› view more case studies

Putting Kids' Safety First

Kids Safety First is a national non-profit organization that was founded in 2004 by two Mitsubishi Motors employees frustrated by the confusion and lack of awareness among parents and caregivers about the importance of proper car seat usage.  The organization – which produces and disseminates free child safety seat guidelines and educational materials – partnered with MMNA in 2007 to conduct a long-term campaign to heighten the organization’s key message: children between the ages of 4 and 8 must ride in car booster seats.  To spread this message, Ruder Finn helped the organizations launch a Booster Seat Awareness Initiative.

With sales and awareness in decline and facing the challenges shared by the automotive industry as a whole, Mitsubishi turned to Ruder Finn to provide a much-needed boost to its U.S. operations and dealer base through an aggressive communications strategy targeting lifestyle press and automotive reporters.

Objectives

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), only 41 percent of 4 - 7 year olds were restrained in booster seats in 2006.  Based on these stats, Kids Safety First and Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) set out to raise consumer awareness about the importance of booster seat usage.
• Increase the community profile of Mitsubishi Motors and its local dealerships within its strongest markets across the country.

Program

• Leverage safety statistics from NHTSA to educate parents and protect children.
• Kickoff the intensive awareness campaign to bring the issue of child safety to the forefront with a radio media tour that coincided with National Child Passenger Safety Week (February 11-17).
• Organize and promote community events at Mitsubishi car dealerships using car seat safety experts to show proper booster seat installation; distribute educational materials for parents and children, and give away free booster seats.

Results

• Hosted one-on-one briefings with Kids Safety First and outlets such as Parents Magazine, Big Apple Parent, Scholastic Parent & Child, Concierge.com and AAA Southern New England Radio to secure coverage reaching nearly 1.1 million impressions
• Through 13 community events, MMNA and Kids Safety First successfully gave away more than 7,400 booster seats directly to event attendees and local charitable organizations such as City House (Plano, Texas) and SAFE Kids Coalition of Volusia and Flagler Counties (DeLand, Fla.) and generated 25 print stories, with a total of 4.8 million impressions; 20 broadcast segments, with a total viewership of nearly one million and 78 online placements with a total of 450,559 daily visitors. 
• The initiative also created a unique and fresh human interest media angle on child auto safety. The radio media tour alone reached nearly three million people. 
• In total, the initiative secured 10.9 million media impressions and helped tens of thousands of parents better understand the vital importance of having children ride in booster seats.

› view more case studies