Document DMx7QoMZ928qQQQ19oQXKVGKQ

^dward Howard 6Co. Public Relations Counsel Founded 1925 One Erieview Plaza, 7th Floor Cleveland, Ohio 44114-1716 (216)781-2400 Fax: 781-8810 TO: Vinyl Institute Board of Directors DATE: November 17,1992 FROM: Dave Meekercopies: SUBJECT: Quarterly Report on Communications Programs Communications activities have continued at an active pace on all fronts during the past three months. Below are some highlights from the reporting period. Issues Management Program We are working with members of the Vi's new ad hoc government relations task force to counter the anticipated efforts of Greenpeace to introduce anti-chlorine/anti-vinyl regulations and legislation at the state and federal level after January 1. Specifically, we have developed a plan to generate favorable media coverage for vinyl's environmental story in the major daily newspapers serving the Great Lakes region, as well as selected national publications, syndicated writers and wire services. Resulting coverage will be used in the task force's lobbying efforts. The media program will be coordinated with the Chlorine Institute, which is conducting targeted media briefings in advance of the Greenpeace-sponsored conference to be held in Monroe, Michigan December 4-6. Dave Meeker will attend the conference as an observer, and we are working on plans to make sure the vinyl industry's views are properly presented to the media at the event should the need arise. Working with the Chlorine Institute, we were able to successfully counter a Greenpeace-backed anti-chlorine resolution members of the American Public Health Association planned to introduce at its October annual meeting. After hearing our message via a round of one-on-one backgrounding sessions, APHA members criticized the proposed resolution as "totally inappropriate" and bad science. We will be participating in the vinyl industry's worldwide Greenpeace strategy session to be held November 30 - December 1 in Washington. We hope to develop a global approach that will counter the anti-vinyl initiatives this group has undertaken. The Vi's grassroots environmental outreach effort -- the Partners Program -- continues apace. Nearly all VI members have identified Partners-in-Charge for their companies, and those individuals are, in turn, working with vis to identify volunteer participants. We plan to have 120 partners in place by year's end and will begin distributing the Partners Handbook to recruits December 1. John Opdycke will then continue active and ongoing contact with the partners on a regular basis to maintain the program's momentum and to gather information from them as they become the industry's eyes and ears at the local level. CTL007780 Offices in Cleveland. Akron, Columbus and Dav ton Page 2 We have logged nearly 1,000 calls on the Vinyl Environmental Resource Center Hotline since January. Most requests involve vinyl recycling. VERCE maintains its active media monitoring and response effort, and continues to develop new environmental resource materials for the VI and its members. A recent survey of the members, for instance, tells vis that the new "Issues and Answers" videotapes are being used heavily to reach employees, customers and community groups. As of the early fall, nearly 1,900 had seen the tapes. We continue to communicate the industry's support for vinyl recycling and currently are working with Waste Alternatives to develop plans for a public reception January 27, when the new MSS separation technology will be showcased to local officials and the media. Initial efforts are also underway to publicize the Vi's agreement with Envirothene regarding the placement of NRT technology at that company's Chino, California, site and we are about to publish the industry's first directory of companies making products out of recycled vinyl. Distribution targets include government procurement officers, corporate purchasing agents and environmental opinion leaders. The Vi's newsletter "Environmental Briefs" has won a first-place award from the East Central District of the Public Relations Society of America. The five-state division commented "good, inexpensive information tool, well-edited ... nice clean look." Earlier this year, an informal survey of "Environmental Briefs" readers found the newsletter provides new, useful information to the overwhelming majority of those who responded, and likewise has had a positive influence on the respondents' opinions about vinyl. Marketing Task Forces The Vinyl Packaging Council held a highly successful event November 10 in Chicago, where the third VIP (Vinyl in Packaging) awards were presented. Nearly 60 packagers, award-winners and media representatives attended. The Council concurrently staffed an exhibit at the PackExpo trade show, where it distributed 2,000 recycled-vinyl luggage tags, generated 120 inquiries and distributed 450 copies of its new marketing/ environmental brochure. We expect very favorable media coverage for the VIP Awards as well. The Council also held its second "customer briefing" in Chicago September 15, a moderate success with 33 attendees. Revisions are being made in the format to boost attendance at the third session, to be held in Anaheim, January 21. Overall, we continue to believe that this is an effective way to reach packaging decision-makers with the industry's message, but VPC member support will be critical to the next session's success. The Electrical Materials Council held its second highly successful "market advisory panel" September 23-24 in Atlanta. Ten electrical market leaders met with the Council to discuss challenges, opportunities and specific actions for the vinyl industry if it is to maintain its edge in this market. Feedback from all involved has been very positive and will help shape the Council's program for 1993-94. CTL007781 Page 3 Following several months of negotiations, we were also able to secure a meeting between members of the Electrical Materials Council and the Defense Electronics Supply Center on November 12 to discuss that group's concerns about vinyl electrical materials. We understand the meeting opened up a very productive dialogue with this important government agency. Both the Electrical Materials Council and the Pipe Resource Organization have completed market research studies examining the effectiveness of their marketing efforts to date. Details are being provided to the board by the chairs of those task forces, and results are being used for 1993-94 program planning. CTL007782