Multifaceted PR Campaigns Grow on Trees [1]
Submitted by Diane Farsetta [2] on
PR Week gave its "Public Affairs Campaign of the Year 2007" award to the Porter Novelli [3] firm and the Abundant Forests Alliance, a front group [4] for the "wood and paper products industry [5]." The campaign was launched in response to "environmental activist" efforts to "change the foresting industry's procurement practices." The campaign's goal was to convince "college-educated women ages 35 to 54 with children" that the logging industry is "encouraging recycling and other environmentally responsible practices." The $10 million "multifaceted campaign" included a children's book by The Rolling Stones' Chuck Leavell titled, "The Tree Farmer," a television satellite media tour [6], Earth Day and Arbor Day events, and "environmental grant programs" in Dallas and Los Angeles, developed in conjunction with Project Learning Tree [7]. In addition, "lifestyle expert" Katie Brown and "paper artist" Lynette Young promoted "the use of wood and paper in homemade gifts," including through "scrapbooking demonstrations at 500 Wal-Mart [8]s around the country."