Bynums has had a long, successful relationship with National City Bank for the past 18 years. One of our most notable successes is the National City African American History Essay Contest. This is a major public relations effort, which provides PR value from January through June of each year.
Fifteen years ago, National City Bank of Pennsylvania approached our agency about developing an ad for Black History Month. Bynums then suggested that doing an ad for Black History Month alone would not give them enough PR bang for their buck. Instead, we proposed that they allow us to create an essay contest that would help students of all races learn about Black History, while also teaching them the value of saving. National City accepted our plan and the National City African American History Essay Contest was born.
The contest involves cooperation from public and private schools, as well as civic, religious and nonprofit organizations. Elements of this public relations program include: Television, radio and print ad placement; submission of essays and a judging process; appearances on television and radio; and a news conference/announcement of the winners in April. Television/radio appearances often continue into May or June (featuring the winners and representatives of National City). Bynums continues to assist National City with design, PR services, media appearances and management of the judging process.
The news conference is a family-focused event in which students, family members, teachers, pastors and National City representatives gather to celebrate the winners.
Outcome: Media appearances are obtained prior to, during and following the news conference. Ads and news stories also appear in major publications and in community publications. According to the Media Audit, National City has a high African American customer base. The contest has built a strong relationship in the African American community. In addition, local schools have become partners in the process. National City has received as many as 2,000 contest entries per year.