We pride ourselves on our team’s talent to pitch a newsworthy story and engage with reporters and producers that eventually lands our clients in the headlines. But behind our success in a recent campaign was an association membership’s passion for their profession.
AIHA’s members are scientists and professionals who specialize in occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS), so when the pandemic hit they witnessed firsthand the impact of COVID-19 on companies across the globe. While COVID-19 left many organizations stuck in uncertainty about the future, we recognized the global crisis as an opportunity to share vital information and position AIHA members as experts on PPE, back to work guidelines and more.
AIHA members were frustrated with the national news miscommunicating the proper use of personal protective equipment and lack of information for consumers. CS-Effect and AIHA partnered to bolster AIHA members’ expertise when the world needed it most.
We developed and launched a national campaign to educate consumers and business owners about the proper use of PPE, Back to Work Safely guidelines, guidance on cleaning and disinfection, and engineering controls to improve indoor air quality. We reached out to national news organizations and secured coverage in CNBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, AARP, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The traffic to aiha.org increased and thousands of downloads of the Back To Work Safely guidelines.
Key Learnings
We learn right alongside our clients. Each project gives us a few points of growth to bring with us on our next endeavor. In this case, we learned:
· Passion for a profession is the ultimate motivator
· One way to increased loyalty and engagement: listen to concerns, reflect thoughtfully, and take swift action
· Reaching a producer or editor during a pandemic is a lot easier when you have something they want!