PR > Excellence: PR Craft

WHERE TO SETTLE

McCANN POLAND, Warsaw / MASTERCARD / 2023

Awards:

Gold Cannes Lions
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Overview

Credits

OVERVIEW

Why is this work relevant for PR?

One of the main goals of the campaign was to reach those in need – Ukrainian refugees. Developing a comprehensive and multi-pronged communications strategy that has ensured this, is in line with the core understanding of public relations at its finest. What's more, the campaign is an exemplary mix of earned and paid media collaboration, exemplifying the reinforcement of the message through different tools. Simultaneously, this is an example of a campaign that has maintained a positive acceptance despite crisis risks.

Background

Mastercard has released the WhereToSettle.com platform which aggregates data on shopping trends, statistical data, as well as gives access to current housing and job advertisements, can become a place where refugees will find answers to many important questions and thus be able to arrange their lives in the new reality without unnecessary risks. The brief was to propose a creative communication campaign, drawing on the main campaign's objectives to reach target groups with relevant key messages and to provide a comprehensive crisis communication plan. Main goal of the campaign was to promote the tool, showcase the benefits of smaller towns in Poland as beneficial for the refugees to live in and highlight Mastercard's commitment to helping refugees from Ukraine by positioning its experts. Establishing cooperation with external experts and institutional partners, mapping stakeholders and key opinion leaders was also a part of the project.

Describe the creative idea

Bearing in mind the goal of achieving the best possible media results, the agency recommended leading communication in two pillars - mainstream information and four thematic sections. In addition, the agency recommended cooperation with an expert who would give credibility to the campaign’s messaging and support it with his/her authority and expertise in the field of psychology, especially important was the issue of counteracting the hate speech. The campaign expert became Joanna Gutral, an experienced psychologist.

Describe the PR strategy

The agency has mapped journalists, both from national and local media, who were either involved themselves in helping refugees from Ukraine or it was a topic that remains in their area of interest. They were proactively pitched on topics related to the project. An important part of the effort was profiling press releases according to specific types of media. The general message became the new WhereToSettle campaign assumptions, with an emphasis on the fact that smaller towns harbor great potential, backed by appropriately profiled messages. Target audience were Ukrainian refugees and Poles supporting them. Key messages were emphasizing aspects of how we help, what helping gives, how we relate to it as a society as well as highlighting Mastercard's commitment to helping refugees from Ukraine, showcasing smaller towns as great places to live. The agency created press releases and used also video and graphic content of the campaign.

Describe the PR execution

On the campaign launch targeted press releases were dispatched to selected media outlets, followed by intensive followup. In the key time of the campaign, the agency was positioning Mastercard experts (Marek Kolano, Jerzy Holub), and a subject matter expert (Joanna Gutral) in the media. "Media pulse" approach - the agency monitored media publications on an ongoing basis, looking for additional opportunities to position experts. To reinforce the message, commercial cooperation was planned with selected media outlets, including New Marketing, the key marketing monthly. As a part of the campaign native articles have been placed in a network of local portals. Communications activities included also a recording on ONET Rano, a popular morning program produced by ONET, the country's largest horizontal portal. Given the scope of the subject matter and the geopolitical background, equally important was the development of communication procedures to be used in the event of a media crisis.

List the results

During the campaign, a total of 439 publications appeared in the media. Information about WhereToSettle was covered by various type of the media, it was published in general/business/financial media (including Onet.pl, biznes.newseria.pl, isbtech.pl, cashless.pl); local media (naszemiasto.pl and twoje-miasto.pl portal networks); marketing media (mmponline.pl, nowyarketing.pl, wirtualnemedia.pl) and in the Onet Rano podcast on onet.pl. Total advertising equivalent (AVE) is PLN 364 656 (EUR 80 000), and estimated reach: 29.902 million. All of the publications were positive and included key messages and narratives.

Is there any cultural context that would help the jury understand how this work was perceived by people in the country where it ran?

With the beginning of the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the Poles showed an incredible social upsurge. They have demonstrated incredible solidarity and generosity, in many cases hosting Ukrainian refugees in their own homes. A year after – with the economic crisis, rising inflation, public sentiment has weakened somewhat. Many unfavorable voices are emerging. Hence, the risk of crisis with negative comments, negative social reception was a possibility. An efficient, unified flow of information is essential to effectively integrate refugees from Ukraine into Polish society and find a place for them in the labor market. The platform, which aggregates data on shopping trends, statistical data, as well as gives access to current housing and job advertisements, can become a place where refugees will find answers to many important questions and thus be able to arrange their lives in the new reality without unnecessary risks.

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