The Challenge

Increase awareness of United Way of Connecticut’s 2-1-1 Child Care, a free, multilingual, child care referral service. Develop additional touchpoints for existing customers.

The Solution

Great stories rely on great news hooks. Enter custom research. Co-Communications commissioned an Omnibus with a third party research firm to determine how the economy was impacting parents’ ability to find quality child care. With 75% of respondents indicating the economy had made it more difficult to find quality child care, the case for 2-1-1 Child Care’s services was made.

Focusing stories around central characters – day care centers facing closure due to declining enrollments; parents struggling to find affordable, high quality child care; unemployed residents opening their own in-home day care centers – Co-Communications was able to not only demonstrate the need for 2-1-1 Child Care’s services, but demonstrate the deep impact a sour economy was having on Connecticut’s families and child care industry.

The Results

By combining compelling data with targeted messaging, Co-Communications was able to garner extensive print and broadcast coverage for 2-1-1 Child Care. From television segments focused on child care and the economy, to expert articles on how to screen a summer camp, Co-Communications accrued earned media with a paid equivalent of three times the client’s investment in just six months, while positioning 2-1-1 Child Care as an expert resource fulfilling a critical need. Co-Communications received a Gold Mercury Award from the Public Relations Society of America for our work with 2-1-1 Child Care.

To learn more about our marketing services or for help performing marketing research and developing a powerful marketing strategy, contact us.