Kimberly Loehr
Communications Programs/Campaigns – Category 37 – Community, institutional or internal relations
Reason for Campaign: To enhance partnership relations with the fire safety groups who are typically the first responders for incidents involving lightning injuries, deaths and property damage due to lightning fires. By educating fire safety groups about the lightning hazard, we in turn increase awareness with the general public. The campaign has promoted education to reduce lightning deaths, injuries and property losses.
Entrant’s role: Concept originator, creative director, partner liaison with fire safety officials and nonprofit groups, website manager, copywriter and public relations lead.
Target Audience: Primary audience target: fire safety professionals, first responders, small communities. Secondary audience: nonprofit mitigation partners, industry alliances and national insurance providers.
Strategies used to reach audience:
Website PR & Social Media: www.lightningsafe.org created to provide details about the campaign and share photographs of donated lightning protection systems installed on fire stations. Links to www.lightning.org and www.lightning-risk.org were shared in campaign communications to provide lightning protection and safety information. Campaign was also promoted via facebook and twitter.
Press Releases: (Press release copies and reports are attached w/entry.) Releases publicized the campaign, provided momentum for additional partner support, encouraged more system donations from members and strengthened alliances with fire safety community and nonprofit groups.
Public Service Announcement (PSA) A 30 second PSA was created to promote the campaign during Lightning Safety Awareness Week 2014 (released in June).The PSA featured a fireman as the “face” of the Building Lightning Safe Communities campaign.
Partner Support: Nonprofit groups including: FLASH, NFPA, NOAA/NWS and Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) helped promote the campaign through social media and email blasts. Entrant introduced the campaign to communications managers at the I.I.I.’s Annual Communications Meeting in D.C. on June 16, 2014 to encourage support from insurance groups. The PSA was unveiled at the meeting and attendees were given zip drives loaded with media materials about the campaign. I.I.I. also produced a podcast about the campaign, featuring an interview with entrant (link provided). Entrant also pitched campaign to the Copper Development Association (CDA), which decided to feature the campaign in case study articles.
Community Events: Entrant coordinated a “Building Lightning Safe Communities” theme event at the University of Maryland in conjunction with the annual Lightning Safety Awareness Week campaign. Entrant also helped LPI member companies host community events of their own in conjunction with fire station donations. (See attachments.)
Theme: “Building Lightning Safe Communities” (BLSC Campaign)
Timetable: Campaign pitched to Lightning Protection Institute (LPI) board in 2012 and Kim solicited membership participation for fire station donations in 2013 and introduced the campaign to the public. LPI member support, partner support and media recognition of the campaign increased dramatically in 2014 which led to the campaign as being adopted as the theme of Lightning Safety Awareness Week 2014.
Budget: Total campaign budget for 2014 was $12,000 and was co-funded by the Lightning Safety Alliance (LSA) and LPI. Actual expenses include development of PSA, digital media kits, press releases and partnership video, minimal event costs and travel expenses (for Kim). Campaign has been supported primarily through the generosity of LPI member donations and partner support!
Campaign Evaluation: LPI truly helped build lightning safe communities in 2014! The BLSC campaign successfully provided over $100,000 in lightning protection system donations to safeguard vulnerable fire stations; and most notably, help establish a new records for lightning safety and fewer lightning property losses. Press releases, PSA, partner support and media support of the campaign has provided vast national exposure for LPI, lightning safety and lightning protection. (Video link featuring partner interviews about the campaign is attached with entry.)
