Weber Shandwick’s Corporate practice helps clients succeed in a communications environment that demands transparency, rewards reputation and reacts ruthlessly when faith in either is threatened. Applying the focus and discipline of their distinctive campaign approach, team members work closely as corporate advocates for their clients, communicating their messages, strengthening their reputations and overcoming their business challenges.
The practice’s communications campaigns are built around a dynamic, ongoing dialogue with every key internal and external constituency. In addition, practice experts have access to an unparalleled array of resources, relationships and proprietary data bases across Weber Shandwick’s other practices and all geographic regions.
The team’s expertise encompasses the full range of corporate communications for organizations of all sizes and industry sectors: automotive, biotechnology, financial services, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, technology and telecommunications, travel and leisure, and utilities.
The practice’s centers of excellence include Boston, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Singapore, Toronto and Washington, D.C. Services include
corporate reputation management/thought leadership,
internal communications,
financial communications and
litigation support. Other services include:
- Strategic Media: Through a combination of global media relationships and its proprietary "story mining" approach, the practice offers unparalleled strategic media services to clients. In an increasingly competitive media environment, team members engage reporters and editors around stories that build long-term reputational equity and break through the media clutter. Practice experts also counsel clients on how to establish lasting ties with the media so they can maintain and expand their ability to tell their stories through leading print, broadcast and online outlets, at regional, national and international levels.
- Crisis Communications/Corporate Issues Management: Practice members help clients develop the internal culture and infrastructure needed to anticipate, prepare and manage issues and negative events affecting reputation. The team’s crisis experts have been involved in preparing for and responding to some of the most visible political and corporate crises.
- Corporate Message Lab: Research partner KRC Research designed and facilitates the Weber Shandwick/KRC Research Corporate Message Lab. More than a simple brainstorm meeting, the Lab is a structured and managed process that rapidly builds clarity and consensus around corporate messages. By leveraging expertise in corporate communications strategies, message design, market research and meeting facilitation, the Lab is a cost- and time-effective way to develop a core message platform that can lend consistency and discipline to strategic communications. Please click here to learn more.
- Corporate Image Advertising: Sawyer Miller Advertising, Weber Shandwick's advertising partner, creates powerful, emotionally resonant messages in all forms of media. Whether it is a campaign to educate national audiences on a public affairs issue, shape a corporate image or help a company respond during a crisis, Sawyer Miller motivates both heart and mind. The team is involved in campaigns where speed is of the essence – where it is vital to get ahead of opinions and shape them before they become ingrained. Team members, including Weber Shandwick colleagues, have a unique combination of experience in traditional and Interactive media environments, and create winning, integrated paid media solutions for clients.
- Rapid Response & Recall: An improperly managed product recall can be devastating to a company’s reputation and bottom line. Amid a business environment where a company’s every step and misstep is closely scrutinized, Weber Shandwick introduced a dedicated product recall group – Rapid Response & Recall practice – within its well-established corporate practice. The team has worked closely with leading healthcare, consumer and technology companies that have recalled their products and successfully managed the oftentimes high-risk, reputation-threatening situations that follow. Our philosophy is to safeguard clients’ reputations with responsive, transparent and cross-media communications to all audiences affected by product issues.
- Integrated Reporting: There is a growing trend in corporate reporting towards one report that integrates financial performance and non-financial information such as environmental, social and governance issues. Integrated reporting is the subject of Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Robert Eccles’ new book, One Report: Integrated Reporting for a Sustainable Strategy (John Wiley, 2010). Weber Shandwick can advise companies and help them utilize this unique reporting concept to increase corporate transparency, accountability and competitive advantage. For more information, please visit www.integratedreporting.org.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF): Earth Hour Singapore
ChallengeThe World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2009 hosted the first official Earth Hour in Singapore, which was supported by various ministries and government agencies. Weber Shandwick Singapore was the official pro-bono PR agency partner, working closely with WWF Singapore to support the initiative through PR activities from the first press conference through to the final event.
Strategic ApproachWeber Shandwick Singapore supported Earth Hour via various PR activities from the launch press conference in December through to the final event in March. The agency issued a continuous wave of press releases and secured interviews for the WWF and the official partners. As a result, Earth Hour generated 265 pieces of print, broadcast and online coverage in Singaporean media. The volume of media coverage played a central part in the success of the event by raising awareness of both the campaign and the different activities taking place across Singapore. The media coverage also helped WWF secure additional partnerships and sponsors in the lead up to the event.
OutcomeSingapore’s Earth Hour event was indeed a major success with more than 500 businesses and over 25,000 individuals formally signing up. More than 2,000 people attended the official festivities at Esplanade Park, with many bringing picnics and candles to mark the occasion. Hundreds of thousands more across the island participated by switching off and coming out to the streets to view the spectacle from different vantage points. The atmosphere at the event was lively and at “lights out,” history was made in Singapore, a country not usually associated with being at the forefront of climate change issues.
According to the Energy Market Authority in Singapore, electricity consumption dipped by 42 megawatts during Earth Hour, which means 1,950,000 people switched off their lights. In a post-campaign survey conducted by The Nielsen Company, 83% of Singaporeans were aware of Earth Hour, 39.8% of the population participated by switching off their lights for the hour and over 90% of respondents have been spurred to make a conscious effort to reduce energy consumption.