Communications as Ikor

사회봉사 프로그램 : AT&T Cares  < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Community Relations는 여러가지의 다른이름으로 불리우기도 합니다.

물론, 그 명칭에 따라 약간씩 특성있는 차별이 이루어 지지만, 그 추진 목적은 거의 비슷하다고 해서 그냥 비슷하게 마구 쓰곤합니다. 그런 것들로 Corporate Philanthropy, Corporate Citizenship, Volunteerism, Public Affairs (약간 다릅니다만..)등이 있습니다.

 

오늘은 그들중 자원봉사(Volunteerism)에 대한 AT&T의 사례를 살펴봅니다. 이 살례를 살펴보면서, 기업의 사회봉사 프로그램의 핵심은 그 참여인력들의 자발성(Corporate Values에 근거한), 프로그램 기획 및 추진의 전략성, 그리고, 프로그램 이후의 자긍심(보람)등이라는 생각이 듭니다.

 

이러한 기업의 사회봉사 프로그램은 그 수행으로 인해 기업내의 Value를 기업외 공중과 공유하는 환경을 창조하는데 그 의의가 있습니다. “소비자가 행복해하는 상품은 언제나 팔린다”이말은 “공중이 행복해하는 기업은 언제나 성공한다”는 말과 같습니다. 그행복을 창조하는 근원이 바로 우리가 기획하는 PR프로그램입니다.

 

사랑하는 사람에게 잘보이는 것은 참 쉽습니다. 애인을 사랑하는 한 그 자신은 항상 밝은 마음과 아름다운 미소로 사랑이 유지될수 있는 분위기를 항상 창조/개발합니다. 어떤 오해의 소지나, 상대방이 싫어할 어떤 행동, 생각도 하지않습니다.

 

만약 우리PR인이 자신의 기업을 둘러싼 공중들을 연인이라고 생각한다면, 모든 일상업무들이 신나고, 쓰는 보도자료는 연인을 향한 연애편지같이 느껴지지 않을까 상상해 봅니다.

 

기업의 사회봉사활동은 이러한 맥락에서 볼때, 사랑하는 사람을 위한 사랑의 이벤트입니다. 자신의 마음속에 있는 사랑을 밖으로 보여주어 상대방으로 하여금 자신에게 향한 그사랑을 눈으로 볼수있게 해주는 것이지요. 사랑의 공유, 기업에게는 기업 Values의 공유가 됩니다.

 

자원봉사 프로그램의 경우 참여는 기업내 인력 모두가 그 대상이 되어야 합니다. 밖에서는 휴지를 줍게하고, 교장실에 앉아 난로를 쬐고 계시던 중학교 교장선생님 같은 분이 계시면 안됩니다.

 

그리고 전략적으로 구성되어야 합니다. 이 뜻은 공중을 더욱 세련되게(?) 속이라는 말이 아닙니다. 연인을 위한 이벤트는 그 효과의 극대화를 위해 치밀하게 준비되어야 한다는 말입니다. 사전답사도 가보고, 장미 바구니도 미리 주문하고, 극장 예매도 하고 하잖습니까..

 

그리고 그 프로그램 이후에는 모두에게 뿌듯한 자긍심과 보람이 있어야 합니다. 비록 프로그램의 수행중 실수가 몇번 있다손 치더라도, 끝난후 훈훈한 공유감이 있어야 합니다.

 

몇몇 기업의 사회봉사 프로그램을 제안 또는 기획하면서 느낀 이슈입니다만, 본 프로그램을 대대적으로 Publicize해야 하는가에 대한 고민이 그것입니다. 사회봉사를 하긴 하는데, 그 시작을 하는 날 대대적으로 보도자료도 뿌리고, TV도 부르고, 잡지 기자랑 사장님이 휴지 주으며 인터뷰도 하고 해야 되느냐 이겁니다. 고민하지 않을 수 없습니다. 연인과 만남후 100일 행사를 하는데, 친한 친구녀석들을 불러 옆자리에 앉혀 식사를 같이하며, 내 칭찬과 “이녀석이 매날 네 얘기를 하더라..”등등의 입에 발린 이야기를 늘어놓게 하느냐 마느냐…

 

저는 개인적으로는 둘만의 오붓한 시간이 더 낳은것 같습니다만..

 

아무튼 AT&T는 보도자료를 만들지 않았습니다. 드문 일 이지요. 그대신 찾아오는 매체를 거부하진 않았습니다. 적절한 Endorsement는 이해의 촉진을 돕겠지요..

 

아래의 AT&T Cares는 세계 최대의 통신회사인 AT&T가 벌이고 있는 연례적인 대 사회자원봉사 캠페인입니다. 캠페인의 성공요인중 가장 중요한 것들이 바로 연속성과 일관성인데 이 프로그램은 그 핵심요건을 모두 갖춘 대작&명품입니다.

 

이러한 연속적이고, 일관적이며, 전략적인 사회봉사 프로그램들을 많이 기획들 하시고, 추진들하셔서, 공중과 결혼에 골인하시는 멋진 기업들 되십시오. PR은 사랑이라지 않습니까?

