As Argyle celebrates the end of another great year of building clients’ public relationships, look what we found under the tree: our first Summit Marketing Effectiveness Award (MEA) — for an interactive digital campaign to promote electrical safety in Ontario.
With only 6% of all submitted entries worldwide deemed worthy of an award, Argyle was recognized for its strength in education communications and creative delivery of brand messaging.
“For the Argyle team, it’s exciting to earn global recognition for our creative work in digital media — and for using gamification to raise public understanding of a very serious subject. We are strong proponents of the social value of PR, which is what makes our work with the Electrical Safety Authority so rewarding,” said Daniel Tisch, president and CEO of Argyle Public Relationships. “Given the low awareness of electrical hazards in and around the home, educating Ontarians about electrical safety is no easy task, but we were able to convey the message in an informative and interactive way.”
Working with Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), Argyle helped create and promote innovative digital games designed to engage Ontarians on the risks of electrical work, and the importance of hiring a licensed electrical contractor. The two interactive game microsites Deadly Dozen and Hazardous Homes were built using a series of fictional scenarios based on real-life investigations to highlight the real consequences of shoddy electrical work.
“We wanted to show that doing electrical work can be dangerous, and making mistakes can lead to tragic results, which is why you need to leave it to the pros,” said Kathryn Chopp, general manager of communications and stakeholder relations for ESA. “It was also crucial to maintain a sense of realism about what happens when things go wrong, so we can change behaviours and attitudes about electrical safety to prevent fatalities and serious injuries.”
The not-so-shocking truth about this campaign? It was sparked by digital — and it ignited a very important conversation about electrical safety.
About the MEA
The Summit Marketing Effectiveness Award (MEA) recognizes and rewards companies for innovative and leading-edge creative work that uses strategy and results-based effectiveness to create solutions in today’s marketplace.
About the Author
Ashley O’Connor is Director of Digital Communications at Argyle Public Relationships. She is an award-winning digital communicator with 12 years’ experience in developing creative strategies and measureable programs that enable communities and mobilize action.