Company: Verizon Wireless, Grand Rapids, MI
Company Description: Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves nearly 108 million total wireless connections, including 92.2 million retail customers, and is a leader in wireless voice and data services. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Low Budget (Under $10,000)

Nomination Title: Go FOUR the GOLD

Tell the story about this nominated campaign since January 1 2011 (up to 500 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:

ROI is a measurement tool that can often be elusive for PR campaigns. Verizon Wireless found that sweet spot with Midwest customers by creatively mixing chocolate, wireless devices and golden tickets for a unique promotional event to launch its high-speed 4G LTE network.

PR Manager Michelle Gilbert, who directs media communications for Verizon’s Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky region, found a solution to draw new and existing customers into dozens of retail stores – and yet was simple enough for busy retail employees to deploy.

Four bars – in the form of made-to-order premium candy bars from Michigan-based Gayle’s Chocolates – became the symbol of an innovative marketing and public relations giveaway that spread across the country quickly and led to increased sales, media attention and brand awareness.

Here’s how it works: One hundred 4G candy bars are distributed to stores for city-specific network launches. Various forms of publicity – including traditional media relations, radio remotes and social media event pages – are used to attract customers. Four of the candy bars bear a golden ticket that result in an immediate on-site win per customer of a new 4G LTE device valued at more than $500.

Launched first in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in June 2011, on a single-market budget of $8,000 (which includes all costs), the promotion has now been adopted as a “Best Practice” for the company’s Midwest Area that includes 15 states.

To date, 41 city-specific 4G LTE launches have used the 4G candy bar strategy to increase traffic to stores with some retail managers reporting in-store traffic on event day skyrocketing as much as 209 percent. Store managers across the area also reported increases in customer activations and renewals ranging from 33 to 85 percent on the day of the network promotion.

A winner in all markets, these in-store events have resulted in increased traffic and sales, heightened brand awareness and earned traditional and social media coverage on the benefits of 4G LTE speeds, successfully separating Verizon Wireless from its competitors.

Employees and managers have used the event to the company’s best advantage.

“I had one customer who came in just to get a candy bar. I showed him a demo of 4G with video chat. The customer made an appointment to come back with his wife because he stated his 4G service with AT&T was nothing compared to that demo,” said one retail manager in Indiana.

Other PR managers, who were allowed to customize the events for their own markets, found similar successes. “The 4G candy bar events we did in Springfield and Kansas City really raised awareness in our markets and added an element of fun. We drew more than 150 people to each event and got terrific media coverage. It really doesn’t get any better than that,” said another PR manager who utilized the campaign.

In 2012, Verizon Wireless continues to earn its ROI by advancing the program for its network launches.

Upload a collection of supporting files and web addresses to our server to provide more background information to the judges. You may upload any number of attachments and URLs through the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above. (Do NOT list your URLs below.)

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the team that carried out this campaign:

Michelle Gilbert, Public Relations Manager for Verizon Wireless’ Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky Region, is responsible for internal and external communications for the company and manages four teams of 10 professionals in separate PR agencies. She serves as company spokesperson with hundreds of media outlets and bloggers in her states and is the primary contact for any crisis communications. She manages an annual budget of more than $550,000 and supervises special events in the region that include major sports sponsorships with the NFL and NBA, more intimate social media gatherings and media training for her region’s employees.