Company: GlaxoSmithKline plc, London, UK

Company Description: GlaxoSmithKline plc is a major global healthcare group discovering, developing, manufacturing and marketing pharmaceutical & consumer health-related products The major markets for the Group products are USA France Japan UK Italy Germany and Spain. Our mission is ‘Our global quest is to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer’

Nomination Category: Team Awards Categories

Nomination Sub Category: Best Communications Team

Nomination Title: GlaxoSmithKline Corporate Communications and Community Partnerships Team

   1. Tell the story about what this nominated team achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

A 2005 reputation audit showed that despite GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) outperforming its competitors in addressing concerns expressed by external

stakeholders it was not differentiating itself in terms of reputation.  This imbalance centred on the company’s delivery of innovative medicines, sales and

marketing practices and efforts to provide access to medicines for those least able to afford them.

The Corporate Communications and Community Partnerships Team planned and executed a proactive campaign to heighten awareness of the company’s achievements, and differentiate GSK from its peers.

Strategy: 

* Communicate GSK’s active pursuit of the highest standards of ethics and integrity 

* Publicise GSK’s innovative, substantial pipeline of new medicines

* Convey GSK’s leadership on access to medicines

* Adopt an accessible communications style

Tactics:  

* Intensive, proactive UK media outreach programme with senior executives

* Comprehensive web-based Corporate Responsibility Report, confronting issues of stakeholder concern 

* Prompt, substantial humanitarian response to 2005 natural disasters

* A trip by CEO Dr. JP Garnier to Ghana and South Africa, highlighting significant progress in helping eliminate lymphatic filariasis (a widespread and debilitating disease), and positioning GSK as a leader in addressing developing world healthcare challenges

* A new corporate website, to meet patient and consumer needs

* A ‘straight-talking’ Annual Review, articulating global healthcare challenges and GSK’s strategy in addressing them
* Introduction of leading-edge web broadcasting technology internally, allowing senior executives to reach broad employee groups on a regular basis

* Intensive recruitment and secondment activity to improve skills within the function

Results: 

* Independent research shows GSK achieved 1794 articles in the UK press with a positive score of 2005; more than three times its nearest competitor

* Enhanced perceptions of GSK by senior media executives; a typical quote from independent qualitative research, “…one of the sharpest PR turnarounds of British companies in recent times”

* The Association of British Insurers rated GSK’s approach to corporate responsibility as ‘full,’ the top rating that can be achieved. The Dow Jones

Sustainability Index placed GSK second in its world index

* One of only four pharmaceutical companies named to The Global 100: Most Sustainable Companies in the World, meaning the company’s sustainability performance falls within the top five per cent of its sector

* GSK rated the largest FTSE 100 philanthropic giver for the fourth consecutive year, by the Guardian newspaper Giving List

* GSK’s disaster response widely acknowledged by media, non-profit organisations and government, including President Bush

* Dr JP Garnier recognised by AMREF USA for GSK’s long-standing contribution to Africa

* Public recognition from Bill Gates for GSK’s commitment to R&D on malaria and other neglected diseases, “It would make a huge difference if more

companies followed GSK’s example.”

* Significant increase in visitors to www.gsk.com rating the site favourably (from 44% pre-launch to 60.2% post-launch); qualitative feedback positive, “What you would expect for a top three or four FTSE 100 - feels “more GSK”

* 22 live web broadcasts to employees by senior executives, reaching 90,000 staff in 47 sites

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, http://www.youraddress.com:

http://www.gsk.com

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of this nominated team:

Jennie Younger was appointed Senior vice president, Corporate communications and community partnerships for GlaxoSmithKline in December 2001. She is a member of GSK's Corporate Executive Team. Jennie was previously head of Investor Relations, GlaxoSmithKline plc,  and joined the company in 1996. Before this, Jennie was head of Investor Relations for British Gas, where she also managed the company's communications during

its de-merger. 
 

Jennie gained considerable experience in the financial markets before moving into industry.  She has an honours degree in psychology from Exeter University in the UK, and won the 2004 European Women of Achievement Award for Business.