Departments of Labor and Education:
Jobs: The Class of 2000
Issues/Challenges:
The Lindberg Group was faced with the challenge of developing a marketing strategy for the School-to-Work Initiative (STW), which required a large national breakthrough event in order to secure the project’s success. Lindberg Group needed to create a full education outreach strategy spanning three years that would include a number of promotional projects, one of which would be a documentary on the successes of STW. To reach out to the educational community, it was essential to develop a project that permitted educators and parents to see their students succeeding. Research verified that the one element that “connected” with public acceptance and support for STW was seeing examples of student successes. Thus, the concept for Jobs: The class of 2000, which focused on student achievement, was developed and underwritten by DOL. The Lindberg Group acted as the executive producer for the project, which included the recruitment of a production company, management of the budget, securing talent, and development of the surrounding advertising and public relations marketing campaign.
Strategies:
- Partner with WQED Pittsburgh, a PBS affiliate with a long successful production record with the network
- Through partnering with WQED, reach out to the Public Television Outreach Alliance (PTOA)
Activities:
- Write a compelling script, select a dynamic site, and commence production on a tight budget and timeline
- Leverage additional funding for the production from PBS stations and secure airtime in all major PBS markets
- Ensure a quality production, capturing public interest, appeal and support
- Through the production of a superior program, secure the narration and introduction of the program by Cokie Roberts of NPR/ABC news
Results:
With the backing of PTOA and the production reputation of WQED, the PBS television system agreed to not only air but also promote “Jobs.” The program had one of the largest simultaneous airings of any PBS stand-alone production and the program was turned into videos for mass distribution to education groups across the nation. In addition, viewing parties were organized around the premiere of the program that garnered local media coverage and community interest. The program was effectively completed in September 1999 on budget and on time.