Alaska Native Corporations Harness the Power of Media

“We have a thriving culture, history, and economy in Bristol Bay, but at the time these aired, the proposed Pebble Mine posed an underlying threat to the region,” he says. “While we never uttered the words Pebble Mine, not even once, when we ask people what they recall, they talk about the mine.”

BBNC’s internal communications team worked with the public relations firm Strategies 360, as well as a number of skilled photographers and videographers. “Their collective talent knocked it out of the park,” says Metrokin, adding that not a day goes by when he doesn’t hear from people commenting positively on the campaign.

In the past eight years, BBNC’s media marketing has focused on a variety of themes including courage, balance, culture, and heritage.

“In the early days, we knew we wanted to build upon our brand and impress upon folks who and what we were,” says Metrokin. “Not a lot of people get to come out to Bristol Bay, so we wanted to find a way to bring it to them. Lots of people in the state watch TV, so we thought this was a good way to bring Bristol Bay to Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, and other Alaskan communities.”

BBNC is currently in the process of creating a new campaign that will feature the tagline, “More Than a Corporation.”

“The term ‘corporation’ has a negative connotation to some folks, and we want people to understand that we are about more than profits and the bottom line,” says Metrokin. “We focus on our community, culture, the diversity of our workforce, and being good stewards of our land base. While we are not hiding the fact that we are a for-profit, tax-paying corporation, our entire history has been about supporting our people and all of the residents of Alaska.”

Hardt, who came from a news background before joining ASRC, knew that media could be used to not only convey a message but to reinforce a company’s brand. While putting together a 60-minute documentary instead of an educational video required a lot more work—the final product actually took more than two years to come to fruition—he had the full backing of the corporation as the project came together.

“ASRC’s leadership was absolutely instrumental in making this happen,” he says of filming, which took him to every community on the North Slope as well as to cities in the Lower 48 where ASRC’s subsidiaries are located. “They had no hesitation about creating a longer format piece.”

The documentary originally aired on KTUU, KTVF, and the Alaska Rural Communication Service. After winning an Emmy from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2017, it aired statewide. Hardt wrote and directed the video, co-produced with Tara Sweeney, and collaborated with Brilliant Media Strategies in Anchorage and Stage 2 Studios in Colorado, which had produced an Emmy-winning commercial for ASRC two years before.

“It became something really special,” says Hardt of the documentary, which also serves as a time capsule for the corporation. Hardt interviewed some of the original team members, including Oliver Leavitt, Bill Van Ness, Jim Wickwire, Alan Mintz, Steve Seward, and Jacob Adams Sr., who helped with incorporation in the early ’70s.

“They shared stories of back in the day when the earliest decisions were made,” says Hardt. “Here we are fifty years later, and you can see how what they did then made such a big difference.”

He adds that the opportunity to interview Bill Van Ness was really unique, as he was one of the people who helped craft the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and was absolutely committed to ASRC’s mission. “Unfortunately, he has since passed away, and if we hadn’t done that documentary, we wouldn’t have had that interview,” says Hardt. “We wouldn’t know the stories behind the legacy.”

The documentary also helps ASRC introduce itself to people who may not be familiar with the corporation or Iñupiat values.

“I was in Seattle speaking to a vendor, and she didn’t know anything about ASRC,” says Hardt. “I popped the documentary up on my computer and she watched about 15 minutes of it and became very emotional. She said that it inspired her because it was the first time that she really understood our values and the people we represent.”

Other Alaska Native corporations, including Cape Fox Corporation in Saxman, are starting to take advantage of the power of media. In July 2020, Cape Fox received a bronze award in the Branded Content Category in the 41st Telly Awards, which honors excellence in video and television. Its video, about working at Cape Fox, is used to encourage recruitment and for onboarding new employees.