Objective: To increase automaker and consumer awareness through media coverage for Johnson Controls, Inc. at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) and reinforce the company's position as a leader in automotive technology and innovation.

Strategy: Implement pro-active media relations strategies and use NAIAS as a platform to target national trade, business and consumer media and reach automotive decision-makers. 

Challenges: To highlight Johnson Controls' products and innovations - including the company's re3 concept car - in an economically tough year when media attendance for the overall show decreased and those media who did attend were tasked with covering more topics and trends - thus leaving a smaller news hole.

Approach: Researched specific media outlets and reporters; developed a highly targeted media list; and built / maintained relationships with those media by distributing materials prior to the event, including a save-the-date announcement, media advisories and follow-up e-mails and telephone calls to generate attendance and interviews; and provided on-site show support and interview assistance.

For reporters who could not attend the show due to budget constraints, coordinated the exchange of materials and information between them and Johnson Controls.

Results: Helped client to:

• Garner more than 1.4 billion impressions in local and national print, online and broadcast media - nearly tripling that of the previous year; and
• Appear in more than 1,100 articles - nearly four times more than the previous year.

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