CAPITALIZING ON A COMMUNITY INVESTMENT: KAISER PERMANENTE’S $5 MILLION GRADY DONATION ANNOUNCEMENT

Client:

Assignment:

With less than a two week lead time, Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest non-profit health plan, sought extensive media coverage of their $5 million donation to financially-strapped Grady Health System, Georgia's top level trauma hospital, also the largest and busiest. Kaiser planned to present the donation to Grady's eagerly awaited new CEO Michael Young during a press conference on his first day. Jackson Spalding recognized that a successful media strategy would have to navigate a short timeline, little access to the new CEO before his start date, possible leaks as with any public entity, and scale. Though $5 million is significant, the number is dwarfed by Grady's $43 million debt and by the Woodruff Foundation's recent $200 million multi-year commitment.

Strategy/Implementation:

In an effort to convey a message of hope and corporate responsibility, Jackson Spalding offered print and broadcast exclusives to trusted reporters with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) and Fox 5.

Jackson Spalding worked closely with Grady's communications staff on Kaiser's behalf to ensure that the CEO's first day would draw attention to Kaiser, rather than overshadow the gift. However, Young moved up his start date at the last minute. In addition, information about the donation was revealed during a public Grady board meeting several days ahead of the press conference. Jackson Spalding leveraged the leak to increase attendance at the announcement, monitored the coverage, and adjusted media angles accordingly for the days remaining until the announcement.

Results:

The AJC ran an exclusive Sunday feature story on the front page of the Metro section and the next day, all major local broadcast media attended the event and broadcast stories including Fox 5, WSB-TV - the top rated stations in metro Atlanta; and reporter Odette Yousef of WABE/National Public Radio. As Grady became the hot topic in following weeks, Kaiser Permanente became a go-to example of a new Grady Health System. Positive public opinion resulted in an AJC editorial a few weeks following the initial media blitz. The headline read: "Kaiser Permanente grant will help Grady patients."