Where Do You Stand?

A year ago, one of our clients, The Doe Run Company, asked our opinion about an opportunity they received to invite employees to participate in keeping a day journal for consideration of an upcoming book. We advised them to participate with authors Joni B. Cole and B.K. Rakhra, who together had authored two earlier books chronicling the many different roles and careers of women across America. For their third book, “Water Cooler Diaries,” Cole and Rakhra solicited day-journals from more than 500 women who each chronicled their day on March 27, 2007. The result is 35 full-day diary entries and dozens more diary excerpts from women 23 – 64 in careers that span the spectrum from rancher to actor.

Our team was thrilled that three Doe Run employees took the challenge: a mine geologist, a metallurgical engineer and a technical service engineer. From their entries the authors selected one full day diary entry and one excerpt for inclusion in the book.

Our client could have simply said thank you to the three employees, purchased a book and moved on. Instead, our client contacts asked, “what can we do to fully celebrate the participation of these three women?” In short order the pr team (our client and our firm) prepared a full strategic communications plan that supports the client’s position as a leader in the industry. The Result: Joni Cole and our client were featured on TV, radio and print; invited to speak before 300 business leaders for the Winning Women organization; participated in a company event celebrating the efforts of all three Doe Run employee diarists; and hosted local Girl Scout troops to a special event at the Missouri Mines Historic Site at which the author and the three Doe Run employees educated young women about diverse careers.

A year ago, when the opportunity first presented itself, our client could have seen it as too much work and too slim a chance to receive any value for the effort involved. Instead they took the time to look for the opportunity behind the assignment and found a bigger picture that’s worth framing.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 8:51 am and is filed under Strategic Public Relations, Internal/Employee Communications. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.