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Chapter Corner: Public Relations 101
AGC Chapter Public Relations Award Winners
Implement Successful Public Relations Campaigns to Benefit
the Construction Industry
What does retrofitting the home of a wounded veteran, preserving
billions of dollars in infrastructure, improving the image
of the construction industry and implementing a new safety
culture for thousands of workers have to do with successful
public relations strategies? These are just a few of the many
successful public relations campaigns implemented by the 2006
Chapter Public Relations Award winners across the country.
"The approval of construction peers that agree that
our public relations efforts are a success means a lot,"
said AGC of Alaska Chapter Executive Dick Cattanach, a 2006
AGC Chapter Public Relations Award winner. "I would encourage
every chapter to submit their public relations efforts for
this award because it benefits the construction industry and
other AGC chapters who can learn from our success."
The following are several of the chapters recognized as 2006
AGC Chapter Public Relations Award winners.
'No on 912' Preserves Infrastructure
Investment in Washington
Situation: "AGC worked closely with Republicans
and Democrats during the legislative session to keep a historic
transportation package alive," said Roland Dewhurst,
AGC of Washington CEO. "Then in a matter of days, more
than 400,000 signatures were gathered in an initiative to
unravel this truly bipartisan effort to fund 274 road and
bridge projects across Washington."
AGC of Washington helped form a coalition of businesses and
organizations to preserve the $8.5 billion in gas tax funding
and urged citizens to vote "No on 912."
Strategy: Cities, businesses, labor unions, environmental
groups and associations worked together at the grassroots
level, raising money for "No on 912" to educate
constituencies about the benefits of a gas tax.
"Coalition building and targeted messaging were key to
the 'No on 912' campaign's success," said Dewhurst.
"The biggest challenge was the general voter mistrust
of government, coupled with record-high gas prices. This was
not the ideal climate to pass a gas tax, but by placing television
ads and implementing a state-wide direct mail campaign we
were able to show the public examples of local projects that
would be cancelled. The tides began to shift and polling looked
better for 'No on 912,'" he said.
AGC members contributed more than $470,000 toward the $2.9
million "No on 912" effort. AGC members also wrote
letters to the editor, spoke at town hall meetings and enclosed
payroll stuffers in their employees' paychecks.
Results: Voters went to the polls and supported the
gas tax, funding construction jobs, stimulating the state's
economy, reducing traffic congestion and improving safety
conditions at 52 specific locations, which should reduce injury
accidents by 1,110 each year.
"AGC of Washington is proud of this campaign's success
and hopes it can serve as a model of coalition building,"
said Dewhurst.
QUOIN Chapter AGC Changes Safety Culture
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| Andres Construction Services Employees
participating in the May 17 Stand Down. |
Situation: "Fatalities were growing in North
and East Texas, so we developed a new way to implement safety
training. Our goal was to guarantee that each individual working
on a job site would take personal accountability for their
safety and the safety of the entire job site," said QUOIN
President and CEO Raleigh Roussell.
Strategy: QUOIN established the Safety Resource Leadership
Team to give members an active role in working together with
staff to plan for and implement the new safety culture. This
was part of a greater communications campaign to successfully
achieve three safety stand-downs throughout North and East
Texas.
Within two years, QUOIN conducted three safety stand-downs,
which included more than 140 companies and 40,000 workers
and stopped work on all commercial construction projects for
90 minutes, allowing contractors time to conduct safety training
activities for employees.
"We wanted to challenge our members-they needed to know
the benefits of changing their safety culture and the consequences
if they did not," said QUOIN's 2006 Board Chair Buddie
Barnes, president, Dee Brown Inc.
Results: The campaign was so successful that QUOIN
has scheduled quarterly stand-downs each year. A new way of
thinking about safety has also emerged for QUOIN members as
a result of the consistent new safety messages.
AGC of Alaska Improves Construction
Industry Image
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Alaska Business Monthly article
featuring AGC of Alaska. |
Situation: "Alaska faced a major labor shortage
and image problem," said AGC of Alaska Chapter Executive
Dick Cattanach. "These issues led to the development
of our public relations campaign. We developed messages and
ads that address construction spending and emphasize the positive
attributes of construction, aimed at improving the construction
industry's image."
Strategy: AGC of Alaska's television messages reached
more than 230 communities and 78% of Alaska's viewing audience
due to a cooperative effort with KTUU-TV. AGC of Alaska also
built relationships with more than half of Alaska's major
publications-70% of the outlets placed favorable editorials,
reaching more than 73% of readers.
Results: Since the PR campaign began in 2000, AGC
of Alaska has become the leading construction organization
statewide, with thousands of hits monthly on its Web site.
AGC of Alaska has also raised the perception of the construction
industry by 13.7% among 18-24-year-olds.
Additionally, they were awarded a $1 million grant to work
with the Anchorage school district and the U.S. Department
of Labor.
Along with AGC's Chapter Public Relations Award, AGC of Alaska
was recognized with the Public Relations Society of America's
Silver Anvil Award of Excellence.
AGC of South Dakota Implements Operation
Opening Doors
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| First Sergeant Tom Carpenter gives
special thanks to AGC of South Dakota at AGC's 87th Annual
Convention. |
Situation: "We implemented Operation Opening
Doors because it was the right thing to do. We know that today's
service member will go anywhere in the world to defend democracy
so that America may live in freedom," said AGC of South
Dakota President and CEO Larry Zikmund.
Strategy: AGC of South Dakota established a statewide
network through which it could activate volunteers at the
local level as wounded soldiers return and need help.
Every member was given the opportunity to donate labor, materials
or monetary support.
Results: On May 12, 2005, South Dakota's first wounded
soldier, First Sergeant Tom Carpenter, arrived home from Iraq.
Carpenter's vehicle had run over a roadside bomb, causing
him substantial injuries, including the loss of his right
leg and left foot, and chest and shoulder wounds.
"Nothing could be more fulfilling to the entire AGC
of South Dakota Building Chapter than to realize that we,
as an organization, helped an injured service member,"
said Zikmund.
The program has been so successful it has been featured in
several South Dakota newspapers and has received the South
Dakota Disabled American Veterans Appreciation Award.
To date, AGC of South Dakota has raised more than $10,000
from members committed to helping South Dakota's wounded soldiers.
If your chapter has demonstrated successful public relations
campaigns finalized in the 2006 calendar year, they could
be a winner in the 2007 AGC Chapter Public Relations Awards
featured at the 88th Annual AGC Convention in San Antonio.
For more information on how to submit your chapter's campaign,
contact Carla Julian at 703-837-5348 or julianc@agc.org
or visit www.agc.org/chapterPR.
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