Barilla: CELEBRATE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Credits & Description:

Category: Corporate Responsibility

Advertiser: BARILLA

Product/Service: PRIMARY SCHOOL OPENING EVENT

Business Unit Director: Elena Zaco (MS&L Italia)

Account Executive: Gianluca Iodice (MS&L Italia)

Account Executive: Emanuela Demagistris (MS&L Italia)

Account Executive Press Offce: Greta Bonsignore (MS&L Italia)

Account Executive Press Office: Paola Fumagalli (MS&L Italia)

Account Executive Press Office: Paola Salmoiraghi (MS&L Italia)

Account Junior: Sara Spaccini (MS&L Italia)

Media placement: Local Press Conference In San Demetrio - Local Media - 27 stories in local media - August 5th, 2009

Media placement: Local Event In San Demetrio - 66 Stories + 2 Outstanding Stories - September 19th, 2009

Media placement: TV - TG5 (National Channel) - September 19th, 2009

Media placement: Press - Gente (National Newsmagazine) - September 19th, 2009

Media placement: Press Trip To San Demetrio With P.Barilla - 1 Outstanding Story Vanity Fair - October 13th, 2009



Summary of the Campaign

On 6 April 2009 at 3.32 am the city and territory of L’Aquila were struck by a 6.3 moment magnitude earthquake. The earthquake caused serious damage to the old city and several towns in the region, killing 308 people, injuring 1,600 and badly affecting streets and buildings.

A pool of contributors, coordinated by public institutions, and private companies such as Barilla, decided to restore the School Citadel of San Demetrio, a small centre close to L'Aquila.

The target was to provide a new school to over 300 students coming from San Demetrio and seven of the surrounding towns. The project consisted of two earthquake-proof permanent buildings. The public announcement was made on 5 August. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on 19 September 2009.

The project, which fully complied with Barilla brand identity (synthesized in the claim "Where there is Barilla, there is home"), was developed between late August and 10 September, when it was shared with all the partners. Its implementation went through planned stages and was completed in record time. The materials were prepared in few days, and on 17 September our team was on site.



The Goal

The main target was actually the development of consistent messages, shared with all the partners, able to generate a common inspiration for individual behaviours. We wanted such inspiration, along with the objectives and emotions delivered, to become part of the legacy that San Demetrio people, directly involved in the event, could cherish to nurture their future.

Far from being a cold event, planned to merely please the media, the ceremony was to become a deep-felt moment shared by all the population.



Results

1. Shared the project with the partners: seven regional and local municipalities, two companies (Barilla, Mabo Group) San Demetrio municipality, civil defence, institutions, businesses and associations.

2. Involved local and national authorities: liaising with members of San Demetrio municipality; political and institutional authorities from all over the country

3. Involved the local community: banners, pole banners and posters on the territory; thousands of flyers handed out.

4. Communicate the inspiration and objectives to the local community:
- 450 people attended the opening ceremony
- 1,000 visitors of the school.
- 1,300 people attended Pasta Party.
- 150 children + parents attended Mulino. Bianco activities.

5. Involved local and selected, high-quality national media.
Before the ceremony:
- 27 stories in local media (print, web and TV channels).
After the event:
- 69 stories in wire agencies, print, web and TV channels.
- 3 outstanding stories: TG5 (national broadcast)/Vanity Fair/Gente.



Execution

Building up a common inspiration:
The communication approach was sober with particular regard to the role of the sponsors, respectful of the local community, still, deeply involving for families and attention catching towards the effort and dedication shown by the partners.

The ceremony:
We set the school to host the ceremony in two days. A photo exhibition and other activities dedicated to children were simultaneously planned. Optimizing the in-house resources provided by Barilla to organize various activities proved to be crucial.

Involving the local community:
Local communications activities were implemented with the help of Civil Defence, police, residents to select the most strategic sites and areas where to display and hand out communications materials.

Media relations:
Journalists from leading national newspapers were involved at different stages: upon the announcement of a memorandum of understanding signed by Barilla and San Demetrio Municipality just before and after the event.



The Situation

Barilla asked us to communicate the commitment undertaken by the company and its partners, organize the ribbon-cutting ceremony and implement the media relations activities involved in the project.

The key and most challenging aspects of the strategy included sharing the project with the partners involved, completing setup activities and implementing local communications activities over a wide area within a very short span of time.



The Strategy



The strategic approach involved:

- Setting overall communications targets.
- Setting a tone of voice and communications values.
- Sharing the project with the partners.
- Organizing all the parties on the territory.
- Developing a strong focus on local communications.
- Developing a consistent media relations strategy involving the press before, during and after the event.

The project proved to be a well-balanced combination of local communications and media relations.

The journalists were prepared to attend a heartfelt event, far from any rhetoric. Once there, they found a community celebrating their new step towards a normal life.