Indiana Packers Corporation
COVID-19 was a major disruptor for meatpacking facilities. See how NewPoint helped one meatpacker stay ahead of the curve to keep operations running.
As a major food producer and part of the nation’s critical infrastructure, Indiana Packers Corporation (IPC) couldn’t just sit on the sidelines and wait to see how others handled the arrival of COVID-19. Regardless of how unprecedented an event it was, IPC needed to take a proactive approach. It formed a COVID Task Force in February 2020. IPC included NewPoint to assist with a fast-moving communications strategy. The strategy needed to keep both employees and the public informed, and at ease.
On the one hand, consumers needed reassurance that product would be both available and safe to eat during the pandemic’s early days. Local communities wanted evidence that the company was working to prevent becoming another hotbed for the virus. On the other hand, IPC employees needed to be kept abreast of workplace changes. Additionally, they needed to be encouraged to act safely off the clock to minimize the risk of spreading infection on the clock. With these audiences in mind, NewPoint developed a multichannel communications plan. The plan included press releases, billboards, social media, workplace posters and infographics. It included direct mail to employees, and their own FAQ page on the company website.
Looking back, IPC’s proactive communications approach played an integral role in keeping its COVID infection rate 4-to-5x lower than other workplaces. And, its only shutdown was a brief one to install new protective equipment like plexiglass and sanitizer stations. The most important stamp of approval, however, came from IPC employees themselves. When interviewed in February 2021, almost across the board IPC team members voiced their confidence in their employer and their satisfaction that their health and wellbeing was prioritized above all else.
Project Components:
• Direct mail • Website development • Social media • Print media • Press releases • Billboards