprecedented attendance at the 20^th Anniversary meeting in Miami by higher education and sports reporters and commendation of the online report elevated the Commission’s acclaim and spurred ongoing conversation around the financial sustainability of college athletic programs across the country.

• Widmeyer secured media coverage in USA TODAY, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, and The Miami Herald among others.
• As a result of a wave of media coverage in more than 40 publications across the country including, the San Francisco Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report, Newsday, Los Angeles Times, Kansas City Star, Houston Chronicle, Columbus Dispatch and others, the FOXBusiness Channel interviewed the Commission Co-Chairman for an online and broadcast interview on the business of sports.
• Four editorials appeared following the anniversary meeting, including in the Orlando Sentinel, the Star-Ledger, SportsBusiness Journal and the Ledger-Enquirer.
• Widmeyer placed a Knight Commission op-ed in the Washington Post in the months following the meeting.
• The Washington Post op-ed led to appearances and interviews by the Commission Co-Chairmen on CNBC’s “Street Signs” and NPR’s Marketplace.

Overview

• The Brain Injury Research Institute (BIRI) is a research center dedicated to the study, treatment, prevention and cure of traumatic brain injuries and their social and physical ramifications. The group’s particular focus is on a condition known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) which BIRI co-founders Dr. Julian Bailes and Dr. Bennet Omalu were the first to identify in an NFL player, the late Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Fame center, Mike Webster.
• BIRI is affiliated with the Blanchette Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University. In addition to clinical research, BIRI’s mission extends to include the following areas: 1) to promulgate the scientific and medical underpinnings of CTE among clinical and research professionals in the traumatic brain injury (TBI) field; 2) to educate legislators and other public policy leaders on both the scope of TBI as it relates to sports, military personnel and many others, and on the public health resources required to combat this disease; and 3) to ensure the public is aware of the profound dangers and lasting consequences of concussions and sub-concussive blows to the head among athletes and other at-risk populations.

Communications Challenges

• In May 2007, HBO Real Sports aired a program discussing TBI/CTE in former NFL players.  The NFL responded to this story by dismissing it, arguing that the science did not support the connection between concussions in the NFL and CTE.  In the months following, the drumbeat in the media got louder until on October 28, 2009 U.S. Congressman John Conyers of Michigan, Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary announced the full committee would hold hearings looking into the issue. BIRI Co-founder Julian Balies was asked to appear as a witness and provide testimony detailing BIRI’s findings.
• Though BIRI had received some media coverage in the past, with the attention of the United States Congress, the spotlight became brighter, and the stakes higher.  At this point, Widmeyer Communications was asked to define the challenges and leverage them to BIRI’s benefit.
• We identified two central challenges related to this isssue – where skillful communications could ensure the difference between whether BIRI would establish itself and have an impact on the public debate, or if the group would continue to struggle to find its voice and gain positioning as a key player vis-à-vis in this rapidly-growing issue. With Congress, the NFL, and a chorus of scientific voices in the media, the core communications challenges were:

1. Elevating BIRI’s profile in the media.
2. Positioning BIRI in the debate by distinguishing the group among other research and medical entities.

Strategy

• To address these challenges – and exploit them as opportunities for BIRI – the Widmeyer team made an assessment of the existing BIRI assets and strategically leveraged them against the challenges.  This involved:

1. Using their position as prime mover on this issue: the first researchers to discover CTE in an NFL player.
2. Positioning them as an objective, research-based, scientific organization leading in the treatment, cure and prevention of concussive and sub-concussive brain injuries.
3. Raising awareness of CTE – a little known sub-set of TBI. Create understanding among key stakeholders that while CTE was caused by concussions, there was a less-known but significant cause for the disease in the form of sub-concussive injuries: repeated blows to the head that, while not resulting in concussion, have the same effect of causing the brain to impact forcefully against the inside of the skull.
4. In a debate that was focusing on the cause of the disease, begin getting ahead of the story by positioning BIRI and its researchers as leading on prevention, treatment and cure.
5. Ensuring BIRI was viewed as a group whose central focus was on objective science, and who was not acting in the service of any professional sports authority as other researchers and research organizations were.
6. Parlaying the media relations successes into communications tools designed to expand and strengthen strong relationships and credibility of BIRI legislators, potential partner organizations and other key stakeholders.

