Smiles for Miles 904
A dental practice wanted to help 100 consumers in its metropolitan area who couldn’t afford to receive much-needed oral care. The second annual Smiles for Miles event leveraged earned media coverage to build awareness among this target audience. As a result of the event and its publicity, 19 local stories were produced, 108 preregistered patients received free care, and over $60 thousand was donated.
The business challenge
After providing 77 patients with $45,275 worth of care in its first year, Sunrise Emergency & Family Dental wanted to treat 100 patients and provide $60,000 in care in its second year. They engaged Axia Public Relations again to publicize the event to reach this goal.
The solution
Axia’s research found the target audience, working people below the poverty line, gets its news primarily from television and radio. Axia created calendar submissions for community news sections of TV and radio websites and provided a public service announcement script to radio stations. The dental clinic’s two dentists received media training, and Axia developed media pitches for TV, radio stations, and community newspapers with the hope of obtaining interviews to publicize the Smiles for Miles event.
The results
The second annual free dental day event was a success:
• The TV, radio, print, and online news coverage resulted in 19 local stories
• Attracting 108 preregistered patients for the free care provided by Sunrise Emergency & Family Dental Care's Smiles for Miles 904 program.
• The program donated $63,125 worth of care to the Jacksonville metropolitan community from Sunrise Emergency & Family Dental Care.
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Work samples: news release, media advisory, calendar submission, and public service announcement
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