Addy Award Winning Campaign Promotes Northeastern Pennsylvania

A marketing campaign aimed at promoting the five-county Penn’s Northeast region to site selectors and developers across the United States has earned a Hazleton advertising agency a Judges’ Choice and ADDY award from the Northeast Pennsylvania Ad Club.

Precision Design of 100 W. Broad Street also won a silver award during the recent judging of the 2004-05 ADDY Awards for marketing materials the agency created for Merrick’s Hydrolazing and Waterblasting of Pennsylvania and Louisiana.

The Penn’s Northeast marketing campaign was one of only three out of more than 150 entries to earn a prestigious Judges’ Choice award. The campaign will now compete in the regional American Advertising Federation (AAF) ADDY Awards competition. There are only 14 districts in the United States.

Previously, in late 2004, Precision Design’s campaign for Penn’s Northeast had also been selected as a finalist for the John J. Luiciani Regionalism Award from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance.

“When you think Northeast… Think Penn’s Northeast!”

That’s the message Precision Design and Penn’s Northeast communicated during summer 2004 as it target-marketed site selectors around the nation.

Penn’s Northeast targeted that select group because they are the ones who help companies decide where to locate new facilities or expand existing facilities.

The goal of the project was to let those professionals know Northeastern Pennsylvania is an incredible place to do business – for a wide range of companies – and a wonderful place to live. The secondary goal was to inform the site selectors and real estate professionals about Penn’s Northeast itself and how the agency is a one-stop shop when searching for a new location.

So, how do you make an impression with seasoned industry professionals who’ve probably heard it all when it comes to marketing campaigns?

After soliciting proposals and conducting reviews with a number of regional advertising agencies, Penn’s Northeast chose Precision Design to spearhead the campaign.

Before making their presentation, Precision Design polled a number of site selectors and real estate professionals and determined that peer-to-peer testimonials would be the most effective way of communicating the Penn’s Northeast message.

The agency suggested an ambitious direct mailing campaign consisting of a series of creatively designed gift packages that would highlight Penn’s Northeast and a range of well-known and successful companies located throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Precision Design approached several local companies and asked them to become partners in the project by providing products.

Packages contained fun items, company testimonials, and a personal letter from Penn’s Northeast President James Cummings. The project featured six businesses that are thriving in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and packages were sent over an eight-week period to the targeted recipients.

The packages included:

• “There’s No Sweeter Place to do Business than in Northeastern Pennsylvania” – This package, which kicked off the campaign, featured $90 million-a-year Dunmore chocolate company Gertrude Hawk Chocolates. Recipients were treated to a large, custom-designed milk chocolate bar molded in the shape of the Penn’s Northeast region, complete with county lines and the PNE logo.
• “One of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s ‘Highlights’ is America’s Favorite Children’s Magazine” – The second package featured the nation’s number-one children’s magazine, “Highlights for Children,” which is based in Honesdale, Wayne County. Recipients not only received all 2004 issues that had been printed up to the mailing date, but they also received a special PNE edition of “Highlights.” This issue featured a cover illustration of PNE President James Cummings with the words “Highlights for Site Selectors.” Recipients also received a certificate for a free subscription to the magazine, either for their own use or for use as a gift.
• “From Microchips to Potato Chips” – The third mailing combined two PNE companies, Wise Foods and Fairchild Semiconductor, to show the breadth and depth of industries in the region. Recipients were treated to several snack packs of Wise potato chips and other goodies. They also received a specially designed acrylic paperweight – with a Fairchild microchip embedded inside.
• “In Northeastern Pennsylvania… We Work Hard and Play Harder!” – This final package rounded out the PNE message by incorporating testimonials and gifts from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Red Barons provided autographed baseballs; the Penguins supplied autographed mini hockey sticks. This mailing addressed quality of life in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

To further ensure the campaign broke through today’s direct marketing clutter and had maximum impact, Precision Design wanted to send all of the packages by priority overnight delivery.

Precision Design contacted the national marketing department of FedEx Corporation and convinced them to also become a partner in the project. FedEx agreed to donate all of the shipping. Before the campaign ended, FedEx had shipped more than 500 packages to the targeted audience.

“The goal of the ‘When you think Northeast… Think Penn’s Northeast’ project was to publicize Penn’s Northeast, brand the organization, and make site selectors and real estate professionals consider locating projects in the region,” said David C. Haupt, Precision Design’s president.

“Site selectors and real estate professionals are often hired by firms, both large and small, to find sites for construction of new facilities, places for expansion, areas for regional or national headquarters, etc. Such projects mean new jobs or, in some cases, the retention of existing positions,” he said.

During recent years, competition for new jobs has become increasingly fierce, therefore, introducing and branding Penn’s Northeast to that select audience was an important goal.

The need to make a lasting impression drove Precision Design personnel to develop an innovative campaign that incorporated existing success stories (highlighted by testimonials) and memorable gifts.

The deliberate move to utilize a diverse range of companies – from manufacturing to artistic – showed these decision-makers that virtually any company can flourish in this area – and should be considered.

“Based on the feedback Penn’s Northeast received, we believe site selectors and real estate professionals will take a more serious look at Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Haupt said.

 The mailings began in June 2004 and continued until August.