replacing carbon monoxide (CO) alarms upon their expiration.
As part of our work with home safety client First Alert, we
monitor and report daily on any pending smoke and CO legislation that may
impact First Alert’s customers – from congressional bills to local municipal
ordinances. With this information, we can help ensure that customers in the
affected areas have access to the level of protection required, and conduct
local media outreach to generate awareness and news coverage.
However, once the laws are on the books and the initial
headlines fade, it’s important to remember that the impetus behind them remains
as important as ever – and it’s up to us to keep these important safety
requirements top-of-mind.
Milestone Management
One media relations “tool” that has proven particularly
successful is leveraging the anniversaries of these laws to reinforce key
safety messages. While many companies and industries mark significant
anniversaries by the decade, the important number for us is none other than
lucky number seven.
That’s because when many CO safety laws were implemented, many
CO alarms had an expected, useful life of approximately seven years before
expiration. When it comes to marking seven year CO legislation anniversaries,
there’s no bigger year than 2018. That’s because in 2011 a wave of legislation
initiatives brought CO protection to the forefront of home safety. A dozen
states enacted the 2009 International Residential Code, which required CO alarms
in newly constructed homes, or enacted CO legislation of their own. For people
that complied when their state’s law went in effect, it is very likely that
their CO alarms are in need of replacement.
Customized
Communications
For First Alert’s CO Legislation Anniversary campaign, the
LCWA home PR
team researched the laws of each affected state (California, Idaho, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia,
Washington and Wisconsin). As no two laws are exactly the same, it was critical
to uncover any nuances and specifics in order to draft customized, accurate
press materials that we could use in each state.
While this approach takes significantly more time and effort
that a one-size-fits-all press release, these extra steps provided our team
with relevancy, credibility and trustworthy expertise when
approaching local media. Our team was able to go beyond simply providing
general information – and instead explain the specific impact for citizens in
each jurisdiction.
Preparation – and persistence – leads to success, and as of
today, the program has yielded more than 88 million media impressions. However,
what impresses me the most is that these numbers were achieved through good,
old-fashioned pitching. It’s “safe” to say (no pun intended) that few media
would have even been aware of their state’s anniversary without our efforts –
let alone cover it.
As the lines between advertising and public relations
continue to blur, it’s a good reminder that PR is uniquely positioned to make
the most of these types of opportunities for our clients.
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