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Company: Clarity, New York, NY
Company Description: Clarity is a global integrated communications agency focused on telling the stories of the brands that are driving change through technology. Serving clients ranging from seed-funded startups to industry titans, Clarity brings together teams of experts who solve communications challenges and drive real business results using earned, paid and owned strategies.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year – Technology
 Nomination Title: WHAT3WORDS: LOST AND FOUND IN L.A. COUNTY
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated PR campaign or program, or written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
June 1, 2021
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 213 words used.
By dividing the whole world into 10ft x 10ft tiles, and assigning each with a unique combination of three words, what3words is revolutionizing the way the world talks about location. Automotive, Logistics, Infrastructure, Emergency Services… the adoption of what3words technology can save millions of dollars in efficiency, and even save lives.
what3words has experienced widespread adoption in the UK, and has now turned its focus to international markets - particularly the US. The huge success of its use by British emergency services was one of many factors that led to its adoption by the L.A. County Fire Department.
This is the story of how, with California beset by wildfires, this partnership became a source of inspiration not just for the media, but for other business customers… and not always in the most expected ways.
The what3words app is highly rated on app stores, used daily by people in more than 190 countries and by thousands of businesses worldwide, for last mile delivery and to solve other challenges created by vague or inaccurate addresses.
But the what3words business model really relies on its adoption by large businesses and other organizations… and for a genuinely revolutionary technology, with multiple credible and high profile use cases, what3words has had limited penetration in the United States.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
Wildfires are now a grim fact of life in the Western States, and kill thousands of people in California each summer, with tens of thousands more sustaining injuries or losing their homes and other possessions, to say nothing of the untold damage done to flora and fauna. The last thing we wanted was for what3words to be accused of being an ambulance chaser, exploiting people’s misery for commercial ends.
The Clarity team developed careful messaging that took account of this, and a plan to leverage the partnership in a way that emphasized the benefits and multiple other use cases of the what3words technology.
But the L.A. County Fire Department told us something that surprised us:
One of their primary reasons for adopting what3words was not focused on residents alerting them to wildfires - but so that they could respond more effectively to the many calls they receive from lost or stranded hikers, bikers, and other outdoor lovers. This is a significant call on the Fire Department’s resources, which are especially scarce during wildfire season.
We had to pivot to both capture the media cycle around wildfire season, without missing the central call to action for LAFD.
While wildfire season would still provide the backdrop to the program, we revised our strategy and messaging to reflect the use case of lost or stranded hikers,focusing on the time-saving and life-saving application of what3words in rescuing lost or stranded wilderness lovers, and the additional advantages this affords during wildfire season.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2020. Even if your initiative started before 2020, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2020 only (up to 250 words):
Total 227 words used.
We announced the partnership with the L.A.County Fire Department, pointing to a number of real life instances in which using what3words had made a material difference during its trial period, including the rescue of a distressed lost hiker on a remote trail in in Griffith Park, and the crash of a light aircraft on Terminal Island.
In both cases, the use of what3words enabled the Fire Department to dispatch rescuers to the exact locations - and these instances provided us with real life examples that brought the technology to life.
The Clarity team’s single-minded focus not only established a reputation for what3words as a valuable technology, but accelerated conversations about future integrations with commercial partners in the U.S.
- 60+ articles were published in the summer of 2021
- 90%+ include include strong message pull through on key themes:
Need for better global addressing
The value of what3words to emergency services
- Contributed to a 250% increase in app downloads in the US in 2021
- There are now more than 100 US emergency services integrated
In the words of Giles Rhys Jones, What3Words' Chief Marketing Officer, "Clarity’s strategic advice and flawless execution not only helped the public to understand how to find and share their what3words address in emergencies and other situations, but this PR campaign opened the door to many valuable connections with commercial partners.”
- Optional: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
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