The German Reading Aloud Competition
Modernizing the Competition
Task:
- Relaunch of Der Deutsche Vorlesepreis – the German reading aloud contest – sponsored by POM-BÄR
Realisation:
The baseline analysis revealed among other things that the previous contest had lacked a closer reference to the topic of reading and reading aloud and was also missing a connection to the changed media use habits of children and adolescent. During the extensive modernization of the contest and the development of the communication, DIE PR-BERATER focused on the joy of reading combined with professional input from experts on children’s literature, book studies and media research. In the process, the agency created new contest categories, such as “Vorleseort des Jahres” (reading aloud site of the year), developed acquisition strategies for participants, high profile project mentors and cooperation partners as well as designed a series of events with 15 local and one major national event.
The first 100 contest participants received a book to read and read aloud from. In addition, all the nominated projects won a book package, an action made possible by the cooperation that DIE PR-BERATER established with a major publishing house, thereby not stressing the contest’s budget. The agency’s recommendations and initiatives also led to a far more attractive award prize. A significant rise in the number of participants in 2012 compared to earlier years marked the first concrete outcome of these measures.
Modernizing the Competition
Task:
- Relaunch of Der Deutsche Vorlesepreis – the German reading aloud contest – sponsored by POM-BÄR
Realisation:
The baseline analysis revealed among other things that the previous contest had lacked a closer reference to the topic of reading and reading aloud and was also missing a connection to the changed media use habits of children and adolescent. During the extensive modernization of the contest and the development of the communication, DIE PR-BERATER focused on the joy of reading combined with professional input from experts on children’s literature, book studies and media research. In the process, the agency created new contest categories, such as “Vorleseort des Jahres” (reading aloud site of the year), developed acquisition strategies for participants, high profile project mentors and cooperation partners as well as designed a series of events with 15 local and one major national event.
The first 100 contest participants received a book to read and read aloud from. In addition, all the nominated projects won a book package, an action made possible by the cooperation that DIE PR-BERATER established with a major publishing house, thereby not stressing the contest’s budget. The agency’s recommendations and initiatives also led to a far more attractive award prize. A significant rise in the number of participants in 2012 compared to earlier years marked the first concrete outcome of these measures.
Communicating the reorientation of the Competition
Task:
Increasing the contest’s visibility and recognition, support in acquiring participants, cooperation partners, and prominent personalities
Realisation:
The conceptual reorientation of the overall contest defined the strategic focus of the agency’s press, media and public relations measures. Alongside achieving a (quantitative) increase in visibility and recognition, the agency aimed at improving the qualitative perception of the German reading aloud contest.The primary focus at the start of activities was to approach theme-related public institutions. DIE PR-BERATER introduced the contest to important associations, foundations and institutions including the country’s 16 state cultural ministries. In addition, the agency conducted interviews with experts from the area of children’s literature, books studies and reading and media research, later using this valuable input for additional communication measures and theme setting. For the press and media relations activities DIE PR-BERATER created a special theme and implemented it both narratively and visually: POM-BÄR, the initiator of the German reading aloud award, brought the books to the children! As part of the contest structure, the fifteen contest finalists each received a visit from a jury ambassador and a POM-BÄR Walking Act, who delivered a book package to the participants of the reading aloud contest as a first acknowledgement for their nomination. At the same time, the agency managed to achieve yet another goal of the entire campaign: the connection to the POM-BÄR brand of the initiator Intersnack. And finally the agency could score points with its special intercultural communication expertise in this project as well. A few of the nominated projects had an intercultural character. Here, DIE PR-BERATER made use of its excellent contacts and communicated the German reading aloud award to the Turkish media in both Germany and Turkey.
Nationwide recognition through local events
Task:
Conceptual development of the local reading events and the closing awards ceremony
Realisation:
“Think nationwide, act local” – following this principle DIE PR-BERATER developed an event concept for the Deutsche Vorlesepreis, the German reading aloud award. To begin with, a jury ambassador visited each of the fifteen contest finalists. To generate the necessary brand loyalty, the POM-BÄR Walking Act accompanied the jury ambassadors on their tour of Germany. The aim was to expand the reach of the contest across the country and through the sum of local activities generate nationwide attention and interest.
The grand finale of the local events was the closing gala ceremony where the winners personally received their awards from prominent reading mentors. DIE PR-BERATER displayed an accurate sense of the target group and topic though its choice of location for the event, the KinderKulturHaus in Cologne (a cultural center for children), as well as in the design of the program, which DIE PR-BERATER organized together with its partner agency revo.
