Diageo

What they asked us to do ...

Cohn & Wolfe provides corporate PR support to Diageo in the UK and EMEA.  In light of growing concern and public discussion over binge drinking and alcohol misuse, Cohn & Wolfe was asked to develop a UK focused campaign to:

• Build support for Diageo’s position on responsible drinking by communicating its policies and activities in this area
• Promote responsible drinking behaviour amongst high risk demographic groups
• Protect and promote Diageo’s reputation

What we did ...

Cohn & Wolfe developed a three-pronged campaign strategy:

• Stakeholder relations activity to engage and build support amongst influential third-parties and policy makers involved in the debate on responsible drinking; activity included an Responsible Drinking Summit, hosted in partnership with IPPR and addressed by the Prime Minister
• Consumer information activity to target high risk demographic groups, particularly 18-24 year-old women; activity focused on a series of creative media relations executions to highlight the problem of bingeing and provide advice
• The integration of responsible drinking messages into all on-going pro-active and reactive media relations activity

Our results ...

Relationships enhanced with 45 influential stakeholders including the Home Office, The Portman Group, Alcohol Focus Scotland and British Institute of Innkeepers who all gave positive feedback on the Summit

• Previously hostile stakeholders accepted Diageo’s right to be involved in the debate on responsible drinking
• Consumer campaigns achieved 105 pieces of coverage in national, regional and lifestyle media
• 14 other pieces of Diageo corporate coverage featured responsible drinking messages

Said Kate Blakeley, Head of Social Responsibility, Diageo Great Britain: “Cohn & Wolfe demonstrated a unique understanding of a complex and sensitive issue and developed a strategy that enabled us to build relationships with a host of influential stakeholders and get our messages across in the media.”