Southern Research Institute: Doing the Right Thing

Background: Southern Research Institute is a highly respected institution celebrating 65 years of achievement for public- and private-sector clients in the pharmaceutical sciences, automotive, engineering, and environment and energy industries.

Challenges: In 2003, the organization realized the need to voluntarily remediate a piece of property it owned that had been used by its scientists to responsibly dispose of routine laboratory waste prior to enactment of environmental regulations in the early 1970s. Southern Research selected PPR to develop a strategy to communicate with a potentially volatile group of multi-stakeholders.

Strategies: Leveraging its years as a respected scientific institution and known for "doing the right thing," Southern Research and PPR implemented a successful plan to communicate with homeowners in the area, churches, schools, elected officials, regulatory agencies, media and special-interest groups. We initiated contact with neighbors and key influencers, environmental groups and media, making ourselves available 24/7 for questions. A telephone hotline and Web site (www.cleanupfacts.org) were provided to update the community. We invited the media for site visits and tours to keep them and the public informed.

Results: The project proceeded smoothly. The success of the operation was largely due to understanding our audience, anticipating their concerns and responding to those concerns in a responsible manner.

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