Tactics

We executed this strategy by delivering a set of carefully structured and sequenced tactics, including:

• Research and development of written and oral Congressional testimony
• Public affairs counsel with members of the House Judiciary Committee
• Positioning and branding of BIRI, including the development of a core mission statement and background materials
• Development of BIRI Web site and social media feeds
• Speaker training for Drs. Bailes and Omalu prior to Congressional Hearings
• Development of core media materials, messaging documents and Web site content
• Targeted media outreach
• Capitalizing on media surrounding the Super Bowl by organizing a press event at the NFL’s media center, announcing a partnership between BIRI & the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund (GGAF), where BIRI Player Liaison Garrett Webster, son of the late Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer “Iron Mike” Webster, and BIRI Medical Advisor, Dr. Jennifer Hammers, spoke alongside GGAF founder, Mike Ditka.

Results

• Congressional Hearings – Widmeyer Communications prepared Drs. Bailes and Omalu for their  testimony and launched the Brain Injury Research Institute Web site.  The Widmeyer team also managed all media relations efforts related to the Congressional Hearings.  As a result of the Widmeyer team’s efforts, Dr. Bailes and Dr. Omalu were covered in stories in The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Detroit News, The New York Times and Sirius XM Radio’s 60/20 Sports with James Carville and Luke Russert.  In addition, excerpts from Dr. Omalu’s testimony were featured in NPR: Morning Edition.
• Super Bowl – On behalf of BIRI, Widmeyer worked with NFL Hall of Fame player and coach Mike Ditka to place an opinion editorial on the significance of football head injuries.  The article, which also announced BIRI’s partnership with GGAF, appeared on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday in the Miami Herald.
• Media coverage around the partnership announcement included a story in The Chicago Tribune, an editorial in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, an episode of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that aired the morning of Super Bowl Sunday, and a live national television interview with Dr. Omalu on Fox News Channel the same afternoon.

Overall, BIRI was included in over 70 articles and broadcast news segments, reaching a total circulation/audience of over 290 million.

Overview

• Recognizing the transformative role of computing and the need to bolster computer science at all educational levels, Widmeyer Communications worked with The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) to build public awareness of the first Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek), designated by the U.S. House of Representatives as the first full week of December 2009.
• In addition to building a strong pipeline to support students in pursuit of computing careers in an increasingly tech-focused society, the nation needs to engage all students in computer science education and its lessons in computational thinking—an important 21st century skill among all career paths. To spread this message, ACM tapped Widmeyer to develop and carry out a campaign to launch CSEdWeek and build awareness among a variety of audiences, including policymakers, educators, educational organizations and national and local media.

Communications Challenges

• Raise awareness of the critical role of computing for our global information society
• Promote efforts to expose students—particularly in grades K-12—to robust computer science education
• Provide a social platform to share ideas and celebrate CSEdWeek at the national and local levels
• Highlight the challenges facing computer science education
• Widmeyer faced the challenge of garnering attention for the week-long event, while weaving in the importance of exposing students to computer science education among all of the other competing education issues

Strategy

• Develop a central resource hub not only for CSEdWeek, but also to serve as a leading computer science education resource
• Target thought leaders in the fields of computing, technology and education
• Use social media to promote the effort and build an online community of interested audiences

