Credentials | Sebastian Hesse Finding Solutions Finding Solutions

Credentials | Sebastian Hesse – PR, Marketing Communications, Brand Counsel

1edu Classmate PC Launch & Intel Germany Consumer PR for Germany’s largest education online shop

Consumer PR

Mission

Design a media event to introduce the newest generation of 1edu Classmate PCs, specifically developed as digital / interactive learning application for young students in schools.

Results

Significant increase of awareness amongst stakeholders and opinion leaders about 1edu’s competence and the 1edu Classmate PC. Leading media such as largest German newspaper BILD Zeitung and leading news channel N24 reported about 1edu. Sales of 1edu increased by more than 600 sold new Classmate PCs in the first 6 weeks since the launch. Even Chancellor Merkel gained interest in 1edu’s concept.

My responsibilities

•  Design of creative, energetic media event in co-operation with a Berlin school to introduce the new 1edu Classmate PC

•  Positioning 1edu as competent partner for all digital / interactive applications in “Interactive Classrooms” to decision makers and opinion leaders

•  Involving business partner INTEL Germany and government officials in the media event

•  Event management & moderation of panel discussion

•  Development of all media materials

•  On-site support & Spokesman for 1edu to media

PayCash Europe S.A. Corporate Communications & Launch PR in Luxemburg

Corporate Comm.

Mission

Supporting PayCash Europe with its global launch in Luxemburg with an extensive corporate communications program.

Results

PayCash was able to ignite its mobile payment system in Luxemburg with a strong media presence. Stakeholders and multiplicators gained interest in PayCash’s m-payment solution and reporeted positively about the new startup.

My responsibilities

•  Strategic counsel on the brand creation of PayCash Europe

•  Setup of media event

•  Development of press kit for PayCash Europe

•  Media Training with the Founders of PayCash Europe

•  Development of Q&A paper

•  On-site support / highlighting advantages of a mobile payment system based on QR codes in conversations with journalist

L’Oréal – Préférence Catwalk Collection Consumer PR for L’Oréal’s new hair coloration

Consumer PR

Mission

Design a media event and communicate L’Oréals new hair coloration to Germany’s leading beauty editors. Create long lasting media relationships for L’Oréal’s PR department.

Results

The editors appreciated the way they were able to experience the presentation of L’Oréal in a very fashionable, beauty-focused but at the same time very casual environment. Every invited journalist reported about L’Oréals new catwalk collection.

My responsibilities

•  Design of creative, energetic media event

•  The name was given: Catwalk Collection. And beauty editors often look enviously at their fashion colleagues when they are invited to fashion shows. My idea: Creating a catwalk show with a focus on hair. As special feature, the media event took place in a photo studio.

•  Event management

•  Invitation and guest management incl. travel arrangements

•  On-site support

L’Oréal – Sublime Mousse Press Trip Consumer PR for L’Oréal’s new mousse hair coloration

Consumer PR

Mission

Design a remarkable but low budget press trip that is strongly focused on color, simplicity and joy to communicate L’Oréal’s new sublime mousse hair coloration.

Results

A full success. L’Oréal was able to strengthen its relationship to key-journalists. An unforgettable experience was connected with the brand and the new product sublime mousse. Every journalist reported about the trip and the new product.

My responsibilities

•  Account Lead & Event Management

•  Design of event concept incl. location research & counsel

•  The Idea: Focusing on the colors of fall in Prague. Each journalist received a digital camera to take pictures of the most beautiful colors on a jointly trip through Prague. The trip included a concert visit, city tour, 5* restaurant and as highlight a spectacular L’Oréal press conference with a real Prince in a real castle.

•  Invitation and guest management incl. travel arrangements

•  On-site support

brands4friends Consumer PR for Germany’s leading online shopping club

Consumer PR

Mission

Building awareness for brands4friends. Design and implement a highlight event to engage brands4friends clients and potential customers.

Results

Brands4friends was presented in numerous print and online media as well as RTL Punkt 12, a leading German midday TV show. More than 5.000 users applied to be part of the Berlin Fashion Run – about 1.500 of them as new customers for brands4friends.

My responsibilities

•  Head of media relations office

•  Strategic development of story angles for continuous PR outreach

•  To set a highlight, my idea was to create the “Berlin Fashion Run” – an engaging event for brands4friends customers hunting for their designer summer outfit in the fashion metropolis Berlin.

•  Conceptual groundwork and full-service event coordination and implementation

•  Continuous strategic counsel

Russian Standard Vodka Consumer PR for Russia’s No.1 Premium-Vodka

Consumer PR

Mission

Increasing awareness for Russian Standard Vodka (RSV). Communicating RSV’s quality statements to the broader German public.

Results

We were able to quadruple RSV’s investment in regards to the media equivalence value. More than 200 print and online media reported positively about RSV and its premium quality. RSV was able to increase its sales by 17% compared to the previous year.

My responsibilities

•  Head of press office

•  Strategic development of story angles for continuous PR outreach

•  Design and implement media relations program to reach the “calm enjoyer” target group

•  Design of media cooperations

•  Continuous strategic counsel

•  Media relations with trade media to strengthen the on and off trade

FC Deutschland | Germany – Land of Ideas Image campaign of the German Federal Government

Public Affairs

Mission

Setup of press office for national and international media relations. Develop and implement a PR program to highlight Germany’s image in connection with the upcoming Soccer Worldcup in 2006.

