Category: Corporate Responsibility
Advertiser: SANPELLEGRINO GROUP
Product/Service: RECYCLING CAMPAIGN
Agency: KETCHUM PLEON
Managing Director: Laura Maini (Ketchum Pleon)
Senior Account Director: Sonia Silvani (Ketchum Pleon)
Media placement: Event - - 8 June 2011
Media placement: Consumer PR - - 8 June - 10 July
Media placement: Competition - - June-September
Summary of the Campaign
We designed, developed and implemented a PR campaign about the recycling of PET bottles for Sanpellegrino Group, entitled 'The PET bottle: not refuse, but a resource'.
Sanpellegrino Group is the leading player in the Italian beverage market, with various brands of mineral water (S.Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, Levissima, Nestlé Vera- In Bosco – Ulmeta – Santa Rosalia, S.Bernardo Sorgente Rocciaviva, Recoaro, Pejo), soft drinks (Sanbittèr and Gingerino), drinks and cold tea (Aranciate Sanpellegrino, Chinò, Acqua Brillante Recoaro, Belté).
Its products, which represent a concentration of well-being, health and equilibrium, are distributed in more than 120 countries across 5 continents.
The goal of the campaign was to increase awareness and educate the public in the correct separation of waste and the recycling of materials, with a focus on plastic: the PET bottle is 100% recyclable and is a sort of 'safe' for mineral water. The 12-month campaign was divided into 3 main sections:
- The realisation of an authoritative study 'Recycling and the sustainable packaging policies'. The mineral water market creates value for the community, which has highlighted the environmental, social and economic benefits of the collection and recycling of PET bottles in Italy;
- The organisation in Milan of the 'Month of plastic recycling';
- The organisation and implementation of the 'Story of a Bottle' competition for Italian primary school students.
The Situation
The integrity of packaging is highly important, and measures are taken all along the packaging line regarding the protection, development, transportation and appearance of the products. The PET bottle represents a 'strongbox' for mineral water and guarantees safety and quality for the consumer. In fact, today PET is one of the materials most used for the packaging of mineral water, given its recyclability, which meets the growing requirements of the market regarding the collection of plastic bottles, safety and weight.
Therefore, a company such as Sanpellegrino Group cannot but use PET bottles to bring pure mineral water to the consumers table. For this reason it is important that consumers are educated on recycling, with a focus on PET bottles, which represents a true resource.
The Goal
The goal of the campaign was to underline the impact that daily life has on the environment; many of the activities were studied to educate people, from early childhood, regarding the proper collection of plastic materials for recycling, emphasising, first of all, the importance of correct behaviour and the benefits that derive for the entire community, despite wrong perceptions.
The whole Campaign is part of the Sanpellegrino Group sustainability program; it underlines the mission and it drives every business decision. The Company carried out 3 different initiatives at the same time to reach a wide audience: from institutions to medias, from Milan citizens to Italian primary school students.
The Strategy
The project was developed along 2 lines:
1. Institutional and scientific nature through the development of a high level study of CSR activities, able to sustain a market under attack like that of mineral water, and with a strong impact to collect consensus, strengthen and defend the Brand Corporate Reputation;
2. On the other side, stimulating experiences through proximity projects, i.e. educational campaigns able to involve consumers emotionally.
For the success of the campaign, important relationships with the institutions were implemented:
- The Althesys Institute for the study 'Recycling and the sustainable packaging policies';
- Corepla, National Consortium for the Collection, Recycling and Recovery of Waste Plastic Packaging Materials;
- AMSA, Milanese Environmental Services Company, for the 'Month of plastic recycling';
- Giunti Educational Projects for the 'The Story of a Bottle" competition.
Execution
The study is the heart of the entire project; this has provided a detailed outline concerning the recycling of plastic with a particular regard for the effect of the collection-recycling of plastic packaging from an economic, environmental and social viewpoint. The study’s results were presented during a congress, held in Milan on June 8th; present were the press, the institutions and consumer associations. For this occasion the 'Month of Plastic Recycling' was launched in Milan: the initiative saw an itinerant ecological structure travelling from district to district, from June 8th to July 10th, at the disposal of citizens to help them understand concretely the importance of a correct collection of waste and the recycling of PET. At the same time, Italian primary schools were invited to participate in the competition 'The Story of a Bottle': the classes were requested to write a story about the adventures of a bottle of mineral water. The winners had their stories published and illustrated by a famous cartoonist, in the book, 'A Bottle Full of Stories'.
Documented Results
1. 150 articles in national and local newspapers, thanks to press office activities;
2. During the Month of Plastic Recycling:
a. 40,000 information leaflets were distributed to citizens of Milan;
b. 35,000 citizens visited the itinerant ecological structure to collect information and improve the separation of waste;
c. 859.24 kg of plastic was collected;
3. 83 classes from numerous schools were involved in the 'The Story of a Bottle' competition for a total of 204 papers.
All the employees of the Sanpellegrino Group were engaged in the campaign in order to be the real 'ambassadors' of values and messages that the project wanted to convey.
The campaign has had a very positive outcome and important social implications: increased awareness towards a correct collection of waste and the valorisation of PET bottles, which if properly recycled can become a real economic and social resource for the country.