Public Relations

Consumer

Capital’s consumer communications division deals with products, services and projects that need to communicate with a wide audience. Our clients include fast moving consumer goods, community relations programs, events, sport, sponsors and government departments or agencies.

The consumer division regularly deals with multifaceted campaigns and co-ordinates many disciplines for integrated communication. Activities we undertake on behalf of clients include:

• Product launch/Relaunch
• Developing creative ideas for promotions to be conducted with media, on-pack, via Internet etc.
• Media relations – from national Television to small local newspapers
• Identifying, negotiating and servicing sponsorships/media partnerships.
• Issues management plans
• Product recall
• Managing the communications side of crises
• Developing and operating media centres/hotline services

Writing copy and managing the creative development of brochures, reports, programs and newsletters

Case Studies

Asian Games - DOHA Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC)

Capital PR's London office was recruited to design the all-important early key messages, information points and images for the Doha 2006 Asian Games, expected to be one of the world's most significant sporting and cultural events.

The messages designed by Capital PR for the 2006 Asian Games focussed on Doha's passion for sport, advanced technology and finance systems, investment opportunities and stunning land and sea environments and will be used by the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC) to market the 2006 Asian Games to key stakeholders, media and potential sponsors.

Capital PR also advised and designed key elements of the media and public relations strategy for DAGOC at the recent 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, where China topped the medal tally.

China has also previously hosted the Asian Games - the second biggest multi sport event in the world behind the Summer Olympic Games. The Asian Games is held every four years under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

It is estimated 11,000 athletes and officials will attend the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, more than Athens 2004.

The key messages conceived by Capital PR for the Doha 2006 Asian Games Organising Committee reflect the international appeal of Doha to potential sponsors, supporters and investors, highlighting the vibrant and diverse contemporary culture of modern Doha.

Capital PR prepared the key note speech for Sheikh Tamim (IOC member) at the special 'Welcome to Doha 2006' event at the Asian Games in Busan. Capital PR also designed and implemented the media relations strategy (in English and in Arabic) for the recent high profile Asian Games Torch Relay in Doha.

In addition, Capital PR designed and drafted key messages for Doha 2006 Asian Games public exhibitions in Busan and prepared key messages for the Handover Segment of the Closing Ceremony for the Busan 2006 Asian Games.

Capital PR also devised the Athletes Ambassador Program for DAGOC and the Qatar National Olympic Committee (QNOC) and advised on contents of the Doha 2006 information kit and CD-Rom presented to potential sponsors, companies and organisations interested in supporting the Doha 2006 Asian Games.

The key media and marketing messages conceived by Capital PR for potential sponsors of the 2006 Asian Games have positioned Doha in the global market place as a leading new millennium destination for major international events, cultural relations, tourism and investment opportunities.

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Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games
Games Communications

Capital PR created and implemented a highly integrated media/marketing strategy designed to communicate the success of the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games to the world's media along with the wide- ranging benefits and legacies of the Manchester Games for the host city and nation.

These benefits included accelerated redevelopment of Manchester as a global city of the future providing quality facilities, environments and opportunities for residents, workers, visitors and investment.

Capital PR's communications strategy also highlighted how the Manchester Commonwealth Games had renewed England's sporting spirit, prompting national and international media to describe the Manchester Games as the best sporting event ever staged in the United Kingdom.

Along with the Summer Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games is the only multi-sport event that truly involves nations from all five continents of the world.

The Commonwealth Games in Manchester (25 July - 4 August 2002) involved approximately 5,000 athletes and officials from 72 nations and was the biggest multi-sport event ever staged in the United Kingdom.

Capital PR advised and managed all key communications and media relations policies, programs and events during the Manchester Games, including a high profile media conference featuring the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Jacques Rogge.

Capital PR devised key messages for international media attending the Manchester Commonwealth Games - from Africa to Asia. These messages - and many subsequent media reports - highlighted the logistical achievements of the Manchester 2002 organising committee and sponsors who gained significant organisational benefits for their companies as a result of supporting the Manchester Games.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Government is currently considering a bid for the Olympic Games in England in 2012 following the widely reported success of the Manchester Commonwealth Games, with several leading British and European companies expected to sponsor the bid.

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Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games
The Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay

Capital managed media and communications for The Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay's journey from the launch of the national route in 2001 through to the baton's arrival at the Opening Ceremony in Manchester in July 2002.

Capital developed media strategy and publicity for launches including:

• UK route announcement
• Baton design unveil
• Jubilee runner nomination opening
• Announcement of selected Jubilee runners
• Relay start from Buckingham Palace

Capital also managed media, publicity and promotion of the Relay during it's 50 day journey around the UK, with activity including:

• Management of Baton Relay media headquarters in Manchester
• Staff in on-road media team
• Advance media briefings in each town and at Manchester's Main Press Centre
• Media spokespeople
• Co-ordinating publicity and promotion of major Baton celebrations such as Leeds and Manchester City arrival
• Co-ordinating advertising to announce Baton celebrations in each region
• Daily website updates
• Co-ordinating distribution of video and photographs to media
• Issues management

The Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay generated millions of pounds worth of publicity and attracted hundreds of thousands of people to celebrations around the UK. It was widely heralded as the most successful Baton relay in the history of the Commonwealth Games.

