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Case Studies Day Communications Case Studies

Media Relations. Transit Agency.

Media Relations. Transit Agency.

Community Engagement. Atlanta.

Community Engagement. Atlanta.

Reputation Management.
BoA.

Reputation Management.<br />BoA.
Close Regional Transportation Agency

CLIENT: Regional Transportation Agency

INDUSTRY: Public Sector,

GOAL: To Implement a Project, To Manage Your Brand,

SERVICES: Employee Communications, Reputation Management


Regional Transportation Agency

Day Communications cannot disclose the identity of this client, a regional transportation agency bracing for a potential labor dispute.

Situation/Challenge

After undergoing C-Level management changes, the client faced the prospect of upcoming labor negotiations turning acrimonious with the involvement of national union leaders. The national union sought to influence local negotiations and secure a contract that would raise pay and benefits to national levels for union members. The new head of the agency brought in Day Communications to support management’s efforts to avoid a potentially disruptive labor dispute. In accepting this assignment, Day took on several challenges, including keeping the client abreast of union tactics and neutralizing the national union’s influence over negotiations.

Solution

First, Day conducted extensive research into how similar labor negotiations had played out across the country and identified strategies the local and national unions might employ to gain leverage over agency management. We also worked with agency leaders to understand vulnerabilities in their contract positions and prepared them for negotiations by providing research-backed messaging they could use in contract negotiations.

Result

The Day team guided the agency through the minefield of labor negotiation and kept it a step ahead of union tactics that could stall progress. Armed with Day’s strategic research and communications support, the agency:

  • Entered contract negotiations with confidence in its position and greater awareness of obstacles
  • Disarmed the national union’s attempt to overtly influence direction of local negotiations
  • Averted public dialog during contract negotiations
  • Thwarted attempts to damage its reputation
  • Negotiated a win-win union contract
Close Regional Transportation Agency
Close Atlanta

CLIENT: Atlanta

INDUSTRY: Active Transportation, Infrastructure, Public Sector, Transportation,

GOAL: To Build Advocacy, To Increase Your Visibility,

SERVICES: Content Creation, Issue Advocacy, Public Relations, Social Media


Atlanta

Day Communications cannot disclose the identity of this client, a major Southeastern city working on plans to ease traffic congestion.

Situation/Challenge

A Southeastern city needed to finalize its comprehensive transportation plan for an integrated mobility network that would alleviate gridlock without building more roads. But the city needed citywide input to fully understand residents’ hyper local transportation priorities. However, community response to a city survey and participation in public meetings were surprisingly lackluster, particularly in areas with severe traffic congestion or with residents highly dependent on public transportation. Looking for greater community involvement, the city’s transportation planning team retained Day Communications and tasked us with revitalizing outreach efforts. The greatest challenges facing Day was residents’ lack of awareness of the plan and getting beyond typical strategies to solicit meaningful public feedback.

Solution

Day took a different approach to the city’s outreach program, remaking it into a high-distribution, neighborhood-level outreach campaign. Day’s tactics included:

  • Redrafting project Q&A with resident-friendly vs. transportation “planner-ese” language
  • Writing compelling messages that resonated with residents’ congestion pain points
  • Writing messages that encouraged the public to help chart the city’s future with less traffic gridlock
  • Creating memorable messages encouraging people to take the survey and share it with colleagues, friends and family
  • Tying messages to high-impact graphics that get residents’ attention
  • Focusing outreach in high-traffic locations throughout the city
  • Distributing geographically-targeted press releases with messaging tailored to reach the city’s most impacted neighborhoods
  • Simplifying information on the CTP’s website and adding surveys to it
  • Reaching out to top employers, local chambers and industry groups that are financially impacted by traffic congestion
  • Using targeted social media advertising to re-solicit input from neighborhoods that had low participation rates in original outreach effort

Result

Day Communications’ strategies infused new energy into the city’s community outreach program, leading to higher participation rates and measurable data gleaned from community engagement. Among the successes Day scored were:

  • City-wide community engagement that influenced city transportation planners
  • Greater geographic and demographic representation in project surveys
  • More than tripling survey engagement
  • Quadrupling social media engagement

 

Close Atlanta
Close Bank of America

CLIENT: Bank of America

INDUSTRY: Professional Services,

GOAL: To Increase Your Visibility, To Manage Your Brand,

SERVICES: Public Relations, Reputation Management


Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the largest banks in the world and serves more than 67 million consumers and business clients in the United States alone. While the bank is best known for providing myriad financial services it also operates one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the country, donating more than $200 million a year to worthy causes.

Situation/Challenge

After the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, Bank of America came under public and political scrutiny for receiving federal bailout money because it was deemed “too big to fail.” In the ensuing years, the bank sought to repair its reputation and regain trust through an aggressive public relations effort that would highlight philanthropic endeavors in targeted U.S. metro markets. Day Communications was retained to carry out Bank of America’s public relations strategy in Central Florida, an area still struggling to recover from a national real estate collapse partially blamed on lending practices by big banks.

