Partners in possibility.
For 25 years, Bennet Group has provided strategic communications counsel to some of Hawai‘i’s top companies. Driven by a deep personal connection to the islands and their legacy, and drawing on their vast reserve of contacts and experience, Bennet Group consistently delivers measurable and often award-winning results for many of Hawai‘i’s most complex and sensitive political, social and business issues. A curated list of case studies are below.
CASE STUDIES
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) have been and continue to be disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Hawai‘i Department of Health, Native Hawaiians accounted for 30% of the COVID-19 cases between late June and late November 2021. A hui (group) of NHPI-serving organizations – including Kamehameha Schools, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and more – came together in Fall 2020 to take a cultural approach to stop the spread of COVID-19 and promote the safety and wellness of their communities through strategic communications initiatives. Kamehameha Schools engaged Bennet Group to lead the communications initiatives of the campaign.
Polynesian Voyaging Society
The Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage (WWV) was a journey of traditional voyaging canoes across Earth’s oceans to join and grow the global movement toward a more sustainable world. The voyage was a complex endeavor that required a sophisticated suite of communication strategies and tactical approaches during the legendary Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa’s various ports of call both at home in Hawai‘i, nationally, and internationally.
Ward Village
For decades, Ward Village encompassed a collection of dozens of merchants, ranging from big name national stores to small, local businesses. A myriad of physical buildings – Ward Centre, Ward Warehouse and Ward Entertainment Plaza – made up Ward Village, and the area was much loved by locals for providing one-of-a-kind products, services and culinary options.
Hawai‘i Pacific University
Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU) is the largest private university in the state of Hawai‘i. In recent years, the university has struggled with financial difficulties that necessitated the need to lay off a number of faculty and staff, which significantly impacted employee morale. Following the efforts to rightsize the organization, HPU hired a new president, marking the beginning of a new era of leadership at the university and an opportunity to rebuild morale and trust. Bennet Group worked throughout the year on an integrated communications plan to boost morale among faculty and staff and earn trust and ownership in the new vision for the future of the university. The internal communications plan complemented the overarching strategic communications for the university and prioritized two-way communications via electronic channels and, most importantly, in-person events and interactions.
Lunalilo Home
Charged with the kuleana to fulfill the will and codicil of King Charles Lunalilo, Lunalilo Home has cared for Hawaiʻi’s kūpuna for 138 years. Lunalilo Home provides loving and compassionate services for kūpuna that preserve dignity and independence in a comfortable, secure environment. Aside from offering residential care, Lunalilo Home also offers respite care, adult day care and meals-to-go for Hawaiʻi’s aging population.
Young Brothers
Young Brothers (YB) is Hawaiʻi’s foremost inter-island freight handling and transportation company. It serves individuals and businesses alike, moving goods by barge among the Hawaiian Islands. The company, which faces fierce competition, plays a unique role in the market as the only regularly scheduled common carrier authorized by the State of Hawaii to transport your goods over water from one island to another.
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
When Walt Disney Parks & Resorts set out to build its only Hawai‘i property and only non-theme park property in the world in the mid-2000s, it needed to approach the development in a way that was thoughtful and strategic, showcasing the economic value Disney’s brand would bring to the state.
Turtle Bay Resort
Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s historic North Shore is one of the world’s last wild places. This fabled stretch of coastline has been the subject of heated debate and passionate protests due to a master plan that many in the community perceived as unsustainable for responsible growth and the protection of cultural and environmental resources. A conservation easement in 2016 ended the legal battle over the land, and the developer hit pause on moving forward with any plans for expansion. When new owners, The Blackstone Group, purchased the property in late 2017, it called Bennet Group to assist with the sophisticated and thoughtful strategic communications Turtle Bay Resort would require to be successful as development resumes at the resort later this year.
Waikoloa Foundation
In October 2020, The Waikoloa Foundation, the philanthropic sister organization to the Waikoloa Land Company, relaunched with renewed purpose and fresh programmatic priorities. Although the Waikoloa Land Company had a longstanding history of stewardship in the area, The Waikoloa Foundation needed to be reintroduced to the community, having been dormant for several years. Hoping to ramp up its support for the Kohala Coast, The Foundation also needed a platform to communicate with and engage kama‘āina, other nonprofit organizations, partners and visitors. Bennet Group helped The Waikoloa Foundation build a social media presence and set a thoughtful content strategy.