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Jack Morton Worldwide
Athens 2004 Olympic Games
Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games
(Opening and Closing Ceremonies)

Capital PR was asked by Jack Morton Worldwide (Europe) to implement a media relations strategy based around the company's recent appointment to produce the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Capital PR distributed information about the announcement to key media organisations in Europe, the United Kingdom and Asia along with background details of Jack Morton Worldwide, one of the world's largest live communications companies.

Capital PR also contacted key international media contacts to help secure positive media coverage for Jack Morton following its appointment to produce the Olympic Ceremonies.

This followed Capital PR's highly successful positioning and promotion of Jack Morton Worldwide in international and United Kingdom national media as producers of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.

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Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games
The Spirit of Friendship Festival

Capital PR's London office was appointed in 2002 to provide media relations advice and support for the landmark Spirit of Friendship Festival (SOFF) - the biggest multi-cultural community arts festival ever staged in England.

Similar to the Olympic Arts Festival, the Spirit of Friendship Festival linked artistic achievement with athletic accomplishment in an inspirational celebration of the diversity of the human spirit and the cultures of the Commonwealth that have helped to shape modern Britain.

The Festival was designed to celebrate and spread the spirit of the Commonwealth Games to communities around the United Kingdom through a series of innovative and contemporary exhibitions and performances in art, music, dance, theatre and photography.

As the most ambitious artistic and cultural event ever linked to a sporting event in the UK, the Spirit of Friendship Festival featured hundreds of performances and exhibitions around the home nations involving some of the world's leading sporting figures and creative performers.

These included jazz icon Courtney Pine, cricketing great Ian Botham, Olympic sprinting legend Linford Christie, Dwain Chambers, Opera heroine, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, percussionist Evelyn Glennie, Anoushka Shankar, and world famous writers Germaine Greer and Margaret Atwood.

Capital PR devised and implemented events and opportunities for the media to promote Spirit of Friendship highlights, including the Commonwealth Parade (a cornerstone of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Year weekend festivities, June 2002), in national, regional and international media.

The media attention and publicity surrounding the Spirit of Friendship Festival played a key role in helping to generate a highly positive atmosphere of community support and celebration across England and the UK for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.

This brought a further sense of occasion to Manchester's sporting showpiece both as an occasion for widespread community involvement and celebration of the cultures of the Commonwealth group of nations which account for more than a quarter of the world's population and land mass.

It also left a legacy that will remain in the minds and imaginations of children for years to come.

"Diversity key to success..."
(London) Financial Times

"Commonwealth grooves"
(London) Financial Times, Arts Week

"Truly a fine showcase for the musical wealth and diversity of the Commonwealth."
Evening Post, Bristol

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Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)

Capital PR advised and managed media relations for the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) at the recent Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England - the biggest sporting event ever staged in the United Kingdom.

The CGF is the international governing body for the Commonwealth Games which were modelled after the Olympic Games and has asked Capital PR to design and implement a long-term marketing strategy to promote the Games showpiece to potential sponsors, investors and sporting bodies.

The strategy will involve liaising with CGF representatives in 72 member nations, many of whom are also members of various National Olympic Committees.

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Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games

Capital Account Director and Olympic Games media specialist, Michael Pirrie, played a key role in helping to set up and operate the News Desk at the Main Media Centre for the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

The News Desk provided frontline assistance to accredited media who had gathered from around the world to report on the Winter Olympics. This required staff on the Olympic News Desk to be familiar with a wide range of operational and Olympic issues and information in order to respond to media inquiries in a strategic way that reflected the efforts and achievements of the Salt Lake Olympic Games Organising Committee.

As well as assisting international and US media, Michael helped to devise the policies and procedures governing the operation of the News Desk, which was highly praised by journalists for the speed and body of information it was able to provide to Olympic journalists.

Michael was a senior member of the Salt Lake City Olympic News Desk team and in addition to assisting media from all corners of the world, Michael liaised with Games sponsors, the International Olympic Committee, National Olympic Committees and other key Games groups in relation to important media matters, operations and issues.

The News Desk played a key role in helping to shape the positive Olympic Games media environment at the Salt Lake Winter Olympics.

Michael also helped to devise and implement the all important media strategy for the Opening Ceremony of the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics. This included strategic pre-Ceremony briefings with selected influential media and organization of the post-Olympic Opening Ceremony news conference for media that involved key performers and participants from the Ceremony. These included internationally acclaimed US film director, Steven Spielberg; the respected human rights activist and spiritual leader, Bishop Desmond Tutu; and Sydney Olympic Games Gold Medal winner, Cathy Freeman.