Solution

As a subcontractor, Day Communications worked with Bank of America’s external national and regional public relations teams on concerted efforts to boost the bank’s reputation. Day was tasked with achieving the following goals:

 

  • Increase visibility of the bank’s philanthropic contributions and volunteer activities in Orlando.
  • Promote the bank’s home donations to disabled veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Influence local media to portray the bank as a good corporate citizen.
  • Secure media engagements and speaking opportunities for the local market president and other leadership team members.
  • Protect local market’s reputation as media continue to report on lingering effects of the financial crisis.

 

We took on the above objectives with fervor, using our expertise with media engagement and reputation management as tools for repairing negative views of the bank. Over a yearlong period, Day sought recognition of Bank of America’s community involvement either through media engagement or speaking opportunities, award presentations or news releases. Furthermore, Day prepared the bank’s local market president for media interviews, home-donation events covered by television and newspaper outlets and speaking opportunities before community groups.

Result

Day leveraged media relationships to the bank’s advantage. We were successful in drawing TV and print coverage of multiple home donations to disabled military veterans, with the local market president delivering key messaging about the bank’s commitment to helping vets transition to civilian life. Day also secured several earned media placements that highlighted the bank’s philanthropic contributions to local nonprofits.

 

By orchestrating a steady barrage of positive news about Bank of America’s community involvement, Day Communications was successful at helping the bank rehabilitate its image.

Close Bank of America

Social Media. Pedestrian Safety Campaign.

Social Media. Pedestrian Safety Campaign.

Brand Positioning. VHB.

Brand Positioning. VHB.

M&A Communications. VHB.

M&A Communications. VHB.
Close Best Foot Forward

CLIENT: Best Foot Forward

INDUSTRY: Active Transportation, Public Sector,

GOAL: To Build Advocacy, To Manage Your Brand,

SERVICES: Social & Digital Media, Issue Advocacy, Social Cause Marketing


Best Foot Forward

Founded in 2012 as a program for Bike/Walk Central Florida, Best Foot Forward (BFF) for Pedestrian Safety is a coalition of civic leaders, public safety officials, engineers, educators, transportation planners, advocates and concerned citizens seeking to reduce the number of vehicle-pedestrian collisions in Central Florida. BFF raises awareness of Florida’s driver yield law protecting pedestrians using crosswalks, advocates for walking-friendly street design and advises walkers to be more cautious and observant when crossing streets.

Situation/Challenge

In 2011 and 2014, the Orlando metro area bore the dubious distinction as the most dangerous region in the United States for pedestrians, according to Smart Growth America. Studies blamed the Orlando area’s ranking on vehicle-centric road design, lack of awareness and enforcement of Florida’s driver yield laws and unsafe walking habits.  Freshly created to tackle Central Florida’s pedestrian-safety crisis, BFF brought in Day Communications to implement and oversee a social media campaign aimed at influencing behavior change and educating drivers and walkers alike. Day took on the assignment knowing full well that bad habits are hard to break, particularly when they’re done unconsciously.

Solution

Day Communications customized a social media engagement plan for BFF and targeted Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as the best channels for building an audience. Day created BFF pages on the three platforms and began to connect them with a wide variety of influencers, including local media outlets, community advocacy groups, government officials, partners of the organization, and other pedestrian-safety groups. We used and continue to use BFF’s social media feeds to inform and educate with the intention to bring greater awareness to pedestrian safety and Florida’s driver-yield law. Day keeps up a highly active social media campaign that seeks to engage audiences with content and visuals that complement BFF’s mission. Our outreach work also includes promoting events, education advocacy opportunities, and partnership and sponsor recognition. Because success is often measured by numbers, Day produces documentation that corroborates the ROI our efforts bring BFF.

Result

Through social media channels, Day has been successful in spreading BFF’s message of pedestrian safety. Slowly but surely over time BFF’s social media engagements have raised awareness of Florida’s driver yield law regarding crosswalks and spurred conversations about changing road-design policies to be more sensitive.

 

Day orchestrated steady growth for BFF’s social media sites. For example, from June 2013 to June 2018, BFF’s Facebook page grew from 197 to 846 followers and recorded more than 200,000 engagements and nearly 9 million organic impressions. On Twitter, BFF followers grew to 1,410 from 173 over the same six-year period and counted 2.6 million organic impressions. Meanwhile, BFF’s Instagram page, developed August 2013, has attracted 500 followers.

 

Close Best Foot Forward
Close VHB

CLIENT: VHB

INDUSTRY: Public Sector, Transportation,

GOAL: To Grow Your Bottom-Line, To Increase Your Visibility,

SERVICES: Brand Positioning, Public Relations


VHB

VHB (Vanasse Hangen Brustlin) is a Watertown, Mass.-based firm of engineers, planners, scientists and designers with an office in Orlando. The company provides consulting services to clients in the transportation, real estate, institutional and energy industries, as well as to federal, state and local governments. VHB employs more than 1,300 professionals at 24 East Coast offices.

Situation/Challenge

VHB’s Orlando team provided key environmental and design services to the Florida Department of Transportation during the early planning stages of a proposed $1.2 billion commuter rail project in Central Florida. But while VHB played an important role in the birth of SunRail, including helping FDOT secure Phase 1 funding for the commuter train, the firm’s work was mostly done behind the scenes. VHB leadership sought visibility for its Orlando office as part of the project team, hoping acknowledgement of the firm’s contributions to SunRail would lead to new opportunities with the rail service or with other big transportation projects. Enter Day Communications, which took on the challenge of elevating VHB’s work on SunRail.

