CASE STUDIES :
BANCO POPULAR NORTH AMERICA
SUNROCKET
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON

THE CLIENT: BANCO POPULAR NORTH AMERICA
Banco Popular North America is a subsidiary of Popular, Inc., with more than $44 billion in assets and ranked among the country’s 30 largest bank holding companies. Banco Popular operates 137 branches in California, Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Florida, as well as 114 financial services stores. Named by Forbes Magazine as “A 100 Best Company to Work For 2005,” it is the largest Hispanic bank in the United States and ranks among the top 10 Small Business Administration lenders in the country.

PR OPPORTUNITY
JR Communications was charged with increasing visibility of Banco Popular in mainstream media, both nationally and in each market it serves. We were also tasked with creating and implementing a proactive PR strategy. Initially asked to manage media activity in just two states, the scope was extended to cover its entire six-state territory, after considerable success was achieved. As a result, we became responsible for all PR efforts in region and at the corporate headquarters which included the handling of national media, and providing PR support for the Bank’s numerous divisions and subsidiaries.

RESULTS
JR Communications’ pro-active outreach strategy overwhelmingly improved Banco Popular’s profile. Quality and quantity of coverage in general market media more than tripled according to company executives.

JR Communications’ media strategy was deeply rooted in building relationships with banking and Hispanic community reporters at major dailies, business newsweeklies in each market the bank serves, and in the trade media. As a result, the Bank was consistently called by key media outlets for comment and quotes.

THE CLIENT: SUNROCKET
Headquartered in Vienna, VA, SunRocket, is one of the latest entrants to the new personal Internet phone service (VoIP) market focusing on mainstream America consumers.

PR OPPORTUNITY
The company’s founders tasked JR Communications with implementing a media strategy to launch the new company. Timing and coverage were critical to secure additional venture capital funding and create product awareness during the busy holiday shopping season.

The challenge: JR Communications had to create and implement the program in a mere two weeks, with top executives anxious to launch. The key was to break through the clutter of recent VoIP coverage and establish SunRocket as a credible player.

RESULTS
JR Communications successfully launched SunRocket first by developing compelling messaging and positioning, and then by securing extensive, positive media coverage in the trades and launch region of Washington DC/Baltimore.

Publications such as The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, Potomac Tech Wire, Baltimore Sun, Telephony, Telecommunications Magazine, and Xchange covered the launch. The story was also covered by WRC-TV/NBC 4, which aired its piece in 12 markets nationwide.

THE CLIENT: PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON
For 68 years, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington has provided reproductive health services and education programs including teen pregnancy prevention, family planning, breast and cervical cancer screening, abortion, HIV/AIDS and STD counseling and testing to over 50,000 area women, men and teens.

PR OPPORTUNITY
Each year the Roe V. Wade anniversary provides a great opportunity for JR Communications to promote and publicize the work of Planned Parenthood and ensure media exposure. 2005 gave the organization a new angle: its downtown clinic was to remain open for 24 consecutive hours to highlight its important healthcare services. This allowed Planned Parenthood to demonstrate its mission to the hundreds of expected protesters planning an all-night vigil.

JR Communications devised a media strategy with great national and local appeal. The 24-hour clinic proved to be an effective news hook – despite a major snowstorm gathering much of the media attention. In addition, the story garnered coverage even while competing against the 2005 Presidential inauguration.

RESULTS
Through an aggressive, proactive media relations effort, JR Communications secured 16 one-on-one interviews for Planned Parenthood’s President and CEO. Every national network, including CNN, and three of four local television stations sent crews to cover the PPMW activity. The interviews resulted in eight national television hits, six local television hits, three national/international radio hits and five national/local print stories.