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Cadbury Commonwealth Games Leverage

Capital devised an aggressive consumer media program to reinforce the brand's sponsorship of the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. This was driven by Cadbury community and Baton runner stories, celebrities, events and competitions. Including an exciting array of Cadbury Games merchandise, event ticket and chocolate giveaways through printed media, radio competitions; interviews/audio features with Cadbury sponsored athletes; and local television presence whenever the Baton passed through significant Cadbury site en route to launch the games. A dedicated consumer Cadbury showcase at the Manchester Sport City site, including chocolate sculpting, was designed to maximise the Cadbury experience for all visitors.

Capital designed a 50 Days of Cadbury public relations program, with the aim to produce one Cadbury story/piece of coverage for every day of the QJBR until the Baton arrived in Manchester. The reality was that coverage was far greater, because Capital had implemented an advance radio program with an audio feature interview starring Andy Cosslett, CTB Managing Director, and Denise Lewis, the Cadbury-sponsored gold medal winning heptathlete, plus a radio competition in every region that the baton passed through to give away a giant 5kg block of Cadbury Dairy Milk that had been signed by both Denise Lewis and Dean Macey (Cadbury sponsored decathlete). In addition to this radio cover a press release was issued to the print and broadcast media every day of the relay, highlighting a Cadbury story/runner of the day. Capital sold these stories into the local and regional press, and often national also, and the stories were written by local and regional newspapers, and picked up by radio stations throughout the regions. A number of celebrities and sport-stars carried the Baton on various legs of the tour, and press attention at these points was exceptional. Capital ensured that these stars included Cadbury and Commonwealth messages in their interviews, and coverage was optimal.

The PR program for Games-time centred on the eye-catching Cadbury showcase dome, and including interactive exhibitions such as professional chocolate sculpting and giant plasma screens showing footage of great QJBR moments around the UK. The chocolate sculptor, Anna Blackmore, sourced and retained by Capital, rose to the challenge of carving a replica of the new Manchester City stadium out of quarter-tonne of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate in eight days, and it was unveiled by Coronation Street stars and a Manchester City FC football player to much applause. The sculpture was donated to the Francis House Children's Hospice to be used for their fundraising efforts.

Throughout the Games, Capital held Cadbury events and autograph signings in the showcase dome, with stars such as Shobna Gulati from Coronation Street who appeared with members of her Peshkar theatre group; Macolm Hebden of Coronation Street who played the famed 'Norris Cole' the Games volunteer on the series; former Manchester City FC goal keeper Alex Williams MBE who appeared because the stadium will become home to his alma mater; Cadbury sponsored gold-medal winning heptathlete Denise Lewis; Cadbury sponsored top-rated British decathlete Dean 'The Machine' Macey; Cadbury sponsored English rugby team star Jason Robinson; former world-champion Canadian sprinter Bruny Surin; UK public favourite Sally Gunnel; and others.

Capital also managed the press enquiries as they came in from the Media Centre, and worked in conjunction with Cadbury's press manager to ensure all Cadbury coverage and quotes were positive and on message.

Cadbury hailed the Games as a success in terms of sponsorship and coverage, and were exceptionally pleased with the Capital program and results.

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NSW Centenary of Federation Committee

Capital provided strategic publicity, promotions, media management and creative services to raise awareness of the various programs conducted across NSW to commemorate and celebrate 100 years since Federation and to encourage public participation in these programs.

While activity ranged from publicity for regional seminars and the Flannel Flower symbol, through publicising community grants to promoting a series of lectures by Australian and international speakers, the highlight of the campaign was Sydney's Federation Day celebrations on January 1, 2001.

Capital handled all communications leading up to and on the day. This included assisting in media partnership arrangements, launching the program for the day, implementing an intensive publicity drive in the months leading up to January 1st, accrediting and briefing media, fielding countless media enquiries and managing hundreds of media on the ground.

Half a million people lined the parade route through Sydney's CBD and 80,000 people attended the Centennial Ceremony in Centennial Park. Between October 2000 and early January 2002, approximately $19 million editorial value media coverage was gained across NSW, interstate metropolitan and international media.

The program was awarded the NSW Public Relations Institute award for Special Event Communications Program and was Highly Commended at the PRIA Golden Target Awards.

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Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch Relay

Capital worked on the Torch Relay for almost three years in the lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Our involvement included publicity and media management of various launches and announcements over this time, the development of a community group publicity program, travelling with the relay in its 5 days in New Zealand and 100 days around Australia to manage media on the group and running the media information enter and hotline in Sydney. Over $50m worth of publicity was generated.

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Diet Coke Guy Search

Capital developed and implemented an integrated campaign including promotional teams, publicity, negotiating a celebrity judging panel, media promotions and an major event over a six month program to find Australia’s’ diet Coke Guy. Results included several television program appearances, TV news, women’s’ magazine stories, social press coverage, radio interviews and newspaper publicity. More than 8,000 nominations were received, accompanied by a diet Coke label.

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