 

사랑을 만드는 홍보!

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AT&T CARES

 

Organization: AT&T

 

On November 21, 1996, more than 6,000 employees of AT&T in 136 cities and towns across the country spent a workday volunteering their time in the community organization of their choice. People from all levels of the corporation, from technicians to the CEO, packed food baskets; cleaned up parks and beaches; refurbished schools and youth recreational facilities; visited patients at local hospitals; and tutored students in math and science. The day marked the launch of the AT&T CARES Community Service Program, the first such large-scale, company-wide public service program of its kind undertaken by any corporation in the world. Through the program, AT&T has invited each of its 127,000 employees to devote one paid workday during the year to volunteer in their community. When the program officially concludes in December 1997, it is anticipated that one million hours of public service will be conducted, translating into $20 million worth of donated time.

 

Objectives

 

AT&T’s commitment to public service and enhancing the quality of life in the communities in which it does business can be traced back to its founder Alexander Graham Bell, whose work with the hearing-impaired led to the invention of the telephone and the formation of the company in 1885. AT&T has considered volunteerism its most vibrant form of philanthropy and a reflection of the company’s deep sense of social responsibility. Through the AT&T CARES Community Service Program, AT&T is meeting the following objectives:

 

1. Raising awareness nationally of the company’s ongoing commitment to the communities in which it operates and its history of public service and civic-mindedness;

2. Supporting and enhancing the social environment of the communities in which its employees and its customers live and work;

3. Building and enhancing AT&T presence in the local marketplaces;

 

and strengthening employee camaraderie, providing teamwork-opportunities, and encouraging employees to become actively engaged in public service

 

Communications Campaign Strategy

 

The primary element differentiating this campaign from other typical public relations programs is that a major announcement press release was not developed or distributed to the media. Rather, a coordinated strategy of informal discussions and outreach to key national and local media combined with specially-developed press material providing cumulative and descriptive background information on AT&T’s national and regional community support conveyed that the AT&T CARES Community Service Program is an outgrowth of the company’s consistent, historic commitment to public service. This positioning — presented as an on-going, philanthropic commitment, rather than a stunt to draw public attention — further supported the communications strategy.

 

There were four specific phases to this campaign:

 

Placing unsolicited phone calls to key media prior to the launch and discussing the scope of the program and its significance. The goal in verbally “leaking” the information to a handful of influential press early was to bring a personal dimension to the campaign and pre-condition the media environment for coverage on the day of the launch itself.

Follow up with all media from Phase 1 through the distribution of specially-developed campaign material which outlined cumulative impact of the program and of AT&T’s history of support for the community.

Ongoing internal communications in the weeks prior to and following the launch to raise awareness and encourage participation among all 127,000 AT&T employees as well as inspire the staff to be the ambassadors of the company within their own communities.

Outreach to regional media — through phone calls, distribution of localized media advisories and notices of photo opportunities — on the day of the campaign launch in each of the participating markets to draw day-of coverage of AT&T employees volunteering in the community

 

Results

 

A result of the understated approach is that extensive electronic and print coverage of the initiative broke in major outlets in the days prior to the launch (November 21) and the story continued to have broad media impact on the day of and following the launch. The campaign positioning, which presented the community-service program within a context of AT&T’s history of public support and philanthropy rather than as a one-day stunt, helped to extend the overall communications strategy by providing the media with a framework from which to understand and cover this specific initiative.

 

Prior to the launch, major media, including “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw,” The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio, presented significant, multi-dimensional early coverage of the program which served as the program’s general press announcement. On the day of the launch, public relations coordinators in each AT&T office across the country followed up with their respective regional media, again by phone only, to invite them to photo opportunities where AT&T employees were at work volunteering in the community. AT&T employees as well as people from the various volunteer agencies spoke to the media about their impressions of the program and its impact in the community, and what it meant personally to each of them to have the opportunity volunteer in their own communities. Photos and video appeared in print and television media capturing the AT&T employees at work on their volunteer jobs from wiring computers and classrooms in New York City high schools to serving meals to people with AIDS for Project Open Hand in Atlanta, to constructing homes for the Save the Family Foundation in Phoenix (AZ) and Habitat for Humanity in Newark. Coverage broad-based and far-reaching from media in Miami to Atlanta to Los Angeles.

 

Internal promotion of the program was also key to the success of the communications strategy, to ensure that all employees were fully prepared to take advantage of the program as well as to engender a greater sense of connection to their hometowns. Communication consisted of a letter from CEO Robert Allen inviting all employees to participate in the program, an instructional handbook providing practical information on how to register to volunteer, choose a volunteer program to suit personal interests, and apply for a grant towards the organization at which the employee volunteers, and daily e-mail messages between all the regional public relations coordinators regarding the status of media response and the variety of volunteer opportunities. Special AT&T CARES T-shirts, caps, and banners enhanced public visibility for the initiative and the range of internal communication also ensured that all employees were fully briefed on the program and would be able to speak to the media.

 

The results of the public relations campaign are an unqualified success engendering strong multi-dimensional press coverage and positive employee and community sentiments.