ROBERT E. DABNEY, JR.

Public Relations Consultant
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CASE STUDIES
 
 
 
UNICEF/CARICOM  
 
ISSUE:
 
The Caribbean has the second-highest HIV incidence rate in the world.  One of the groups most severly impacted by this pandemic are young people, ages 15 - 24.   The Caribbean Community regional governing group CARICOM, working with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Office of the Eastern Caribbean in Barbados, sought a communications solution to empower young people to help fight HIV/AIDS at the peer level.
 
SOLUTION:
 
Working with the UNICEF Area Representative in Barbados, I developed a training program for youth that could be implemented in areas with high incidence rates of both poverty and HIV.  The "PANCAP Mini-Grant Program," funded by the World Bank, consisted of two weeks of training for the youth on HIV/AIDS issues, communications program development and proposal writing. Teams of young people developed peer-to-peer behavior-change proposals following the training and the program leadeship selected the best for funding and implementation.
 
RESULTS:
 
After I conducted pilot training in two countries - St. Lucia and St. Vincent - the Mini Grant Program was successfully implemented in a total of six countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.  Those countries were:
 
  • The Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Dominican Republic
  • St. Kitts
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent

In each of the countries, I conducted the training of the youth, as well training-of-trainers sessions to enable other youth to carry on the program in the future.  More than 300 youth in the region were trained and 12 projects approved.  I also conducted monitoring and evaluation of the projects during their implementation and trained youth to continue the monitoring process.

 

Several of the communities where the youth communications programming was initiated have reported increased sales of condoms and reduced incidence rates of HIV among the target population.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 African Footprint

 

ISSUE:
 
African Footprint is South Africa's longest running muscial stage production. In late 2007 the Academy Award winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr. embraced the show and decided to take it to New Orleans for its United States premiere.  With less than two weeks remaining before opening night, supporters of the New Orleans - South Africa Connection (NOSACONN), the local non-profit sponsor of African Footprint's local run, requested assistance in creating a "buzz" in the city to support the show.
 
SOLUTION:
 
Utilizing long-established relationships is a cornerstone of effective media relations.  Despite a series of major sporting a political events dominating the news cycle in New Orleans, I was able to use my relationships with newspaper, television and radio outlets in New Orleans to create excitement about African Footprint before the show. 
 
"Legwork and elbow grease."  That's what one of my early mentors in public relations told me were the secrets to his success in obtaining coverage for clients. These elements served me well with African Footprints as I spent 14 hours a day on behalf of the client meeting with local media to push the major storylines of the show:  1) the first major touring production in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina; 2) the involvement of Louis Gossett, Jr. and his desire to assist the people of the city in the cultural rebirth of New Orleans and 3) the unique nature of the production.
 
 RESULTS:
 
Despite being told that there was little chance of getting coverage for African Footprint during its New Orleans run, I was able to help create an environment that led to four sell-out shows in the city and two newspaper reviews that can be used to promote the production on the remainder of the United States tour.  Louis Gossett, Jr. and the client (NOSACONN) appeared on local network affiliate television stations, radio stations and in a day-of story in the New Orleans Times-Picayune "Living" section. 
 
The most satisfying media result was the review of the show in the Times-Picayune that appeared while the show was still running in the city.  Theater Critic David Cuthbert wrote the review which may be found here.  David was kind enough to send me the following note:

Dear Bob,

I was knocked out by the show, and as much as I try to restrain myself, even while writing a rave, "African Footprint" exhilarated me so, I wanted to shout it to the rooftops.

Please let them know that if wasn't for your persistence, I probably wouldn't have made it there. As you can see by our theater calendar, we had a great deal opening this weekend. But the assurance from YOU that this was something special, made me drag my poor tired old butt there. My butt fared just fine, because I was mostly on my feet applauding.

Good to touch base with you again and continued success with the show!

Best!

David Cuthbert