The Bridge Summit is a University of Phoenix initiative that brings together police chiefs from major cities and provides a unique platform for discussing community engagement and law enforcement. This prestigious, invite-only event welcomed over a hundred attendees including local officials, community leaders and concerned citizens.
Thinkzilla provided a holistic public relations and experiential marketing strategy, inclusive of programming development for heightened dialogue on key issues and amplification the accomplishments driven by the summit. By enlisting Thinkzilla for a holistic communications program, The Bridge Summit helped steer positive sentiment for law enforcement, broaden its exposure and deepen trust with concerned citizens.
Project Goals
The University of Phoenix was seeking to connect and engage more deeply with local communities.
Given a series of officer-involved shootings across the U.S., law enforcement was at the center of a polarized national debate and was perceived negatively among youth.
The University of Phoenix had a concept for a community engagement event, but didn’t have the community knowledge and connections to make the program a success
- Help law enforcement counteract polarizing brand reputation given current events
- Build local credibility for partners and participants
- Grow awareness of positive outcomes
Thinkzilla Solution
Thinkzilla started with the data: understanding public sentiment, which issues were driving negative sentiment and the demographic of these “skeptics.” Using public sentiment as a framework, Thinkzilla then established the programming for the
summit: agenda for breakout sessions, topics for the panel discussion and securec celebrity panelists and influencers.
Leveraging deep media relationships, Thinkzilla connected local press and prominent public sector influencers in a series of exclusive interviews that would set the story straight. For greater transparency, the team recorded the summit and shared it on social media, which amplified positive outcomes.
Thinkzilla also secured top-tier local news coverage, including Arizona Informant. The team used paid media to ensure that the positive coverage would be seen by the “skeptics” on Facebook and Twitter.