A case study probing Mattel's string of recalls was awarded the Grand Prize in the Arthur W. Page Society's 2008 Case Study Competition, sponsored by the Page Society and the Institute for Public Relations. The Case Study Competition promotes the value of public relations as a critical function of corporate management.

Courtney Woo, a graduate student in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earned the recognition for best overall submission for her case study titled Mattel Recalls 2007; Communication Implications for Quality Control, Outsourcing and Consumer Relations. The case examines how, when designing communications for product safety and quality control crises, communicators should be sensitive to contributing global issues such as outsourcing and international communication.

Ms. Woo will be presented with an engraved pewter Jefferson Cup and a check for $5,000 at the gala Awards Dinner during the Arthur W. Page Society's Spring Seminar, which will be held April 10-11 at the Jumeirah Essex House in New York City. Professor Elizabeth Dougall will also be recognized for her role as the faculty advisor of this submission.

In addition to the Grand Prize winner, students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The University of Alabama were recognized with First and Second Place awards, respectively, for their submissions in the communication school category.

"It is clear that technology and globalization has compelled companies to operate in a different context as illustrated in the case studies presented this year."said Maril MacDonald, president of the Arthur W. Page Society, "I want to congratulate this year's winners for their research and analysis and thank them for their already outstanding contribution to our profession."

Now in its seventh year, the competition was designed to increase awareness among business, communication, and journalism students about the various communications and reputation management issues that will confront them in their careers.

The entries in the competition were evaluated on the basis of the case study's relevance and timeliness, the significance of the business problem addressed and how effectively it used the seven Page Principles, which the Page Society embraces as the core principles that guide the actions of public relations practitioners.

The Winning Entries:

Grand Prize

Mattel Recalls 2007- Communication Implications for Quality Control, Outsourcing and Consumer Relations

Submitted by Courtney Woo, M.A. in Mass Communication candidate, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Faculty Advisor: Elizabeth Dougall

American toymaker Mattel's recent string of recalls provides a unique opportunity to explore corporate responses to a global crisis. This case study will consider how, when designing communications for product safety and quality control crises, communicators should be sensitive to contributing global issues such as outsourcing and international communication. For example, to avert future recalls, Mattel should work closely with Chinese suppliers and government agencies to implement realistic quality control solutions for which it can be held accountable. The company should reassure stakeholders that outsourcing to China does not mean sacrificing quality. Regaining consumer confidence and controlling the dissemination of product safety information requires strong corporate communicators who can delicately and deliberately balance a number of relationships.

First Place, Communication Schools

JetBlue Airways: Regaining Altitude After the Valentine's Day Massacre of 2007

Submitted by Gregory G. Efthimiou, M.A. in Mass Communication candidate, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Faculty Advisor: Elizabeth Dougall

Valentine's Day 2007 changed the course of history for JetBlue Airways. The upstart low-fare airline-which had enjoyed unprecedented acclaim from customers and industry observerssuddenly found itself in the midst of its first major operational catastrophe. A winter storm that enveloped the New York metropolitan region and Jetblue's hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport left hundreds of the company's passengers stranded in the terminal, and worse, in planes on the tarmac. The flight disruptions at JFK plunged JetBlue's entire operation into chaos, forcing the carrier to cancel more than one thousand flights over a six day period. This case study describes the corporate communications dilemma faced by JetBlue Airways in the wake of its 2007 winter storm-related crisis known as the "Valentine's Day Massacre."

Second Place, Communication Schools

Dove and Axe: Examples of Hypocrisy or Good Marketing?

Submitted by Daniel O'Donnell, M.A. in Communication candidate, The University of Alabama, College of Communication and Information Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bruce Berger

Does a large company have an ethical responsibility to ensure the marketing messages used by its different brands do not conflict? If so, does this responsibility change if the messages utilize viral tactics and promote issues of social responsibility? To answer these questions, this case analyzes the controversy surrounding Unilever and two of its brands, Dove and Axe, examining whether critics are right to question the sincerity of Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty given Axe ads promulgate the very stereotypes it is working to eliminate.

About the Arthur W. Page Society

The Arthur W. Page Society is a professional association composed primarily of the chief communications officers (CCOs) of the world's top multinational corporations, and the CEOs of the world's largest public relations agencies. The organization's members also include academics from the leading business and communications schools.

The Page Society is dedicated to strengthening the management policy role of chief communications officers. The Page Society is upheld by management concepts, known as the Page Principles, which have been tested for more than half a century and have earned the support and respect of chief executive officers throughout the country. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Arthur W. Page Society.

For more information on the Arthur W. Page Society, please visit http://www.awpagesociety.com.

About the Institute for Public Relations

The Institute for Public Relations, an independent nonprofit dedicated to the science beneath the art of public relations, bridges the academy and the profession, supports PR research and mainstreams this knowledge into practice through PR education.

For more information, visit http://www.instituteforpr.org

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For more information

Patricia Pincus
Burson-Marsteller for the Arthur W. Page Society
(202) 530-4539
patricia.pincus@bm.com