As is the case with most events in the whirlwind of adaptation happening this year, the 2020 PRNEWS Platinum PR Awards ceremony was hosted virtually to celebrate the best marketing and communication professionals in the nation. The Ghidotti team was invited to this year’s awards as a finalist among leading public relations agencies in the country for our work with Little Rock Catholic High School, earning two honorable mentions in the national awards.
Little Rock Catholic High School’s Giving Tuesday – 24 Hour Campaign
The Ghidotti team earned an honorable mention for our 2019 Giving Tuesday social media campaign for Little Rock Catholic High School. The campaign included a series of coordinated Facebook Live walking tours through the high school, featuring key students, educators and standout alumni. The live streams were integrated with the school’s philanthropic email outreach and the results exceeded all expectations.
In total, the campaign raised $80,338 for Little Rock Catholic High School, 61% above the desired goal of $50,000. The Facebook Live videos were a resounding success, attracting the most views of any videos posted to the school’s Facebook page in more than two years! The many supportive comments also made it clear that people, particularly alums and parents, LOVED seeing rare glimpses back into the school hallways and classrooms. Their outpouring of support also meant that hundreds of students had access to scholarships for the coming school year and the opportunity to be a part of a special brotherhood formed at one of Arkansas’ top high schools.
Pro-Bono Work for Little Rock Catholic High School – PR On A Shoestring
Ghidotti’s pro-bono work for Little Rock Catholic High throughout the 2019-2020 school year also took home an honorable mention for the category ‘PR On a Shoestring’. Using focus groups as research for the school, Ghidotti developed a strategic communications plan that relied heavily on earned media and social media to connect with stakeholders and drive reputation management over the school year. Implemented into that plan was a specific focus on Facebook, as that is the portal where the most engagement from parents and alumni occurs. This social media strategy included the incredibly successful 2019 Giving Tuesday campaign, detailed above.
As the school year ended in a global pandemic and seniors quarantined at home to finish out the year, Ghidotti also created a special tribute video to Class of 2020 featuring scenes from their time at Catholic High School and words of wisdom from key alumni, including Congressman French Hill. The video was viewed more than 18,000 times with more than 400 likes and 114 shares.
For the 2020-2021 school year, freshman admission numbers increased by 10% over the previous school year. “While many are closing their doors, we are holding the line, and that’s in part to Ghidotti’s creative thinking and working miracles with a shoestring budget,” said Principal Steve Straessle.
Are you looking for measurable, exceptional results for your business in the coming year? Contact Ghidotti and find out how our team can be of help.