Results

Within one year „Germany – Land of Ideas“ became a brand and broadly known within the German and international public. By end of 2006 more than 10.000 articles in print and online appeared. PR reached out to more than 120 million people around the globe.

My responsibilities

•  Head of Media Relations

•  Development of press material, newsletters, brochures

•  Development of storylines and pitching PR stories to key journalists; answering media inquiries

•  Managing the daily business of the press office incl. coordination of media events

Dream for Darfur Public Awareness Campaign for Human Rights

Public Affairs

Mission

Counselling Mia Farrow and her organization Dream for Darfur in regards to German PR outreach. Raising public awareness for the dramatic situation in Darfur in Africa.

Results

More than 200 (!) print media plus several online and tv channels reported about Mia Farrow‘s speech at the Holocaut Memorial in Berlin. German public learned about the human rights violations in Darfur.

My responsibilities

•  Account lead

•  Strategic development and execution of German PR program including VIP contact program

•  Development of German language media kits

•  Negotiations and counsel to co-operational partners such as Central Council of Jews in Germany, RettetDarfur.de, fashion designer Michael Michaelsky

•  On-site support & PA to Mia Farrow

Save Darfur Coalition Lobbying for Human Rights

Public Affairs

Mission

Lobbying for a stronger engagement of the German government to end the human rights violations in Darfur. Raising public awareness about the dramatic situation in the crisis region in Sudan.

Results

Considerable increase of German media coverage about Darfur and the needed engagement of the federal government. Chancellor Merkel put Darfur as prominent topic on her agenda during Germany’s G8 presidency in 2007 and urged the EU to comment on the issue. The campaign was awarded with the European SABRE Award in the category Charities and NGOs as best pan-european advocacy campaign.

My responsibilities

•  Account lead

•  Development of lobbying contact program targeting officials of the German Federal Government

•  On-site support during meetings with Federal Government for Senior International Coordinator Amb. (ret.) Lawrence Rossin

•  Development of German language media kits

•  Event PR in co-operation with Jewish Museum Berlin and Joschka Fischer

•  Strategic counsel of Save Darfur and continuous media relations

Federal Association Medical Technology Public Awareness Campaign for Patient’s Rights

Public Affairs

Mission

Design and implement a lobbying and PR campaign to preserve the patient choice regarding providers of medical supplies and equipment.

Results

With more than 350 reports in print and online media within one year the “Action Alliance My Choice” gained attention of the broader German public and increased membership numbers dramatically. Within 2 years the public pressure on decision makers led to a stabilization of the patient choice rights in Germany.

My responsibilities

•  Head of press office and patient hotline

•  Design and implement a strategic media relations program

•  Editor of various press materials

•  Project manager and editor of published “Black Book Medical Aids Supply” – an overview of the loss of patient choice

•  Design and coordination of public and media events

•  Design and implement an online tool to monitor bad tender practice

•  Continuous strategic counsel regarding German media landscape

Bertelsmann Foundation Corporate Communications

Corporate Comm.

Mission

Setup of press office and communicating the results of Bertelsmann researches. Raising international public awareness for Bertelsmann as global acting think tank and catalyst for social change.

Results

Positive media coverage in more than 600 print, online, tv and radio media around the world and raising awareness about Bertelsmann‘s role as German based think tank for social change.

My responsibilities

•  Account lead

•  Strategic development and execution of international media relations program to communicate scientific results of “Religion Monitor” and “Transformation Atlas”

•  Strategic counsel for Bertelsmann Foundation on the media material’s regional specifications and wording (e.g. for middle east region for Religion Monitor)

•  Coordination of timed distribution of press releases in 27 countries

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Corporate Communications

Corporate Comm.

Mission

Setup of press office for targeted communications in Germany. Media relations with key-journalists in regards to the foundation’s mission and major topics.

Results

Increase of media coverage about Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Germany with a positive tonality in regards to the foundation‘s charitable work and efforts for global positive change.

My responsibilities

•  Account lead

•  Analysis of German media landscape in regards to foundations and philanthropy topics and potential story angles

•  Development of strategic communications plans for Global Development, Global Health and Foundations Communications

•  Setup and coordination of media events with Bill & Melinda Gates in Germany

•  Continuous strategic counsel and media relations

Vattenfall – “A world championship full of Energy” Sponsorship PR Campaign for the IAAF World Championships in Athletics 2009

Corporate Comm.

Mission

Design and implement a PR campaign for Vattenfall’s sports sponsoring. Raising public awareness about the energy company’s engagement. Securing media coverage in sport reporting during the world championship.

Results

Daily coverage about Vattenfall in national and international (sports) media. The campaign increased the public awareness about Vattenfall’s CSR engagement. The campaign was award with the European Sabre Award in 2009 in the category sponsorship.

My responsibilities

•  In a brainstorming I had the idea to measure the energy of athletes and visitors within a “World Championship Watt Service” – a daily media service presenting the jointly efforts and results of the championships in watt. The “WM-Watt-Counter” was born. Based on my idea the Vattenfall Energy Arena was developed. Visitors competed against real athletes and measured their sports energy.

•  Media relations with national and sports media

•  On-site support & coordination of scientific teams

Solutions Found.

Sebastian Hesse

+49 170 4769100 +49 30 69202499

sebastian@bigbangandwhisper.com www.bigbangandwhisper.com