ARCO Alaska
Repositioning

During "boom times," ARCO Alaska Petroleum publicly wielded its significance to the Alaskan economy as a stick to drive favorable legislation.

When the oil market fell dramatically, the state fell into a recession. Layoffs, bankruptcies, and foreclosures were a daily occurrence throughout much of the urban centers. ARCO's contribution to the economy was lessened, and the company's management realized that it needed to address its reputation as a benevolent bully if it was going to continue to hold sway with lawmakers and the public at large.

We were given the challenge of renewing the company's public image. Through internal research, we became aware that individual ARCO employees were making a world of difference in their communities. We developed a highly successful positioning campaign focusing on the social contributions made by ARCO employees in urban and rural Alaska -- portraits of ordinary people who had done extraordinary things.