Issue:Coyne PR was asked to whip up extensive national and local-market print and broadcast media coverage for the prestigious Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest.

Idea:Coyne PR leveraged the 100 finalists’ stories to develop human interest angles for local media, and ultimately consumers, to connect with the 42nd Bake-Off® Contest.  Once the finalists’ stories gained traction, Coyne PR utilized the popularity of consumer voting to draw people to the contest Web site and introduce them to the finalists’ recipes.  With the momentum heating up, Coyne PR then established a relationship with “Today” to broadcast live from the event.

Impact:The results were fully baked, with the campaign garnering nearly 60 million media impressions.  Results included more than 750 broadcast placements, including national hits on “Today” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” as well as being featured on 59 blogs buzzing with discussions about the grand prize winner.  The contest garnered a 300 percent increase in Web site traffic from the previous contest (according to the General Mills/Pillsbury Bake-Off Team).