Client

Active Day, Inc. was founded in 1995 with the goal of creating a nationwide network of community-based health care services to meet the needs of the elderly, disabled adults and their caregivers. Since then, Active Day, Inc. has created the largest network of adult day health services centers, in-home personal care companies and outpatient rehabilitation facilities in the country. This network provides adult day health services to more than 3,000 clients per day.

Challenge

Active Day needed a way to enhance its public relations and community outreach opportunities for more than 50 centers. The diversity of Active Day's locations made it a challenge to disseminate information and maintain a consistent brand image and messaging. Center directors at each location lacked public relations and marketing training, but needed to be able to identify and capitalize on targeted opportunities in their respective markets.

Solution

Active Day and Walker Marketing created a PR Resource Center in March 2009, which included a media kit, marketing materials, and templates for press releases, sample letters and newsletters and other items that can be customized for each center. The PR Resource Center not only empowered center directors and streamlined media outreach but it also gave Active Day an efficient, controlled and uniform approach to how it distributed news and sought coverage in multiple media markets. Active Day center directors now work closely with Walker Marketing PR practitioners to come up with story pitches and write press releases. Center directors then distribute the release via a local media list created by Walker, which also created an area events and partners list for each region.

Results

These vital resources help those directors work like seasoned marketers, and build Active Day's brand throughout the Eastern United States. In addition to achieving significant cost efficiencies, the PR Resource Center has created several other benefits including:

Increased community awareness

The PR Resource Center helped Active Day centers reach a wider audience and spread the word about the company. More than 40 elected officials participated in Adult Day Services Week in September via on-site visits at Active Day and proclamations. Active Day has a higher visibility, with a growing client base and market share.

Surge in media coverage

The PR Resource Center has created an increase in newspaper articles and television coverage throughout Active Day's markets, including front page stories in Kentucky, South Carolina, and Indiana.

Enhanced community outreach

The PR Resource Center helped center directors and PR professionals prepare other materials, such as direct mail campaigns and presentations at senior centers. Success stories are displayed on the PR Resource center, helping encourage and inspire center directors to take full advantage of the resource center's capabilities, which are updated continuously.