Solution

Day Communications knew media would not be interested in the kind of preconstruction work VHB performed on the SunRail project. Besides, the official grand opening of SunRail was coming up. Seeing an opportunity to leverage the ceremony as a springboard for our client, we leveraged our creative and influential resources, including political and industry relationships, to secure a visible role for VHB. Day quietly maneuvered VHB into the grand opening ceremony, initially as the sponsor of an exhibit table with VHB-branded water bottles for guests.

 

But we didn’t stop there. Day was able to place a VHB representative as a speaker in the opening ceremonies, and we provided him with talking points that would resonate with transportation officials in attendance.

 

Result

VHB was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was the only private-sector representative sharing the podium with public officials and transportation leaders. By being on stage, VHB was seen as a partner in SunRail, and the company’s message and brand were exposed to more than 500 people, including many clients and prospective clients. The event drew extensive media coverage, which Day repurposed for internal and external communications.

 

VHB increased its transit work in Florida by at least threefold within a year following the event.

Close VHB
Close VHB – Merger

CLIENT: VHB – Merger

INDUSTRY: Professional Services,

GOAL: To Grow Your Bottom-Line, To Manage Your Brand,

SERVICES: Merger Communications, Strategic Planning, Brand Strategy & Positioning


VHB – Merger

Founded in 1979, VHB (Vanasse Hangen Brustlin) is a Watertown, Mass.-based firm of engineers, planners, scientists and designers. The company provides consulting services to clients in the transportation, real estate, institutional and energy industries, as well as to federal, state and local governments. Fueled by a spate of mergers and acquisitions, VHB expanded its market presence along the East Coast, growing to more than two dozen offices with more than 1,300 employees by 2018.

Situation/Challenge

With organic growth no longer keeping pace with demand for its services, VHB began to seek strategic acquisitions in key markets along the Eastern Seaboard. In doing so, the company retained Day Communications to develop and execute a scalable communications program that would create enthusiasm and cooperation among employees and customers before, during and after each merger. The scope of Day’s support included taking on the challenge of merging corporate cultures and brands of VHB with the five acquired companies in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Florida. More challenging yet was the added task of ensuring that VHB realized the anticipated ROI value of each acquisition with employee and client retention.

Solution

Working with VHB leadership, Day Communications identified communications and marketing challenges facing each merger, such as employee retention and clients’ concerns over level of service and fee changes. To address those issues, Day created an internal communications plan (Phase I) and an externally-focused marketing program (Phase II), with each setting clear objectives. Phase I would seek to boost confidence and enthusiasm among leadership and employees of acquired firms while Phase II would promote each merger as a marriage of complementing resources, making the combined entity better prepared to solve clients’ challenges.

 

Phase I – Internal: Day Communication’s internal communication program began with a joint leadership charrette that documented opportunities of the merger and facilitated agreement on its benefits. Day translated the charrette input from both firms’ leaders into key messages and materials that would be used in all communications to build momentum and optimism.

 

The internal communications program included:

  • Creating a merger microsite for connecting with employees throughout the transition.
  • Holding a series of leadership and employee events to share HR information.
  • Surveying employees to gauge effectiveness of communications.

 

Phase II – External: Day Communications prepared and executed a six-month external promotions campaign to introduce each merger to clients, the regional business community and the architecture, engineering and construction industry. This external outreach effort included advertising VHB mergers in industry and business publications.

 

Day took on many other duties to help facilitate the transitions. For example, we:

  • Consolidated the databases of each firm’s current and past clients and referrals.
  • Shared marketing and communications content and case studies that collectively communicated the enhanced value of the merged entity.
  • Handled client communications — optimally-timed mailers, emails, receptions and open houses — to introduce new staff and leadership and to assuage concerns.
  • Surveyed clients to measure whether the merger met their expectations.
  • Scheduled speaking engagements with leaders of both firms.

Result

Day’s communications and marketing efforts produced bankable results on many levels:

  • Leadership of both VHB and each acquired company expressed greater confidence going through the merger process and were united in communicating the transaction’s benefits to employees and clients.
  • The merged entity experienced fewer initial employee losses than anticipated.
  • Clients’ felt they would benefit from the merger.

Our overall marketing effort opened doors for new prospects, led to more business opportunities, and gave VHB a stronger market position and talent pool in each territory.

Furthermore, Day’s successes helped drive the ROI VHB had hoped to realize in two to four years after each merger.

Close VHB – Merger

Marketing &
Media Buying.
E-PASS.

Marketing &<br />Media Buying.<br />E-PASS.

Driving Safety Campaign.
Tolling Agency.

Driving Safety Campaign.<br />Tolling Agency.

Public Relations.
AV Homes (Taylor Morrison).