Tactics

• Designed an interactive Web site to provide a central resource hub for CSEdWeek and computer science education information, including reports and presentations; data and facts; computer science curriculum; programs, event and ideas; videos and contests; and distributable posters, brochures and classroom kits.
• Created a brand identity and consistent messaging that were utilized throughout all CSEdWeek marketing and communications, including the Web site.
• Built a comprehensive set of CSEdWeek social media tools, including an official Facebook Fan Page, Twitter Profile, YouTube Channel and LinkedIn Group.
• Worked to build early support for CSEdWeek and its social media channels by engaging organizations and tech bloggers such as Alfred Thompson, K-12 Computer Science Academic Relations Manager for Microsoft and Dr. Dobb’s Journal bloggers to post teasers about CSEdWeek and the accompanying site in the weeks leading up to the launch of the effort.
• Drafted an op-ed outlining the importance of computer science education and implications of ignoring the challenges facing this field of study. The op-ed was signed by Maria Klawe, President of Harvey Mudd College and a member of Board of Directors at Microsoft, Inc.; Andrew Chien, Vice President at Intel Labs and the director of Future Technologies Research; Rick Rashid, Senior Vice President of Research at Microsoft, Inc.; and Alfred Spector, Vice President of Research and Special Initiatives at Google, Inc.

Results

• Working with ACM, Widmeyer fostered partnerships with leading associations, government entities and technology industry leaders, including the Computer Science Teachers Association, the Computing Research Association, the National Center for Women & Information Technology, the Anita Borg Institute, the National Science Foundation, Google Inc., Intel and Microsoft.
• Widmeyer created and supported a vibrant online community through the CSEdWeek social media networks. The sites were active from the day they were created, continuing through CSEdWeek and beyond to be the central hub of computer science education dialogue.
• Through targeted media outreach efforts, Widmeyer secured coverage of CSEdWeek in prominent publications such as front page Business and Metro section pieces in The New York Times and The Washington Post respectively, Education Week, Examiner, Dr. Dobb’s Journal, The New York Times Tech Talk Podcast as well as blogs and media from CSEdWeek partners and a host of additional media and blog hits.
• Widmeyer placed an op-ed in The Huffington Post, which has the second largest number of page views of all online news sources.
• Building on the support seen in the House of Representatives for H.Res. 558 designating CSEdWeek, Widmeyer worked with the congressional staff of Congressmen Jared Polis (D-CO) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) to secure personal video messages from each on the importance of computer science, which were posted to the CSEdWeek YouTube channel.
• Widmeyer’s strategic communication efforts helped elevate the dialogue about the importance of computer science education to a larger audience.  In addition to providing an interactive online community, creating a central resource hub for computing and raising awareness of the issues facing computer science education, computer science education has made its way into the general education reform dialogue.

Overview

• The Carnegie-IAS Commission on Mathematics and Science Education is a partnership between the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Institute for Advanced Study. Formed in 2007, the Commission addresses the concern that America’s K-12 and higher education systems do not provide the level of instruction in science, mathematics and technology needed to participate and succeed in a knowledge-based global economy.

• Widmeyer was hired in the spring of 2008 to conduct research, design a public engagement initiative and coordinate a launch event on behalf of the Commission’s final findings report, The Opportunity Equation.

Communications Challenges

• Widmeyer needed to assess the current state of science and math teaching.  Specifically, we needed to identify and analyze successes and failures so that we could create an informed communications strategy to change public perceptions about math and science study and careers.

• The Opportunity Equation, addresses the concern that America’s K-12 and higher education systems do not provide the level of instruction needed to participate and succeed in a knowledge-based global economy.  In a sea of education reports, how would Widmeyer and Carnegie make this one stand out and “stick”?

Strategy and Tactics

• First Widmeyer conducted an environmental scan of existing public opinion data and literature to develop a white paper on students’ and parents’ views regarding math and science education.
• We then conducted qualitative and quantitative research to learn more about students’ perceptions of math and science. This enabled us to better identify students’ resistance to math and science learning, and the extent to which resistance is reinforced or refuted by parents.  This research also helped us identify which tactics will motivate students to pursue advanced studies and careers in math and science.
• In Phase III Widmeyer designed and launched a national public understanding and engagement campaign designed to change public opinion and promote math and science education.
• New media tools such as a micro site, Twitter and video interviews of conference participants were used to place dynamic content on the Web for long-term use and as a way to build a larger audience for the Commission’s findings.

