New Steel Campaign Garners Awards as it Educates Public and Policymakers
07/18/2008 - Designed to re-brand American steel as a hi-tech, sustainable industry of the future, AISI’s New Steel Campaign garners several industry awards as it continues to educate Washington policymakers.
The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) recently honored the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) for its New Steel Campaign.
The New Steel Campaign—which continues to make progress in re-branding American steel as a hi-tech, sustainable industry of the future—earned AISI the Foundation’s Silver David Ogilvy Award. The award celebrates the role of research in making good advertising better and commemorates David Ogilvy, who dedicated his life to expanding and improving the advertising industry and is also known as the “Father of Advertising.” The New Steel Campaign was recognized in the “Governmental, Public Service, Non-Profit” category.
The New Steel Campaign was also recently awarded a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence in the category of “Integrated Communications—Association, Government, Non-Profit” from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The Award of Excellence recognizes outstanding strategic public relations planning and implementation.
In addition to receiving award recognition, the New Steel Campaign also continues to make strides in terms of reaching its target audience. A tracking survey conducted by Harris Interactive found that over the course of the campaign, there has been a 16-point total favorable shift of perceptions related to the American steel industry, with a plurality (47%) viewing the industry as modern, clean, hi-tech and globally competitive. In addition, there has been an 8% gain in those who cite steel as the most-recycled material in the world, since the campaign launch in 2006. The research also shows that the messages that resonate most effectively with policymakers relate to the steel industry’s importance to America’s economy and national security.
“The June 2008 research results confirm the positive role that the campaign has been playing to make sure that Washington policymakers are reminded of the vitality and sustainability of the American steel industry,” said AISI President and CEO, Andrew G. Sharkey III. “Prior to the launch of the campaign, benchmarking research showed that many policymakers viewed steel as an outdated industry and were not aware of many of the tremendous technological advances integral to today’s steelmaking. The campaign has helped to create a more positive atmosphere for the industry by turning attention toward the industry’s progress. It has also expanded awareness of the extent to which the industry has lightened its environmental footprint, something that continues as a top industry priority.”
The campaign’s overall objective is to close the gap between outdated perceptions of the industry and the reality of today’s globally competitive and vibrant American steel industry. The campaign includes print, online and radio advertisements aimed to educate Washington policymakers about the strides that have been made within the steel industry.
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the material of choice. The Institute plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI comprises 28 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 138 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.