Public Relations.<br />AV Homes (Taylor Morrison).
Close Central Florida Expressway Authority: E-PASS

CLIENT: Central Florida Expressway Authority: E-PASS

INDUSTRY: Infrastructure, Public Sector, Transportation,

GOAL: To Grow Your Bottom-Line, To Increase Your Visibility, To Manage Your Brand,

SERVICES: Marketing Plan Development, Brand Strategy & Positioning, Media Buying, Digital Advertising


Central Florida Expressway Authority: E-PASS

E-PASS is an electronic toll collection service operated by the Central Florida Expressway Authority. It was introduced in 1994 as the first toll transponder in Florida. With an E-PASS sticker or portable transponder mounted on vehicle windshields, drivers automatically pay tolls while passing through toll collection sites without stopping. E-PASS is accepted on all toll roads and most toll bridges in Florida, plus on toll systems in Georgia and North Carolina.

Situation/Challenge

The Central Florida Expressway Authority sought to increase E-PASS sales and compete for market share with the state’s toll transponder service. CFX tapped Day Communications to take on the challenge of developing and directing an E-PASS marketing effort that would yield measurable year-over-year results while keeping down new customer-acquisition costs.

Solution

Day’s action plan called for implementing a multi-faceted but cost-efficient approach to marketing E-PASS to commuters who rely on CFX roads to get around Central Florida. Key to Day’s strategy was raising consumer awareness of the benefits and conveniences
E-PASS offers. Working with a very tight budget, Day launched small campaigns that highlighted a central message: E-PASS saves time and money.

 

Day’s initial marketing action steps sought to make consumers aware that with E-PASS they’d save, on average, 23% on tolls compared with CFX drivers who pay with cash or use the state’s toll transponder, and they also could get loyalty discounts based on frequency of travel on CFX roads. Day placed media buys in print, billboard, radio and social media to spread the customer benefits of E-PASS.

 

The response was so encouraging that CFX increased its E-PASS marketing budget the following fiscal year. While it wasn’t enough for year-round promotion, Day still managed to boost E-PASS sales by executing intense, integrated marketing campaigns during periods when regional travel volumes were traditionally high. Day also planned and executed a series of campaigns, negotiating the most cost- and results-effective media buys with online, radio and outdoor outlets, as well as community publications. Additionally, Day identified community events where CFX could market E-PASS directly to potential customers.

 

As E-PASS subscriptions grew exponentially, Day led a consumer-based research project to garner more input from area drivers. Day’s survey yielded valuable information that was used to finetune new outreach programs.

 

In 2017, Day launched E-PASS college-branded transponders GatorPass, KnightPass and NolePass.  Emblazoned with a school’s sports team logo, the college pass stickers were marketed to UF, FSU and UCF students, alumni and fans who wanted to “drive with pride.”

Result

Day’s integrated E-PASS marketing campaigns produced outstanding results for CFX:

  • Monthly new accounts tripled within three years.
  • Customer acquisition costs went down year over year while sales volumes and customer retention improved at record highs.
  • E-PASS Partnerships with three major Florida universities
  • Entry into an affinity market

 

By developing innovative approaches and smart marketing solutions specific to the client’s goals, Day Communications delivered bottom-line results that continue to pay huge dividends for CFX.

Close Central Florida Expressway Authority: E-PASS
Close Central Florida Expressway Authority: Designated Texter

CLIENT: Central Florida Expressway Authority: Designated Texter

INDUSTRY: Infrastructure, Public Sector, Transportation,

GOAL: To Build Advocacy, To Implement a Project, To Increase Your Visibility, To Manage Your Brand,

SERVICES: Market Research, Media Buying, Public Relations, Social Cause Marketing


Central Florida Expressway Authority: Designated Texter

The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is responsible for the construction, maintenance and operation of a 118-mile limited-access, tolled expressway system. The CFX system serves more than 3 million residents in five counties — Brevard, Seminole, Lake, Osceola and Orange — as well as more than 72 million annual visitors to Central Florida. Created in 2014 to provide the region with a world-class, integrated mobility network, CFX is empowered to incorporate multimodal corridors and intermodal facilities within its right-of-way.

Situation/Challenge

CFX was concerned that distracted driving was endangering motorists on its expressway system. And it had good reason to be: Distracted drivers were estimated to be 23 times more likely to cause an accident than non-distracted drivers. CFX wanted to discourage drivers from texting while driving, but instead of using scare tactics, it sought to reinforce responsible behavior. The agency retained Day Communications to propose and implement an out-of-the-box public service campaign aimed at curbing texting while driving. The challenge Day faced was daunting, considering the pervasive influence mobile phones have on human behavior.

Solution

Day’s first step was identifying which demographic would be the best target audience for an anti-texting campaign that promoted personal responsibility. Young drivers were chosen not only because of their texting habits but also because they could influence their peer networks through personal interactions and social media. With those thoughts in mind, Day created a highly focused and widely promoted “Designated Texter” (DT) PSA campaign that was meant to spur a conversation on responsible texting. DT’s message was simple and direct: Drivers should hand their mobile phones to passengers for texting.

 

Day also produced a multi-tiered media campaign that included:

  • Inviting residents to take the DT pledge online and share photos of their Designated Texters on social media platforms.
  • PSAs for TV in English and Spanish.
  • Placed ads on local transit and social media.
  • Communications outreach via newsletters, events, speaking engagements, press releases and promotional materials.

 

A few months into the campaign, then-Orlando Magic basketball player Tobias Harris offered to be a celebrity spokesperson for CFX’s Designated Texter campaign. Tobias and a local high school’s “Always Wear Your Seatbelt” club collaborated with Day on a public service announcement that ran during Magic home games. Day also produced and distributed posters and promotional materials with Harris’ image.

