Company: MWW, East Rutherford, NJ
Company Description: MWW is one of the top ten global independent public relations firms and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and "Aim High. Deliver" commitment to client service. MWW is a different kind of agency. Passionate, driven, highly experienced professionals with an entrepreneurial attitude, strategic thinking and flawless execution.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Public Service

Nomination Title: Making “Stronger than the Storm” A Self Fulfilling Prophecy for NJ Shore Businesses and Communities

Tell the story about this nominated campaign since January 1 2013 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

The New Jersey Shore comprises the largest portion of the state’s $38 billion tourism industry, is a major direct and indirect employer, and accounts for a significant share of state GDP. After Superstorm Sandy hit the coast of New Jersey in October 2012 the stakes were high. Could the perception of tourists be rehabilitated in time for the summer, a critical time for the tourism dollars that support shore businesses and communities, or would the iconic image of the Seaside roller coaster swept out to sea be forever burnished in the minds of vacationers taking them and their tourism dollars to an alternate destination in the summer of 2013?

To change these misperceptions, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) hired MWW to help tourists move beyond the pervasive imagery of storm-related destruction and spread the word that the Jersey Shore is open for business and ready for the summer.

MWW’s strategy was to:

•Tap into the pride and “toughness” of New Jersey, and create a rallying cry, “Stronger than the Storm,” to inspire a sense of “duty” and need to return to the shore this summer
•Replace the deeply ingrained images of destruction from Superstorm Sandy with equally iconic images of recovery
•Leverage the emotion of “all things summer” by creating a series of events that evoke our target audience’s memories of the shore that they remember and love
•Create a robust, active online community to spark conversation and support for the shore
•Work in partnership with the Destination Marketing Organizations to translate changes in perception into “butts in seats” – beach tags sold, boardwalk visits, hotel stays and restaurant meals
•Develop a media plan and an aggressive media buy strategy to help spread our message, in partnership with NJ ad agency Brushfire Advertising. The advertising campaign was accompanied by an original song, “Stronger than the Storm” with strategically designed lyrics and music to permeate the consciousness of our audiences, and replace negative perceptions. The ads featured NJ Governor Chris Christie, replacing his pre-storm “Get the He@# off the beach” quote with “We’re Stronger than the Storm.”

The program was a success on every level.

A survey conducted after the launch of the program demonstrated the high impact advertising and events had an immediate and dramatic impact on the public’s perceptions of the shore:
•79% believed the campaign was persuasive in their decision to visit the shore this summer
•1 in 4 shore visitors surveyed cited the campaign as their inspiration for coming
•Within six-months, we built social communities, building a Facebook fan-base of nearly 100,000 followers, 6,550 Twitter followers, over 130,000 YouTube video views, 92,000 social mentions and approximately 73,000 #STTS mentions
•97% of conversation around STTS and NJ Tourism is positive, a dramatic shift from pre-campaign sentiment
•Hotel occupancy was 2% better than the average over the past five years
•From a survey of 100 independent businesses, 68% believe the campaign had a positive impact on their business and shore tourism
•The campaign generated 1.16 billion total media impressions from 1,746 media placements (as of 10/31/13)

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Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader(s) of the team that carried out this campaign:

Carreen Winters, Executive Vice President of MWW’s corporate communications practice, has worked in every practice area in her 20+ years at MWW, arming her with a comprehensive perspective on building integrated communications programs that reach all stakeholders. She has been recognized with almost every major industry award and is a sought-after leader in reputation management, employee communications and labor relations, executive visibility and crisis management, and financial communications.

She is a trusted advisor to CEOs, guiding clients through major restructurings, labor negotiations, and reputational crises. Carreen is a noted speaker and author of her award-winning blog “Return on Reputation.”