Making PR work on a tight budget

As government and economists continue the fight against a presently fragile economy, it is still business as usual for the rest of the country. Whilst “restructuring” and cost cutting has now become part of our everyday vocabulary, South African companies and brands still need the same, or even more, extensive coverage and awareness to ensure continuous consumer traffic. In trying times, your company's visibility and reputation is the most important factor.

Tasked to communicate key health issues to the South African public, CANSA (Cancer Association of South Africa), one of SA's leading cancer awareness NGOs, looked to PR to solve its communications problems amidst a potentially hazardous situation.

Overview

With more than 12 000 volunteers and 45 offices across the country, CANSA has become one of the leading cancer awareness NGOs in South Africa. In September 2008, reports confirmed that a potentially hazardous chemical, namely Bisphenol A, was being used in the local production of baby bottles, toys and other shatterproof plastic containers. An additional preliminary report done by the US government stated that repeated exposure to Bisphenol A can be linked to a range of hormonal problems, such as precancerous tumours and chronic toxicity, hampering the development of children. In light of the findings, CANSA tasked leading news release service, Mediaweb, to generate much-needed public awareness about the issue.

The challenge

Struggling to gain much-needed support from the Department of Health, CANSA's objective was to inform and educate thousands of South Africans about the severe health implications of Bisphenol A.

The answer

With 5500 opted-in journalists, across 23 targeted industry categories, the news release service accepted the brief and garnered almost immediate results. With the article headline reading CANSA calls on government to protect children against harmful chemicals in toys and baby bottles, the piece generated national coverage in a range of media outlets.

Results

Within the first six hours, Mediaweb had generated 11 pieces of high-quality publicity with a further 18 printed news stories and on-air interviews secured the following day. By the end of the first week, the news release service generated 35 pieces of publicity, with a total rand value exceeding R900 000 from a R3500 investment. This resulted in CANSA reaching over 3 million people.