Result

The Designated Texter campaign raised awareness of young drivers’ personal responsibilities and offered them an alternative to texting while driving. The campaign:

  • Touched more than 240,000 Central Floridians in its first year.
  • Garnered more than 2,100 online pledges through events and partner outreach.
  • Led CFX to partner with the Orlando Magic, reaching their 100,000+ fans and followers via radio, social media and events.
  • Leveraged Tobias’ social media following to reach his 43,000+ followers.
Close Central Florida Expressway Authority: Designated Texter
Close AV Homes

CLIENT: AV Homes

INDUSTRY: Professional Services,

GOAL: To Grow Your Bottom-Line, To Increase Your Visibility, To Manage Your Brand,

SERVICES: Public Relations, Reputation Management, Brand Strategy & Positioning


AV Homes

AV Homes (now Taylor Morrison per an October 2018 merger) is one of the largest homebuilders in Central Florida, and it is the biggest in Osceola County. Its communities include Solivita and Vitalia at Tradition, 55+ active adult communities located in Kissimmee and Port St. Lucie, respectively, Solstice, a new transit-oriented development situated near a SunRail commuter train station in Kissimmee, and more than a dozen other residential projects spread across Central Florida.

Situation/Challenge

The president of AV Homes’ Florida division retained Day Communications to drive interest in its new and established developments to sell homes, and to elevate the company’s brand to give AV Homes a competitive edge for future land acquisitions and talent. Despite its strong market position, AV Homes was not a household name like the many national production homebuilders it competed against in Central Florida. Thus, the Day team faced the challenge of making the client stand out among better known brands. Additionally, the Day team would need to engage and place stories in out-of-state and retirement-focused media in the Northeast, Midwest and Florida.

Solution

The Day team recommended and implemented an integrated public relations program that began with a deep dive into understanding AV Homes’ homebuyers’ profiles and home origins for its 55+ communities. Armed with scads of data, we created a dot matrix map of the U.S. to see the densest origin markets of its buyers. Next, we built and executed a media outreach program that was both national and hyper local to expose its target homebuyers to Solivita and Vitalia through editorial coverage that would drive referrals to its sales offices.

 

To build awareness about AV Homes’ strong market position and product offerings in traditional homebuilding, Day initiated unique opportunities to elevate its reputation with media and community relations. That included:

  • Promoting its new transit-oriented development near a SunRail commuter train stop leading into the high-profile SunRail expansion into Osceola County
  • Sourcing AV Homes’ new leader to media as the top homebuilder in several of the fastest growing counties in the U.S.
  • Making personal introductions to local public officials who have interests in AV’s dominant markets.
  • Elevating awareness about its regional ranking in the media and among elected officials.

Result

The Day team’s public relations efforts for AV Homes have been successful in achieving the client’s goals with specific achievements within 8 months including:

  • Delivering nearly 100+ direct sales leads to Solivita and Vitalia sales centers through targeted media relations about its Discovery Days stay-and-play program
  • Securing nationwide and international media coverage about the unique lifestyles at Solivita and Vitalia with coverage on CNBC, Where to Retire magazine, 55+Places.com, on target market news channels and other active older adult media
  • Driving more than 4200 unique visitors to Solivita and Vitalia web pages through strategic media placements
  • Creating prime media sourcing opportunities for AV Homes’ executives in business and industry media that led to new land positions
  • Earning timely print and digital media placements and promotional events for AV Homes’ Solstice in advance of the opening of the SunRail line in Osceola County and that led to immediate homes sales leads.
  • Secure features about Solivita homeowners in their former hometown newspapers in primary markets for potential homebuyers
Close AV Homes

Issue Management. Industry Association.

Issue Management. Industry Association.

Marketing Planning. T&G Constructors.

Marketing Planning. T&G Constructors.

Shaping Behavior. Commuter Program.

Shaping Behavior. Commuter Program.
Close Healthy Central Florida

CLIENT: Healthy Central Florida

INDUSTRY: Public Sector,

GOAL: To Build Advocacy, To Increase Your Visibility,

SERVICES: Public Relations, Technical Copywriting


Healthy Central Florida

Healthy Central Florida (HCF) is a community-based partnership initially created to make three cities — Winter Park, Maitland and Eatonville — the healthiest in the nation. HCF works with community leaders on implementing policies that promote healthy habits while encouraging residents to eat healthier, quit smoking and live active lifestyles. It was founded in 2012 by Florida Hospital and the Winter Park Health Foundation.

Situation/Challenge

HCF commissioned the University of Central Florida Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences to conduct an in-depth study of the physical, emotional, and nutritional health of residents in Winter Park, Maitland and Eatonville. The State of Our Health report covered a wide range of factors that contribute to a community’s well-being, from smoking rates to access to healthy foods and transportation to social structure. HCF brought in Day Communications to edit and produce the State of Our Health report and take on the challenge of drawing attention to its findings, among them the startling revelation that 24 percent of all Eatonville residents had been diagnosed with diabetes.

