Help for Heroes Case Study
Help for Heroes is a charity that supports veterans, their families and those who served under UK Command with physical and mental health needs, as well as financial, social, and welfare needs.
Despite their noble mission, Help for Heroes faced a pressing challenge: the declining presence of veterans in the media – they were not featuring in daily news headlines like they used to. Help for Heroes were determined to find a solution that would keep them in the forefront of the public’s mind in the most efficient way possible.
“We wanted to make our press office more efficient so we could be quicker reacting and also be more proactive with our press office operation.”
Jack Warren, senior corporate communications manager, Help for HeroesThe brief presented a unique opportunity to create a press release about the Red Admiral sightings and share it on the wire, something they had not done before. The catch was the short window of opportunity, so they needed to act quickly. They had already conducted a substantial media launch, and they needed something quick and effective to boost their campaign.
That’s where PA Mediapoint’s Press Release Distribution service came in. This was their first time using it, but it proved to be an easy and efficient tool. The platform guided them through the process seamlessly, so much so that even a freelancer hired to assist found it easy to navigate. With the platform’s help, they swiftly put together the necessary details for their press release.
With this streamlining it meant that the team could save time on sending out their story to journalists and focus on handling incoming media requests. It was a time-efficient approach that made the most of their resources.
The results were impressive. Butterfly Conservation achieved extensive media coverage, reaching their target media outlets and even securing broadcast, print, and online coverage. The value of this coverage was clear: it led to more people participating in the Big Butterfly Count. The story acted as a reminder to the public, resulting in consistent participation throughout the three-week campaign, a contrast to the usual pattern where interest tapered off after the initial media push.
The experience determined that having a good story is essential when it comes to PR however when you do have one, putting it on the wire can be a significant time-saver. It’s not about replacing pitching to journalists but enhancing your reach in the general media landscape.
“Having people respond really quickly is really helpful and we subsequently sent another press release out with the results because it had worked so well and we had such a good service.”
Beyond the immediate campaign success, Butterfly Conservation had bigger aspirations. They had recently refocused on advocacy, recognising the need to use their voice to affect change on a broader scale. They aimed to make sure that the government, landowners, farmers, and decision-makers understood the importance of habitat protection.
PA Mediapoint played a crucial role in helping them keep a finger on the pulse of what other organisations, even those outside their sector, were communicating. This, in turn, helped them form opinions and make informed contributions to
relevant conversations.
Furthermore, the quick and responsive support they received from PA Mediapoint encouraged Butterfly Conservation to continue using the service and sign up to their services. They even sent out another press release with the results following the Big Butterfly Count’s success because it had worked so well.