CASE STUDY
ENGAGING TOMORROW'S LEADERS IN TODAY'S INFRASTRUCTURE
Interstate Bridge Replacement Program
Community Engagement | Public Involvement
The Challenge
Giving the next generation a meaningful voice in the region’s future
Young people will live with the benefits and consequences of a new Interstate Bridge for decades, yet research showed many knew little about the project or how they could participate in shaping one of the Pacific Northwest's largest infrastructure investments.
The Approach
Creating advocates for future generations
Amico created a youth engagement strategy centered on high school and college journalists, recognizing that students often serve as trusted sources of information among their peers. Student press conferences, classroom presentations and one-on-one interviews connected project leadership directly with emerging communicators while encouraging broader participation throughout their schools and communities.
The Results
Treating students as communicators, not simply audiences
The initiative introduced thousands of students to the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program while significantly expanding youth participation in public engagement activities. More importantly, it established a replicable model for involving younger generations in complex civic decision-making, ensuring future voices became part of today's planning process.
CASE STUDY
BUILDING TRUST ACROSS CULTURES
The White House | Presidential Visit to India
Community Engagement | Cross-Cultural
The Challenge
Creating understanding before asking people to be heard
When President Bill Clinton visited Naila Village in Rajasthan, India, local women had agreed to share deeply personal stories despite living in a culture where speaking publicly could carry significant personal consequences. The success of the visit depended upon creating an environment where trust could flourish before a single word was spoken.
The Approach
Relationships first, communications second
Working alongside translators, Amico spent two weeks immersed in village life, sharing meals, visiting homes and listening to the experiences of women who would participate in the presidential visit. Those relationships created the confidence necessary for authentic conversations that honored both cultural traditions and individual voices.
The Results
Helping the world hear voices that had rarely been heard
The visit provided an extraordinary opportunity for village women to share their experiences directly with the President of the United States and the international media. More importantly, it demonstrated that meaningful communication begins with empathy, patience and genuine human connection.
CASE STUDY
BRINGING BRAND OREGON DIRECTLY TO OREGONIANS
Travel Oregon | Oregon Bounty
Community Engagement | Consumer Events
The Challenge
Governor Ted Kulongoski's Brand Oregon initiative sought to build pride in Oregon's products, attractions and lifestyle while increasing tourism and agricultural sales. The challenge was to give people across the state a tangible way to experience that identity and connect directly with the wineries, producers, restaurants and communities behind it.
Turning a statewide identity into a shared experience
The Approach
Creating opportunities to experience Oregon Bounty firsthand
Amico coordinated a statewide activation anchored by the Oregon Bounty Mobile, a fully branded, wrapped RV that traveled to five regions. Press conferences were followed by community events where people could sample Oregon products and meet participating producers. Amico also coordinated winery tastings and worked directly with chefs at two dozen restaurants to develop Oregon Bounty menus and special dinners.
The Results
Turning participation into sustained support for Oregon products
Oregon Bounty brought consumers, producers, wineries, restaurants and retailers together through a shared celebration of the state's agricultural heritage. Participating wineries reported 38.6% more visitors and a 47.7% increase in sales, while the campaign generated more than 80 earned media stories and achieved 68% public recall. The successful model continued the following year, was later replicated in other states and earned the PRSA Silver Anvil Award for Marketing Consumer Products.
CASE STUDY
BUILDING A COMMUNITY AROUND HOPE
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center | Climb to Fight Breast Cancer
Community Engagement | Fundraising & Advocacy
The Challenge
Creating impact that extended beyond the summit
Participants arrived carrying deeply personal connections to breast cancer. Some were survivors, others climbed in memory of loved ones, and many were searching for healing as much as they were raising money. The challenge was to unite hundreds of individual stories into one shared purpose
The Approach
Turning a fundraising event into a community of support
The campaign helped raise more than $100,000 for breast cancer research while inspiring participants to become lifelong advocates for the cause. The annual climbs strengthened relationships throughout the community and demonstrated how authentic storytelling can unite people around a common mission.
The Results
Creating an experience that honored every personal journey
Amico developed a communications strategy that celebrated each participant's journey while building meaningful connections among climbers, volunteers, donors and supporters. Recruitment, fundraising, media outreach, storytelling and event communications worked together to reinforce resilience, hope and the collective commitment to advancing breast cancer research.