Solution

Having produced State of Our Health, Day Communications was intimately familiar with its key findings and HCF’s Florida’s call to action in response to the report. Day leveraged the HCF’s “Health Week” as an opportune time to maximize awareness of the study. Day planned events during the week and secured a nationally renowned advocate of healthy communities, Dr. Richard Jackson, as the keynote speaker. Jackson’s appearance created media buzz, which led to coverage of the report’s discovery of Eatonville’s high rate of diabetes.

 

Result

Day’s efforts to raise awareness of HCF’s State of Our Health succeeded in setting off an alarm over Eatonville’s health crisis. The YMCA, RDV Sportsplex and Hungerford Community Center responded by offering support groups and educational classes to Eatonville residents to make behavior changes for better health. More than 500 Eatonville residents joined HCF’s health initiatives and programs.

 

And, Day Communications, Healthy Central Florida and a team of community leaders raised more than $1 million to address Eatonville’s health issues.

Close Healthy Central Florida
Close T&G Constructors

CLIENT: T&G Constructors

INDUSTRY: Professional Services,

GOAL: To Grow Your Bottom-Line, To Increase Your Visibility,

SERVICES: Brand Management, Marketing Plan Development & Implementation, Public Relations


T&G Constructors

T&G Constructors is a commercial general contractor with offices in Dallas, Miami, Houston, Orlando.

Situation/Challenge

T&G Constructors sought to increase market share and build stronger brand recognition as part of an expansion plan to open new offices across the country. The company hired Day Communications and tasked us with the challenges of raising T&G’s profile in a crowded industry space and help it bring in new business.

Solution

Day led owner strategy sessions, employee focus groups and online surveys in English and Spanish to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the culture and communication within the company. Day also interviewed clients to garner their perceptions of T&G’s value proposition and evaluated leading competitors.

 

Armed with a mountain of data, Day recommended T&G take the following steps to increase the company’s bottom line:

  • Train employees to be brand advocates and give them specific job descriptions that include marketing responsibilities
  • Offer employees rewards for corporate advocacy and marketing
  • Improve internal communications through regularly scheduled conference calls with all employees and a company newsletter
  • Join targeted industry associations and boards
  • Encourage field offices to seek community involvement opportunities that could raise corporate visibility
  • Sponsor events

 

Furthermore, Day developed a multidimensional visibility program that included revamping the company’s RFP process, its brand standards and website, and business communications templates.

 

Day also created regional marketing plans for T&G offices in Dallas, Miami and Orlando, with a focus on recommendations to enhance positions in specific market segments based on corporate strengths and potential revenue growth.

Result

Day’s initial marketing effort accomplished everything it set out to do and more. Employees were more informed and better equipped to provide premium service to new and existing clients. T&G leadership became more focused on overall goals and newly evaluated markets delivered improved ROIs.

Close T&G Constructors
Close reThink Your Commute

CLIENT: reThink Your Commute

INDUSTRY: Active Transportation, Public Sector, Transportation,

GOAL: To Build Advocacy, To Increase Your Visibility,

SERVICES: Market Research, Issue Advocacy, Social Cause Marketing, Content Creation


reThink Your Commute

reThink Your Commute, a program of the Florida Department of Transportation, promotes smart transportation solutions for Central Florida’s workforce. The program brings together businesses and employees to explore the shared benefits of carpooling, transit, biking, walking and telecommuting.

Situation/Challenge

To encourage downtown Orlando and Pine Hills residents to leave their cars at home and use different transportation options, reThink Your Commute launched a behavior-changing pilot program. Through community outreach to residents of each area, the pilot program sought to educate people on the alternatives to drive-alone car use for commuting and local errands. reThink encouraged residents to consider walking, biking, carpooling or using public transit instead of relying on cars for short trips – even if it meant just changing one trip a week. The challenge for reThink is the need to change a human behavior that is universally regarded as second nature — using a car to get from Point A to B. reThink brought in Day Communications to help with launching the program, raise its visibility and facilitate community outreach as well as begin the process of influencing behavior change.

Solution

Day recognized that we first needed to establish reThink Your Commute as an FDOT-supported resource for residents in downtown Orlando and the nearby Pine Hills community. Earning the communities’ trust in the new program was vital to its chances of success. Therefore, Day led a grassroots marketing and relationship-building campaign to make influencers, businesses and residents aware of reThink’s mission. Day amplified reThink’s message through social media channels, media engagement and one-on-one or group meetings. Day also created downtown Orlando and Pine Hills advisory groups to work more closely with residents, gain their trust and ultimately influence their choices when it came to transportation.

Result

Day’s outreach and marketing initiatives helped legitimize reThink Your Commute’s pilot program and earn community support for it. While it’s too soon to tell if the program has influenced behavior change with regard to single-driver car use, Day has made substantial progress in reaching residents and making them aware of their transportation options with the goal to have measurable outcomes in time. The two Day-led advisory groups have proven to be the most effective resource for building trust and gaining community buy-in.

Close reThink Your Commute

Reputation Management.
Trade Association.

Reputation Management.<br />Trade Association.

Merger Communications. Homebuilder.

Merger Communications. Homebuilder.

Inspire Residents. Active Transportation.

