Optimum West

Challenge

• To position Alcan Inc. as a global sustainability leader.

Solution

• In 2002, Optimum recommended that Alcan Inc. create the Alcan Prize for Sustainability as the platform for its corporate community investment program. The award is presented annually to a non-governmental, not-for-profit or civil society organization in recognition of outstanding contributions to economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
• Optimum has since been involved in every aspect of the development of this US $1 million award, including:
  • annual promotion of the award to eligible organizations through a combination of direct mail and earned media, keeping paid advertising to a minimum;
  • coordination of international media relations campaigns for the Prize, the announcement of the short lists and the announcement of the winners, and
  • coordination of the award-related events, most recently held (2008) in New Dehli, India.
• Media relations tactics associated with each event have included:
  • on-site production of a video news release (VNR), distributed by satellite to major news outlets around the world;
  • on-site media relations including distribution of media advisories and updates;
  • media conference planning and execution;
  • media materials development for translation into several languages, and
  • disseminating the story to international mainstream media, on the Worldwide Web and to trade and association newsletters

Results:

• Optimum’s media relations efforts in support of the launch of the Alcan Prize for Sustainability have resulted in global media hits in 117 outlets around the world. Coverage was tracked from the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Germany, Costa Rica, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, China, Geneva, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, and South Africa. Significant media hits to date have included RobTV, The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, and ABC Television.
• As a result of the entire program, the Alcan Prize for Sustainability has become well known and highly regarded by the international NGO community. Even in its first year, the Call for Entries attracted close to 500 qualified entries from 79 countries.
• The Prize has helped to position Alcan as a global sustainability leader and has created enormous opportunities for Alcan to build relationships with the NGO community.