Anyone who prefers cyber shopping to fighting the mall crowds at this time of year as I do, knows they’ll be seeing someone quite a bit: their UPS driver. Deliveries come courtesy of a man or woman in trademark brown, sometimes with a wave and perhaps a treat tossed to the family dog. At the office, they offer a friendly greeting at the front desk, maybe some quick conversation; they are a familiar face, part of daily life.
Harnessing Obvious (and Not So Obvious) Strengths
If you were a PR person charged with creating a campaign around UPS’s strengths in the marketplace, however, it might be easy to step too far back. To take a much wider view of the company to focus on obvious aspects like on-time delivery rates or the extra manpower put toward the holiday rush.
Thankfully, the folks at UPS took a different route with their most recent publicity campaign, zooming way in on the company until their view was focused on one man, Ernie Lagasca and one of his many customers.
The Back Story
Lagasca, a UPS driver in Colorado Springs, has spent the last four years forging a very special friendship with a child on his route named Carson. As an infant, Carson’s milk sensitivity required a special type of formula be delivered to his home several times a week. As he grew into a toddler, Carson would eagerly await the big brown truck, waving to the driver and eventually waiting for him on the curb. “Mr. Ernie,” as Carson called Lagasca, would take the time to chat with his young customer, ultimately inspiring him to emulate his friend. Carson’s parents were able to get him a kid-sized uniform, and he turned their basement into a shipping department so he could “play UPS.”
This past summer, Lagasca’s route was changed and he was no longer able to see Carson. But UPS had one more treat in store for the 4-year-old. In November, the company sent Lagasca to Carson’s home with a special delivery: his own child-sized UPS truck, provided as part of the company’s “Wishes Delivered” campaign.
If you want to see how a kid lights up when his dream comes true, check out the video.
The Whirlwind Response
Naturally, the video has gone viral. Carson’s mother has said she tried to keep up with responding to comments on the UPS Facebook page, but couldn’t as hundreds turned into thousands. The story of Carson and Mr. Ernie has touched millions of people, and is now being featured in a holiday commercial for UPS.
Do Good, and Good Will Come to You
UPS now has a massively successful publicity campaign burning up the internet. Not based on pushing their business practices, but on the simplicity of the relationships that form between driver and customer. Not only does the incredible response reinforce the UPS brand, it has boosted the company’s charity efforts by promoting the “Your Wishes Delivered” campaign. UPS leaders have announced that for each wish shared on wishesdelivered.ups.com or on social media via #WishesDelivered, the company will donate $1 to charity, up to $100,000.
Sometimes the most impactful messages really can be the simplest ones. By leveraging strengths they may have otherwise taken for granted, UPS built one special friendship into an impactful publicity wave.
Let’s talk about what strengths you may be overlooking as you plan your next PR campaign. Together we might just be able to find the Carson in your story!
Give us a call at 203.762.8833. Happy Holidays!
– BML