Inspire Residents. Active Transportation.
Close Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges

CLIENT: Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges

INDUSTRY: Professional Services,

GOAL: To Grow Your Bottom-Line, To Increase Your Visibility, To Manage Your Brand,

SERVICES: Public Relations


Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges

The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges has been the voice of Florida’s career-focused schools since 1956. The association works on behalf of the more than 1,000 licensed private Florida career schools and colleges that offer students degree programs, certification and training in more than 200 occupational fields.

Situation/Challenge

The Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges and its members had come under intense media scrutiny and faced competitive challenges. Seeking to help members handle potential crises that could adversely impact their reputations, the FAPSC brought in Amanda Day to provide crisis management training at a statewide conference. Amanda, a certified crisis management professional, undertook the challenge of training the FAPSC team and association members on the complexities of crisis communications and how to effectively contain potentially volatile situations.

Solution

Amanda analyzed the FAPSC’s communications processes with an eye on potential obstacles that could stymie effective messaging or information sharing during a major crisis.

 

Armed with her findings, Amanda created a customized crisis management plan for the association and its members and delivered an instructional presentation before attendees at a statewide conference. Her plan included new and extensive internal protocols such as effective information sharing with employees, how to respond properly to the media and how to protect the association’s and members’ reputations.

 

Amanda trained association management and staff on how to respond to different types of crises, from on-site violence to environmental disasters to employee grievances. Additionally, Amanda recommended implementing new social media policies, a chain of command protocol and a repository of general crises statements.

Result

Amanda’s crisis management plan and training have helped protect the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges and its members from numerous political and competitive challenges including:

  • Thwarting highly restrictive, harmful legislative,
  • Fending off aggressive, statewide media campaigns against member schools, and
  • Retaining state admissions funding streams.
Close Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges
Close A National Homebuilder

CLIENT: A National Homebuilder

INDUSTRY: Professional Services,

GOAL: To Grow Your Bottom-Line, To Manage Your Brand,

SERVICES: Brand Strategy & Positioning, Employee Communications, Research


A National Homebuilder

Day Communications cannot disclose the identity this client, one of the largest homebuilders in the United States.

Situation/Challenge

The homebuilder’s Florida division acquired two competitors but failed to carry out a companywide communications plan that explained the “why” behind the merger. The homebuilder also neglected to consolidate staff and operations and unify brands, creating a “we-they” culture, duplicated operational processes and brand confusion in the market.  Business cards and company collateral featured multiple logos and company names, and products were marketed under multiple brands. The result? Eroding profit margins, low employee morale and turnover, and a weakening competitive position in the homebuilding market.

 

New leadership took over the homebuilder’s Florida division and hired Day Communications to help build a unified brand and boost employee morale. Day faced several challenges in helping the executive team chart a new course that would unify the division, chief among them overcoming resistance to change and building trust among the merged units.

Solution

Day first conducted a division-wide employee-engagement initiative to garner feedback on employees’ views of the company’s brand in the wake of the mergers and what changes, if any, they’d like to see happen in the future. We designed and conducted an online survey and held numerous in-person interviews, yielding valuable information about employees’ perceptions of the division’s brand post-merger and their hopes for the organization going forward.

 

Next, the Day team shared employee feedback with the Florida division’s leadership team, whose responses and input helped us determine the next steps to take. Leadership agreed with Day’s recommendations to:

  • Commit to developing a unified vision and mission for the organization
  • Create a single brand
  • Consolidate operational processes so all employees are using the same documents and working to meet uniform standards and expectations

 

The Day team prepared a presentation of the results of the internal research, developed compelling and inspiring new vision and mission statements, and offered recommendations about how best to execute the new brand. We then presented our findings and recommendations at an employee event attended by the Florida division’s CEO and senior vice president. Key messages delivered to the entire employee base included:

  • “With a united vision, we’ll be stronger ahead”
  • “A strong, distinct brand makes us more competitive to attract the best talent, trade partners and real estate land positions”
  • “The new brand is a reflection of each employee’s role in the company and their commitment to our products”

Result

Day’s employee-engagement initiatives and refreshed brand process were embraced by staff at all levels and universally executed with the following outcomes:

  • 66% of employees participated in the online survey
  • Through our research, Day unveiled consensus on the company’s current and aspirational brands, specifically:
        – What makes the company different
        – What makes its products different
        – What makes its culture different
        – What makes its people different
        – What makes its brand different
        – What the company should stand for in the future
  • The new vision, mission and single-brand logo were incorporated into business cards, company collateral and website, office and marketing signage, and product promotions.
  • Staff, vendors and referral sources were relieved to be able to represent a single brand.
  • Leadership implemented unified documentation and systems, leading to greater operational efficiency and productivity.
Close A National Homebuilder
Close Bike 5 Cities

CLIENT: Bike 5 Cities

INDUSTRY: Active Transportation, Infrastructure, Public Sector,

GOAL: To Build Advocacy, To Implement a Project, To Increase Your Visibility,

SERVICES: Public Relations, Social Cause Marketing, Social Media, Content Creation, Graphic Design


Bike 5 Cities

Created by the advocacy group Bike/Walk Central Florida, Bike 5 Cities is an annual, one-day event that promotes safe bike riding in Winter Park, Orlando, Casselberry, Maitland and Eatonville. Participants can either ride a 28-mile loop connecting the five cities or go on leisurely rides at designated locations on the 5-city circuit.

