Company: Zimat Consultores, Mexico City, Mexico
Company Description: Zimat Consultores is Mexico’s leading communications consulting firm. I Since 1984, our story has been one of success and leadership. We offer our clients a strategic communications vision and creative solutions through our very own methodology, Comunicación Total®. We are a team of more than 150 in different fields of communications.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Issues Management
 Nomination Title: From alleged perpetrators to solution leaders
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
June 2022 - November 2022
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? 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 to the questions for this category, you must answer 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 250 words used.
In 2022, the State of Nuevo León drought resulted in unprecedented water stress: dam water levels were the lowest in years, rainfall was below expectation, and authorities said the number of municipalities under severe drought was beyond normal, according to Mexico’s National Water Commission’s Drought Monitor.
This became an iconic case as homes had water supply cut off. At its most critical, the shortage left only enough water for 2.57% of demand, according to state-run company Monterrey Water and Drainage. Some communities spent weeks hanging dry, which drove residents to take to the streets to demand regular water supply.
Both the state government and relevant federal authorities (Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the National Water Commission) pointed to the private sector and industry as the main culprit for the water shortage. Further, they demanded ceding wells and private permits to supply the population and threatened to cancel all permits for good and to order operations closed if the private sector failed to cooperate willingly.
The authorities’ statements were repeated by the media, further compromising the private sector’s reputation. All this even though the sector consumes only 15 percent of the water in the region—a percentage below that of agricultural and homebound use.
The Nuevo León Chamber of the Transformation Industry (CAINTRA), whose 4,000 member companies account for 7.6 percent of Mexico’s gross domestic product, approached Zimat to craft a strategy to help shield the reputation and especially the operational continuity of the state’s industry.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer 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 141 words used.
Zimat recommended treating the issue as a humanitarian emergency, where vulnerable citizens needed coordinated and timely support from the Nuevo León industrial community. The campaign was inspired by the community's history and tradition, which have played a leading role in the state's development and growth. The Nuevo León industrial community's commitment to society and its involvement in the state's development became the guiding theme for the campaign, which led to the creation of "Sumemos un chorro." The private sector regained leadership by supporting vulnerable communities and calling on other sectors and authorities to join the effort. Companies created an aid plan with four complementary goals: providing immediate relief through water trucks and bottled water, redirecting water from wells and concessions to communities, establishing long-term measures to respond to climate change effects, and obtaining the government to declare a public emergency.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2019. Even if your initiative started before 2021, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2021 only (up to 250 words):
Total 231 words used.
A public relations campaign was launched to communicate the region's water stress problem to citizens, authorities, and companies. Platforms were designed for each audience, including specialist fora, webpages, and communications materials. A media outreach program was implemented, targeting local and national press, radio, and TV outlets. A CAINTRA-led campaign was created with influencers from various industries, including finance, technology, and entrepreneurship. CAINTRA hosted three public events with the federal and state governments, including the signing of a decree to guarantee water supply, presenting commitments, and the start of work on the Cuchillo II aqueduct.
A press release was issued for each event, along with an extra bulletin on industry support. Six support delivery events were held with local authorities, including rehabilitation of wells, community water tanks, rain schools, and water demijohns.
The campaign resulted in a significant change in the public conversation, with a neutral tone conveying private sector efforts. The industry's cooperation was recognized by Nuevo León Governor Samuel García and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The Nuevo León Chamber of the Transformation Industry (CAINTRA) was included in the committee responsible for building the El Cuchillo II aqueduct, which aims to improve water supply in the state. Over 11.5 million liters of water were donated to vulnerable areas, and saving and efficiency measures were adopted, saving up to 4.3 million cubic meters of water in various industries.
- You have the option to reference here 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):
| Attachments/Videos/Links: |
|---|
|