Results

• Widmeyer has advanced the discourse on the negative and/or misinformed perceptions that influence students’ opinions on math and science, both as academic pursuits and potential career fields.
• Our environmental scan illuminated many gaps in existing research. Phase II of our research provided context and delivered a more well-rounded understanding of students’ perceptions.
• Our national communications strategy will address cultural dynamics indicated as influential by our research, including the sense of “innate skill,” perceptions of “cool” subjects and pursuits, pseudoscience and religious beliefs. We will target both parents and students.
• Widmeyer orchestrated a report launch event in Washington, D.C. with high-level speakers including U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and a panel of leaders from American Federation of Teachers, Gates Foundation, top universities and states, who communicated the importance of the findings.  Over 300 people attended.
• We secured media hits for the report release in outlets including CSPAN, PBS’s Washington Journal, Education Week, eSchool News, Science Magazine, EdNet News, Inside Higher Education, EduFlak blog and Eduwonk blog.  Additionally, Widmeyer placed an op-ed on Huffington Post.
• Widmeyer facilitated meetings between Carnegie and U.S. House, Senate and White House staff before the release. Two additional White House meetings and two briefings have been set up as a result of the release of The Opportunity Equation.  Together we continue to pursue ways for the report findings to have lasting effects on national education policy.

Overview

• Widmeyer Communications works with Pfizer Inc, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, on several initiatives to build upon a longer-term communications goal. We help Pfizer to “lead with science” by using integrated communications to humanize the company and tell the Pfizer story through the voices of their scientists.

Tactics

• Widmeyer worked with Pfizer to develop a sponsorship strategy with PBS for the 2008 series Nova scienceNOW (NsN), a television program exploring new discoveries in computer science, astronomy, engineering and medicine.  The sponsorship included banner advertising and other opportunities to reach key audiences.
• We helped Pfizer engage key audiences with two Pfizer-NsN Starry Night events, attended by more than 1,200 guests, which positioned Pfizer as a science leader and succeeded in inspiring colleagues and guests alike about science.  The events featured discussions by notable scientists, academics, and media elites.
• Utilized proactive efforts to secure regional media coverage to help change the narrative by creating a new identity for the company told through the eyes of its scientists.
• Widmeyer developed a wrap-around program called Think Science Now (TSN) to humanize the face of Pfizer through 100 science and medicine colleagues. Placed Pfizer in the burgeoning grassroots space of social networking, blogs, and user driven communications, recognizing colleagues and reaching new audiences for Pfizer by engaging around science.

Results

• NsN website and Pfizer advertising resulted in 83 million impressions.
• The Pfizer banner on the NsN Web site has delivered 875,000 impressions to the Pfizer Web site since June 2007.
• TSN on Big Think was included in NOVA and NsN newsletters and featured on the NsN Facebook page and the NsN host’s MySpace page.
• TSN: Meet the Scientists generated more than 50 blog mentions and embedded video, resulting in an estimated 100,000 impressions.  Blogs targeted opinionated, science-interested, academic elites.  The interview series was also covered in The Day, Only Kent, The Kentish Gazette, India’s Daily News, and Penn State and Pace University alumni publications.
• TSN: Meet the Scientists resulted in more than 60,000 views and 42 comments from Pfizer employees.
• TSN 2.X, an expansion of the Think Science Now program, has launched and is already garnering great traffic, positioning Pfizer scientists as experts in their fields.
• Additional sites are launching in the second half of 2009 which complement Think Science Now and will recognize Pfizer colleagues who go above and beyond the call of duty in driving the company’s business forward and tell the unique stories of its members.

Overview

• Widmeyer Communications has a longstanding relationship with the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) based on our mutual goals to promote the value of arts experiences for the personal development and academic achievement of young people.

Communications Challenge

• During the past several years, the emphasis on testing and standards for achievement in what many view as “core academic subjects,” such as reading and mathematics, has led many public schools and school systems to significantly limit exposure to the arts. At the same time, a broad corps of arts and education advocates continues to urge schools to reverse this trend, and others have called for a greater emphasis on arts experiences in after-school activities, particularly for children from “at-risk” communities. Unfortunately, the perception that the arts should simply be an “extra” element in young peoples’ development has been slow to change.

