CLIENT SITUATION
In recent years, the Oklahoma County Jail’s funding shortage and understaffing led to a rising tide of inmate contraband violations. The jail needed a better tool to find dangerous items without increasing staffing levels.
A local sheriff’s deputy approached Johnson & Biscone, a law firm representing working people like employees at the jail, to ask for help funding a new solution: a drug-sniffing German Shepherd named Han. The firm committed to sponsoring the K9 officer, which would strengthen the firm’s relationship with local stakeholders, produce significant media coverage and create a foundation for future community giving.
Planning & execution
Candor issued media advisories when Han was ready for duty and invited local media to see him in action. We hosted a press conference at the jail and included Oklahoma County Sheriff P.D. Taylor and the Johnson & Biscone partners. Candor created a run of show, coordinated speakers and drafted talking points for the event. Our goal was to secure coverage from four local TV stations and The Oklahoman, along with 10,000 impressions on social media.
The basis of our pitch was the impact one donation and one dog could have for many years. A traditional search of a single jail cell takes two to three officers at least five to 10 minutes, but we showed Han could complete the search in 30 seconds with even more accuracy, saving the jail money and manpower.
After the event, Candor distributed a news release and launched a promotional campaign on Johnson & Biscone’s website and social media. Han was also the highlight of the firm’s quarterly e-newsletter distributed to nearly 2,500 community members, colleagues and clients.
