A presentation on the Willis Resilience Expedition, their public relations, and what made it such a success.

1. Erin Batty
Gregory LaPierre
Kyle McCarthy
Claire Mirsky
Taylor O'Neil
CASE
STUDY

3. Willis Global Broker Insurance
● Leading global risk advisor which operates on every
continent
● Over 18,000 employees located in over 400 offices
● Oldest insurance broker, founded in 1828

4. ● Hope to better understand our changing world
● Departs December 3, 2013 from Ross Ice Shelf in
Antarctica
● Most Days will require twelve hours of traveling
and four hours of break through the harshest
environment
● Inspirational journey that test the limits of human endurance in the
harshest environment on earth.
● It sets out to enhance awareness of climate change and contribute
in a meaningful way to environmental science.
Willis Resilience Expedition

5. Parker Liautaud
“There are many people who believe that climate change is an
issue that is just too big a challenge for us to overcome, but we
can not be intimidated by the scale of the challenge,”
“We must remember that success in the face of difficult
circumstances depends on our ability to take one strong step
forward at a time.”
“An inspirational young man”- Al Gore
In order to break the record, Liautaud and Stoup will need to
travel about 18 miles per day.

7. ● Increase global awareness of the Willis
brand
● Showcase analytical capabilities and
scientific credentials
● Focus on critical global risk of climate
change
● Gaining clients
● Increase awareness
● To champion its position as a market
leader
● Make a record breaking expedition
Reasons for Conducting the
Campaign

8. What challenges and opportunities did
the organization face?
• Expedition in the South Pole is risky and costly
• Lead by a 19 year old, Parker Liautaud
• Broadcasting original TV live from Antarctica
• Send one of their own employees raised the stakes
considerably because of the associated reputation risk
• Make a custom built six-wheeled truck
• Soundproofing TV studios
• Expenses: fuel, payload, IT service, camera equipment
• Ensure safety and survival of all team

9. Target Audiences
Primary: Businesses Needing Insurance
Secondary: Current Clients
Why were these audiences selected?
Wanted to reach as many people as possible to increase global
awareness
No direct audience just business needing insurance brokerage
and risk management.

10. Captive Minds
Philosophy: “We Power Human Connections and
Enhance Reputations”
“Think Change Think Human”

11. Here
Captive Minds

12. Major Objectives/Goals of Campaign
The Brief: Showcase how Willis helps clients to
become resilient in an increasingly complex and
interrelated world
● Deliver high-profile media coverage including television news in the US and UK
● Position the company as a corporate innovator and thought leader on global issues
● Engage key current and potential clients through outreach and original experiences
● Motivate and engage staff to better identify with resilience

13. Willis Company
● Core Business: to offer risk management solutions and
strategies to help clients overcome challenges and build
resilience for a risky world
● Has helped clients to:
• Explore new frontiers
• mitigate natural and man-made risks
• achieve through human endeavor what many thought
impossible

14. Gareth Bateman Spotlight Session on
Risk Management:

15. Solution:
A pioneering scientific expedition to the
South Pole, led by 19 year-old climate
change campaigner Parker Liautaud

16. Goals of Expedition
● Understanding our
changing world
○ By uncovering new
scientific data
○ Enhances awareness
of climate change
● Highlighting the resilience
of the human spirit
○ An inspirational
journey that tests the
limits of human
endurance

17. Antarctica
● Two geologically distinct regions; East and
West, separated by the Trans-antarctic
Mountains and joined by a huge ice sheet
● Antarctica affects the climate of the whole
planet
● “global thermometer”

18. Antarctica and Climate Change
Climate
Change Why Antarctica

19. Antarctica Conditions
● One and a half times the size of the USA
● Coldest, Windiest, and most elevated continent on earth
● Driest continent, experiencing only 200mm of rainfall a year,
making Antarctica the world’s largest desert.
● Permanent cold means hypothermia and frostbite are ever
present dangers

20. World-Record Attempt
● Setting a new ‘Coast-to-Pole’
Speed Record
● Aims to set a new world
record for skiing across
Antarctica from Coast-to-
Pole ,covering 397 miles
● Average around 18 miles a day
for 22 days
● Parker would be the youngest
male to do so

21. Publicity
● 30 feature articles about Parker Liautaud or the expedition shown
on the Willis Resilience website
● Interviews with Parker, campaign and expedition details
● First feature article on September 3, 2013

22. Publicity
Outlets include:
Mashable, MSN Brazil, Chicago Tribune, Daily Mail,
CNBC, CNN, Washington Post, National Geographic,
WNPR, Huffington Post, TIME, & others