Strategy/Tactics

• To counter the perception that the arts are insufficiently rigorous, demanding and useful for young people, Widmeyer has worked with the PCAH to demonstrate the tangible impact the arts have on leading young people toward productive lives marked by improved achievement, better school attendance and preparation for the workforce.
• Beginning in 1996, we coordinated the national release of the PCAH’s enormously well-received report, Coming Up Taller: Arts and Humanities Programs for Youth-at-Risk. The Widmeyer team wrote media materials, conducted media outreach, and acted as a liaison to the 250-plus programs recognized in the report.
• In recent years, we have managed media outreach around the annual Coming Up Taller Awards, which recognize programs that are achieving the greatest sustained success in utilizing arts and humanities to help young people from underserved communities lead productive lives. Our efforts have involved close coordination with the White House and First Lady under the Clinton, Bush and now Obama administrations.

Results

• Media coverage for the PCAH and Coming Up Taller programs has been extensive, with stories in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, National Public Radio, United Press International, ABC Radio Network, USA Today, Education Week, Christian Science Monitor, Boston Herald, and many others.  In addition to national and larger regional media coverage, there has been extensive coverage in local markets where award winners reside.

Overview

• Widmeyer Communications developed and implemented a dynamic national media campaign to prevent bullying and raise awareness about its consequences among “tweens” (pre-teens aged 9 through 13). The project, currently in its third phase of work, has been underway since 2001 with a budget totaling over $6 million.
• The Maternal and Child Health Bureau, a division of the Health Resources and Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funded the project.

Communications Challenge

• The campaign’s strategic plan needed to address several audiences with distinct messages targeting each audience. Campaign components also needed to resonate across cultural, socioeconomic and geographic differences. After the Campaign’s launch, Widmeyer needed to keep Campaign materials fresh and relevant in the constantly changing world of bullying prevention.

Strategy/Tactics

• Widmeyer relied on behavioral and opinion research to develop the largest effort ever created to reduce and prevent bullying behavior among young people. The initiative incorporated a variety of media tactics and communications tools. After the Campaign was implemented, Widmeyer worked with experts in the field to keep material up-to-date and fresh.

• Widmeyer relied on academic research, nationwide focus groups, a Youth Expert Panel of 9 through 13-year-olds and their parents, as well as the input of organizations representing the health, mental health, education, safety, law enforcement and faith-based communities.
• Featured “Webisodes,” or animated serial comics, on the Web site to depict an entertaining and engaging school-based storyline incorporating healthy messages about bullying prevention.
• Produced public service announcements targeting both youth and adults.
• Created an extensive inventory of bullying prevention resources.
• Prepared materials for the media that include a diverse communications kit.
• Secured a partnership with NBC that promotes the campaign using NBC talent through its “The More You Know” initiative.
• Produced a national teleconference geared to educators, health experts and other audiences that impact young peoples lives to promote best practices for bullying prevention, and spotlight the wide variety of campaign resources for individuals and organizations seeking successful approaches for addressing and preventing bullying.

Results

• The campaign launch received extensive media coverage including spots on the “Today Show,” CNN, CNN’s “Headline News” and a host of local radio and television stations.  The launch was also well covered by print outlets.  The Associated Press, Detroit Free Press, Hartford Courant, San Jose Mercury News, and a number of other national and regional newspapers carried news stories on the campaign’s kick-off event.
• The Teleconference was well received with viewers watching the live proceedings from more than 100 sites across the country.
• Created and maintained partnerships with more than 70 national organizations in the education, justice, youth, and health and safety fields, including: National PTA, American Medical Association, and DARE America.
• Since the Campaign’s launch, more than 150,000 Resource Kits, Communications Kits and DVD Tool Kits have been distributed across the country. The Stop Bullying Now! Web site averages 60,000 hits a month, and the Campaign’s total impressions via print media are over 100 million.