It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking only the
biggest budget, out-of-the-box campaigns can win awards – but that’s not always
the case. Despite being a 147-year-old leading producer of performance commercial flooring, Ecore
had minimal visibility in industry trade publications – a vital conduit to its
key audiences of facility and commercial design specifiers. Best-known in the
athletic arena, the company sought to extend its reach and relevance into the
healthcare and hospitality markets. In late 2016, Ecore retained LCWA to
develop and execute a trade media relations program to boost the brand’s profile across each of its key
markets with a focus on promoting its industry-leading advancements in three
key performance areas – acoustics, ergonomics and safety.
At the beginning of 2017, the LCWA B2B PR team rolled out a year-long program
focused on reaching design influencers and decision-makers through consistent
and meaningful coverage in trade media covering each of Ecore’s target
industries. Our goal was to secure an average of three
placements per month for the brand and deliver a YOY impressions increase of
100%.
To
achieve this, LCWA focused on keeping
the media pipeline filled with Ecore news. We…
·
Used
problem/solution scenarios to educated around the performance benefits and
effectiveness of Ecore flooring;
·
Leveraged
success stories to elevate Ecore as a thought leader across key markets;
·
Promoted
Ecore’s presence at key industry events.
Working with tried and true tactics, including case
studies, bylined articles, a whitepaper,
product announcements and
opportunistic pitching, creativity was key to cutting through the clutter
and capturing media attention. LCWA built a campaign around the question: Can a
Floor Do More? This served as the thematic thread that tied activities
together across audiences, categories and outlets.
- For Athletics, we showcased how “a floor can do
more” by absorbing sound, cushioning equipment and reducing impact on athletes.
- For Healthcare, we focused on how “a floor can
do more” reducing noise, increasing ergonomics and improving safety.
- For Hospitality, we highlighted how “a floor can
do Eore” to enhance guest comfort and satisfaction.
Another cornerstone of our creative approach was
incorporating clever headlines and copy to entice editors, such as:
- “Ecore
Flooring Earns High Grades at USC Village Fitness Center"
- "Johns
Hopkins Hospital Provides a Prescription for Outstanding Healthcare Surfacing”
- "Flooring
Plays Featured Role in Fitness Center Facelift” (headline for Gaylord
Opryland Resort & Convention Center)
In the end, our program did not generate the
desired three placements per month. Instead, our efforts resulted in an average of three placements PER WEEK
between January and December 2017. A total of 178 placements were garnered (35 print and 143 online) generating
more than 6 million impressions – a 750% increase over 2016. Furthermore, based
on the estimated value of the media coverage generated, the program delivered a
ROI nearly double Ecore’s investment.
At the beginning of 2017, the LCWA B2B PR team rolled out a year-long program focused on reaching design influencers and decision-makers through consistent and meaningful coverage in trade media covering each of Ecore’s target industries. Our goal was to secure an average of three placements per month for the brand and deliver a YOY impressions increase of 100%.
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