Monroe Communications partnered with SJ Public Relations to manage the onslaught of negative media attention received following the licensing agreement involving a local Spanish-language station.
OPPORTUNITY
After winning a 10-year, landmark legal court battle, Monroe Communications was granted the license rights to Spanish-language Channel 44 (WSNS-TV / Telemundo) from the Federal Communications Commission.
Immediately following the ruling, Monroe became the target of a hostile government- and community-wide coalition composed of over 125 organizations united to publicly protest and defame the new holders of the license.
SJPR was brought in to neutralize and reverse the negative opinion of Monroe Communications among all selected English- and Spanish-speaking target publics.
STRATEGY
SJPR Implemented a multi-phased public relations program as follows:
Phase I:
Clarify the facts surrounding the license dispute through the development and placement of full-page newspaper advertorials and by personally holding one-on-one meetings with over 80 community and political leaders involved with the anti-Monroe coalition.
Phase II:
Maintained a continuous flow of press releases and arranged numerous broadcast and print interviews to communicate Monroe’s position on improving the station’s future Spanish-language programming and operations.
Phase III:
Developed contingency plans for media and community relations efforts to respond to the pending U.S. Court of Appeals’ ruling in favor of or against Monroe’s ownership of the license.
Phase IV:
Continued with on-going public relations and advertising campaigns for Channel 44 in preparation for Monroe’s future possession of the station.
Phase’s I and II: Positive Media Exposure
By the end of Phase II, the license dispute had gradually evolved into a non-issue. The anti-Monroe coalition had been dissolved, the wave of negative public opinion against Monroe had been neutralized and Monroe was receiving extensive positive coverage in several key Spanish- and English-language media.
- A continuous flow of press release were written and sent as well as feature articles to call target media.
- Interviews with broadcast and print media were arranged for Monroe’s selected spokesperson. General counseling continued
Phase III: Appeals Court Ruling Preparation
In anticipation of either a positive or negative ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals in favor of or against Monroe’s retaining the license, blueprints of the following elements were developed and put on stand by:
- Press conference(s)
- Press releases
- Continuation of active public relations plan within Chicago community.
- General counsel
Phase IV: Operational Plans
In preparation for Monroe’s possible future operational responsibility of Channel 44, on-going public relations and advertising campaigns were developed and put on stand-by, containing of the following elements:
- Station positioning within the market
- Community/media relations
- Strategic planning
- General counsel
After completion of Phases I and II, the public outcry against Monroe had been silenced and the community’s anti-Monroe coalition had been dissolved. Not only had Monroe’s control of the license become a non-issue but several political and community leaders publicly expressed their complete reversal of negative opinion of Monroe Communications. In addition, Monroe received extensive positive coverage among all key media, which had only been communicating Channel 44’s perspective of the license issue prior to executing Monroe’s public relations program.
RESULTS
SJPR’s unorthodox multifaceted approach accomplished:
- Improved perception of Monroe Communications among political and community leaders.
- Positive media coverage for the company and its licensing plans.
- The dissolution of the Anti-Monroe Coalition
