Wildlife Conservation Network
The annual Wildlife Conservation Expo is one of the largest events of its kind for wildlife in the US. When WCN asked us to craft a PR strategy for the fall Wildlife Conservation Expo events, we drew on cultural knowledge and experience in the conservation space to raise awareness for the organization and the independent conservation partners they support.
Credit: Wildlife Conservation Network
Industry
Wildlife Conservation
Nonprofit
Community Partnerships
Consultancy
Services
Public Relations
Bilingual Media Communications
About the Client
Founded in 2002, Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect endangered wildlife by supporting conservationists who ensure wildlife and people coexist and thrive. WCN partners with independent, community-based conservationists around the world, providing them with the capital and tools they need to develop solutions for human-wildlife coexistence.
website
Testimonial
Working with Curmudgeon Group on our fall Wildlife Conservation Expo was an incredibly smooth and fulfilling experience. From start to finish, they went above and beyond to provide a communications and media strategy that met the needs of our industry and amplified the voices of key conservation partners from around the world. Their adaptability, professionalism, creativity, and innate problem-solving abilities made them the perfect fit.
The Challenge
Although WCN had invested in events, fundraisers, print and web collateral, social media, and cause marketing efforts, the organization had yet to invest the necessary resources in a sustained PR strategy. Traditionally serving as a “behind the scenes” entity, the organization suddenly found themselves in the optimal position to promote their annual Wildlife Conservation Expos to the media as one of the largest events of its kind for wildlife in the US.
Our primary goal was to establish a relationship with the media by capitalizing on the Fall Wildlife Conservation Expo events, the coinciding momentum of the Lion Philanthropy Summit, and the on-site presence of Jane Goodall. In turn, we sought to strengthen the visibility of WCN and its partners as leaders in wildlife conservation and expand the philanthropic donor base through integrated PR and media communication efforts and opportunities.
Our Approach
Our first step was to educate ourselves on the work being done by WCN partners so as to accurately relay the importance of these programs to the public. In order to capture the attention of the media, we highlighted partners whose recent accomplishments were both quantifiable and emotionally compelling.
Faced with a limited budget, we combined both traditional press releases and personalized outreach in the Bay Area with targeted distribution via PR Newswire. Our team worked remotely and on-site during the week of the Fall Wildlife Conservation Expo to provide direct communications with the media, lining up interviews for partners attending from around the world who did not receive coverage in previous years.
The Results
Eighteen conservation partners received multiple one-on-one interviews with national multilingual media outlets over the course of two days, with video outreach materials available for use by WCN and partners for programming and donor cultivation. Press distribution, including Newswire and media alerts, reached a pickup of 232 outlets with an estimated reach of 83.8 million people.
Given that this was the first year implementing a PR strategy for the Wildlife Conservation Expo, we felt that our work offered the necessary proof of concept for WCN to invest in a more robust and sustained media strategy in future years. By familiarizing the media with the Wildlife Conservation Expo, there has been a steady increase in visibility among local and national media outlets who continue covering WCN and its partners to this day.
232 outlets with an estimated reach of 83.8 million people