23. Publicity
Magazine Coverage
• Outdoor Enthusiast
• Frost Magazine
• TIME Magazine
( 30 people under 30
changing the world)

24. Press Releases
● First announcement of the expedition on August
19, 2013

25. Press Releases
● Parker blogged the whole expedition
● Voice Blogs

26. TV and Radio
Interviews by:
ITV
CBS News
Daily Mail
CNBC
CNN
Expedition TV
Ice Broker TV

27. TV and Radio
Expedition TV

28. TV and Radio
Ice Broker TV

29. Events
Pre-departure media outreach:
● Journalists meet Parker
● Experience -25°C
conditions

30. Events
Pre-departure media
outreach:
● Press Lunch and
Climate Seminar at
Explorers Club in New
York
● Ice Broker launch, drive
journalists around
London

31. Website
Here

32. Social Media
Twitter
· Over 800 followers
· Account included over
400 photos and videos
· Had updates throughout
the expedition

33. Social Media
YouTube - most reach
● 123 Videos, first uploaded on August 20, 2013
● Interviews with Parker, team members
● Updates during the expedition
● Showcase the truck, day to day activities
● Over 80,000 channel views

34. Social Media
Facebook
● Over 1,100 likes
● Used to share links and
videos from their
website and other social
media accounts

35. Ad Campaign
● Advertising campaign with The Guardian
and social media partners – RocketFuel,
YouTube and Twitter.
● Media Relations + Press: Captive Minds

36. Campaign
How Long?
● First press release:
Aug. 19, 2013
● Officially ended in
March 2014
● World record race
took 18d 4h 43m
Where?
● International

37. Results & Measurements
Since this campaign was still live until March of
2014, it has been evaluated by the agency on an
ongoing basis through the use of:
• Its own proprietary social media analysis
software
• Google Analytics
• Meltwater news and analytics
Willis has also surveyed internal clients, staff and
recieved industry feedback.

38. Brand Awareness
• Media coverage reached an audience in excess of
663,256,150 in 146 territories.
• Twitter delivered 928,668 impressions and 46,086 clicks from
a new expedition account.
• World-first live coverage from the South Pole including ABC’
s ‘Good Morning America’, the BBC, CNN, ITV, CNBC and The
Weather Channel.

39. Global through Leadership
● Willis became the forum for over 40 clients, industry experts and
organizations to give their views on climate through the Willis TV series.
● Parker named ‘Top 30 Under 30’ in Time Magazine.
● Former Vice President Al Gore delivered a personal message to the Explorer’
s Club launch and appeared on stage with Willis’ CEO.
● Willis risk and science advisory staff in NY and London helped plan the
expedition, one employee helped fulfill the mission in Antarctica, and 335
offices worldwide sent messages of support.
● Willis associated with Parker Liautaud successfully set two polar world
records.

40. Sales and New Business
● Target client accounts
experienced an
average 35% increase
in revenues, paying
for the campaign
many times over.
● New business
inquiries rose by 12%.

42. Conclusion
● Was this campaign effective?
● Do you think this campaign has a future lifespan?
● What would you have done differently?
● Any major lessons to be learned?

43. References
Home Willis Resilience Expedition 2013. (n.d.). Willis Resilience Expedition 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2014, from http:
//www.willisresilience.com/
The Expedition Willis Resilience Expedition 2013. (n.d.). Willis Resilience Expedition 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2014, from
http://www.willisresilience.com/the-expedition/
Willis. (n.d.). Press Room -. Retrieved October 7, 2014, from http://www.willis.com/Media_Room/Press_Releases_
(Browse_All)/2013/20130819_Willis_Media_Pack/
Willis Resilience Expedition 2013. (n.d.). Willis Resilience Expedition 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2014, from http://www.
willisresilience.com/category/news/
Interview: Parker Liautaud - Gear Patrol. (n.d.). Gear Patrol. Retrieved October 7, 2014, from http://gearpatrol.
cm/2013/11/21/30-minutes-parker-liautaud/
Q&A: Youngest Man to Ski to South Pole Is Also Fastest. (n.d.). National Geographic News. Retrieved October 3, 2014, from
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140112-youngest-ski-south-pole-record-yale-parker-liautaud-
antartica/
Teen Embarks on South Pole to Bring Awareness to Climate Change » EcoWatch. (2013, December 13). EcoWatch.
Retrieved October 7, .2014, from http://ecowatch.com/2013/12/13/teen-south-pole-awareness-climate-change/
Willis Group Announces The Willis Resilience Expedition Antarctica - From Coast to Pole December
2013. (2013, August 20). Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/iod/100975022#