Situation/Challenge

Bike 5 Cities began in 2017 as a grassroots effort to make cyclists more aware of “comfortable” urban places to ride while at the same time drawing attention to the need for safe trail connections among neighboring cities. Being an untried concept, Bike 5 Cities faced the challenges of securing commitments of support from the targeted cities, bringing in sponsors and getting the word out to would-be riders. Because of its long-established relationship with Bike/Walk Central Florida, Day Communications was the natural choice for helping launch Bike 5 Cities.

Solution

Day Communications first set out to leverage its public relations role with Bike/Walk Central Florida as a way to build community support for the inaugural Bike 5 Cities ride. Day’s first order of business was engaging public transportation officials in each of the five cities and selling them on the idea of being a partner in Bike 5 Cities. Next, Day sought to raise awareness of the event by using Bike/Walk Central Florida’s social media platforms and email database while simultaneously soliciting sponsors whose involvement would benefit them through exposure to city transportation departments and cyclists. Once Day had coordinated the essential elements for ensuring the launch of Bike 5 Cities, we began to heavily promote the event using social media and email campaigns, describing it as a ride anyone 8 to 80 years of age could go on. We also encouraged would-be participants to register early due to the limited number — 250 — of spots for riders, a move that created urgency in signups and helped us gauge the public’s interest in Bike 5 Cities. Armed with encouraging ridership enrollment figures, Day could revisit possible sponsors that initially passed on the opportunity to be involved in Bike 5 Cities due to skepticism of the first-year’s event success.

Result

Day Communications quickly secured Winter Park, Orlando, Casselberry, Maitland and Eatonville as Bike 5 Cities partners, the crucial first step in ensuring the event’s viability. Furthermore, each city agreed to contribute staff and/or resources at their designated site along the 28-mile route. Day’s social media and email outreach campaign proved highly effective, with registrations meeting the 250-rider limit, in its first year, well before the signup deadline. The enthusiastic support for the event led to an influx of sponsorships among myriad private companies, from engineering firms to bicycle retailers to entertainment vendors, and helped spur greater interest in building safe travel corridors for bike riders.

 

The following year, 2018, Bike 5 Cities built on its early success with more sponsors, 350 riders and more active engagement from its partners who sponsored memorable city-specific ride events and education.

Close Bike 5 Cities

Grassroots Advocacy. Infrastructure.

Grassroots Advocacy. Infrastructure.
Close Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation

CLIENT: Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation

INDUSTRY: Active Transportation, Infrastructure, Public Sector, Transportation,

GOAL: To Build Advocacy, To Increase Your Visibility,

SERVICES: Issue Advocacy, Public Relations


Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation

Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation advocates for building and maintaining paved, non-motorized, multiuse trails throughout the state. The group promotes trails as environmentally sustainable economic developments that “offer residents and visitors a scenic, safe and healthy transportation alternative to Florida’s crowded and often dangerous highways.”

Situation/Challenge

The Foundation, in 2012, sought $50 million in state funding to complete the Coast-to-Coast Connector, a 275-mile, multiuse trail with about 70 miles of gaps in it. By closing the gaps, the Connector would run uninterrupted through nine contiguous Central Florida counties, extending from Canaveral National Seashore on the Atlantic side to St. Petersburg on the Gulf Coast. The initiative was supported by the Foundation’s president, Dale Allen, then-state Sen. Any Gardiner of Orlando, and Bike Walk Central Florida and its then-chair, Linda Chapin, formerly the mayor of Orange County. With Day Communications’ public relations help, the Connector was promoted as environmentally friendly economic growth, a message that won the support of several newspaper editorial boards. The Florida Legislature, in 2013, inserted the funding request in the budget it sent to Gov. Rick Scott. But the proposal died with the stroke of Scott’s line-item-veto pen, delivering a setback to the Connector’s future.

 

Not willing to give up the fight, the Foundation, its key supporters and Day Communications took on the challenge of turning defeat into victory in the next legislative session.

Solution

Day decided on taking a tactical approach to renewing the fight for funding. We didn’t want to spend time and effort rebuilding momentum for a campaign that likely would run into the same dead end. Therefore, Day, the Foundation and key partners  developed a new plan of attack that could generate a larger groundswell of support.

 

The new initiative widened the call for funding to include trails throughout the state, with Day leading the campaign to generate media buzz and grow public support for it. With that goal in mind, the Day team set up speaking engagements and webinars before statewide interest groups and influencers while rallying the support of metro transportation planning organizations with trails in their jurisdictions.

Result

In advance of the next year’s legislative session, Day helped build a coalition around the new proposal and kept it from falling off the media’s radar. Day garnered dozens of story placements — including editorials — that touted the environmental and economic benefits of a connected trail system, influencing public opinion about the value of multiuse trails.

 

Armed with supportive statewide media and public interest groups, Gardiner, the incoming president of the Senate in 2014, went into the new legislative session with more clout behind the renewed attempt, leading a move to secure $15.5 million for closing some gaps in the Coast-to-Coast Connector. The new funding request was part of a legislative effort to empower the Florida Department of Transportation to use “appropriated funds for the establishment of a statewide system of interconnected multiuse trails.”

 

Gov. Scott signed the bill, giving Florida’s regional trail systems new life.

Close Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation

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