Case Study: Charitable PR Campaign

Client: Hair Cuttery

Market Sector: Hampton Roads and Richmond markets

Date: 2004

Challenge: Since 1999, Hair Cuttery salons have encouraged kids to help other kids through its annual Share-A-Haircut program. For every child's haircut purchased August 10 - 15, Hair Cuttery donates a matching free haircut to an underprivileged child through local social service agencies. By 2004, the fifth year of the program, it was felt that something new was needed to achieve PR exposure for the charitable campaign in local media.

Strategy: Rhodes Communications developed the first "Kids Helping Kids" Art and Essay Contest to coincide with the Share-A-Haircut campaign in the Hampton Roads market. Through expressions of art and writing, kids in grades K-12 were invited to show how they help children in need. The winners received a $500 donation to the charity of their choice.

Results: The Art and Essay Contest breathed new life into the Share-A-Haircut program and provided a fresh approach for local and regional media. Placements included interviews on most major TV stations, radio call-in shows, newspapers and magazines. As a result, Hair Cuttery achieved its goal of giving away 2,000 free haircuts in the Hampton Roads market. In 2005, the program was extended to the Richmond, Virginia, market, with similar success.

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