DHL wins prestigious regional award for its Flu Pandemic Preparedness Handbook

DHL has won the top award for ‘Corporate Publications’ at the ‘Asia Pacific PR Awards’ for its pioneering employee publication, Be Informed – Be Prepared: DHL Employee Flu Pandemic Preparedness Handbook. The Certificate of Excellence was bestowed on DHL – the only winner in the category – at a ceremony in Hong Kong on 14 November 2007.

The ‘Asia Pacific PR Awards’ is one of the foremost events in the Public Relations calendar in the region, rewarding work across all the disciplines that are essential in the PR process. A panel of leading PR and communications specialists and clients are responsible for judging the Awards.

Anita Gupta, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Sustainability, DHL Asia Pacific, said, “DHL is extremely honoured to receive this award. The Preparedness Handbook is a ground-breaking initiative to educate DHL employees across Asia Pacific. The safety of our employees and customers is of utmost importance to us; hence this recognition as a corporate leader in raising awareness of a potentially global health threat is very gratifying.”

As governments and international organizations race to prepare for any such eventualities, DHL’s corporate publication, Be Informed – Be Prepared: DHL Employee Flu Pandemic Preparedness Handbook, represents its commitment to plan ahead to ensure minimal disruption to its operations in the event a pandemic strikes. The Preparedness Handbook was developed with information from leading sources, including WHO, as well as experts from International SOS and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

With the Preparedness Handbook, DHL employees should “Be Informed” of the modes of transmission of influenza, and “Be Prepared” to implement the preventive measures, as well as share the information with their families. A departure from the standard corporate manual look, the Preparedness Handbook was designed in the shape of a medical capsule, drawing a parallel to a dose of medicine akin to a vaccination or pill to generate greater staff interest. The Preparedness Handbook has exceeded initial circulation targets, and is now in the tens of thousands. The circulation has also been expanded beyond Asia Pacific to other regions, such as North America.