Company: Carpet One Floor & Home
Agency: Creative Press
Timeframe: Fall 2004 - present
It takes nothing away from the dreadful disease to say that breast cancer has become the workhorse of the philanthropic world. If a pink ribbon will stick to it, it's been
stuck. Sales from the second soundtrack album of the teen TV drama "One Tree Hill" benefit the cause. Fujifilm has provided free breast cancer screenings. Carl's Jr. fast food
stores have given out pink "happy star" to diners who donate a dollar to help fight breast cancer.
It's a blessing and a curse for the PR practitioner seeking an appropriate cause-marketing vehicle. On the one hand, the cause is universally recognized and it meets with vast
public sympathy. On the other hand, everyone else got there first. Does it really make sense to throw your hat into a ring that's this crowded?
In fall 2004, Carpet One Floor & Home decided to hitch its wagon to the pink ribbon and has come up smiling. Its breast cancer campaign has scored media attention, public
awareness and the support of the company's affiliate stores through the U.S. and Canada. The campaign involves welcome mats, each emblazoned with the ubiquitous ribbon or a
related awareness design. Selling for about $20 apiece, the mats are reintroduced with fresh designs each spring and fall.
Thanks to the wide circulation of breast cancer information, Carpet One was able to easily identify two partners for the effort: the American Cancer Society and the Canadian
Cancer Society. But lesson number one was learned quickly: Bigger is not always better. While these preeminent groups have cache, in this case, the American affiliate wasn't the
perfect match for the initiative.
Soon after the launch, "our American members came back with the feedback that they wanted an organization that was more targeted at the breast cancer cause," says Carpet One
senior PR specialist Lindsey Hutter. Today the American program teams with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, in deference to the individual storeowners.
Those store owners were themselves a crucial audience in this effort. Carpet One's corporate structure involves the voluntary affiliation of storeowners who can pick and choose
as they wish among the company's programs. To make this effort work, Hutter says, the corporate office would need buy-in from the individual stores.
Through early surveys with storeowners, says Hutter, "We definitely heard that this was a cause that was important to them and something that was important to their customers."
And because the store owners are independent, "We really try to do things that are important to them, rather than just making decisions at the corporate level."
To sustain that support, storeowners hear about the breast cancer program at the twice-annual corporate convention, both through a large-scale address as well as at a booth
display, where owners can learn about the program in a more one-on-one setting. Frequent mailings go out and program details are posted to the intranet. The five-person PR staff
also supports a dedicated e-mail account and dedicated phone line for those seeking program information.
Unlike many others supporting this cause, Carpet One runs its breast cancer promotion not once but twice a year: In the fall - October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - and
again in the spring. "One of the things we have heard in multiple places is that breast cancer doesn't just happen in October. It happens all year long," Hutter says.
By happy coincidence, a spring campaign helps Carpet One get out from under the endless barrage of pink ribbon efforts that come in the fall. That has helped the company score
some high visibility hits, including Woman's Day and InStyle Home. The campaign got a nod on Rachael Ray's show after the team sent Ray a welcome mat of her very own.
Carpet One also has coordinated with a pair of magazines to produce a design contest. Visitors to the Carpet One Web site can submit designs for potential mats, with the
winning designs appearing in either Country Living or Canadian Home & Country. Prizes include $2,500 worth of carpet.
"It seemed like a good way to get the word out about the campaign. It was something fun, and it was a way for us to see what kinds of things consumers would want to see on a
welcome mat," Hutter says.
At the same time, the fall campaign allows Carpet One to pursue the media welcome mat that rolls out for pink ribbon efforts. In October, Hutter notes, "Every women's magazine
is doing a pink special."
Sarasota, FL-based agency Creative Press has helped produce and distribute various media materials.
As the campaign has unfolded the overall cost has dropped, from $139,000 in the fall of 2004 to $85,000 in the fall of 2005, with 2006 expected to come in even lower once the
final count is in. The higher initial cost reflected research and setup expenses. Carpet maker Milliken has supported Carpet One through the design and manufacture of the mats at
a discounted price.
Despite all the noise surrounding the cause, Carpet One is making its mark, raising $340,000 since the campaign's inception, with the 2006 tally still pending. By the end of
the spring 2007 campaign the total is expected to reach half a million dollars. The program has drawn 21 million media impressions in 41 states and Canada.
Even in a media marketplace in which similar messages echo endlessly, Carpet One has shown that there is always room for one more voice, so long as its message is crafted with
clarity.
CONTACT:
Lindsey Hutter, 800.450.7595 x2305, [email protected]
Lessons Learned
Carpet One Floor & Home has long supported philanthropic causes, including Toys for Tots and children's literacy programs. In its most recent endeavor, the company has
waded into the churning waters of breast cancer awareness where, despite the many corporate campaigns supporting the cause, it has managed to sustain a successful fundraising
campaign over the course of several years. Here's some of what has been learned.
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Get internal buy-in. In this case, "internal" refers not to corporate employees, but rather to the independent storeowners who make up the Carpet One network. Their
support has been crucial in a campaign that depends on retail sales as its main avenue of fundraising. The PR team has communicated frequently with the storeowners and has
listened with equal fervor, even dropping a major sponsor (the American Cancer Society) when storeowners said they would prefer a different avenue.
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Find the fit. The PR team wanted to pair the fundraising effort with the corporate mission in some way that made sense. "We were looking for something that tied into what
we are, something that really represented what our stores do," says Carpet One senior PR Specialist Lindsey Hutter. Eventually the team hit on indoor/outdoor welcome mats as a
carpeting angle that could be easily adorned with pink ribbon-related design work.
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Work out of season. Breast Cancer Awareness Month falls in October, and the Carpet One PR shop is ready to capitalize on that connection with a fall fundraising push. But
the team then comes back with another round in the spring. In this way the campaign is able to get from under the virtual avalanche of breast cancer coverage that dominates the
fall media messaging.
Best Practices
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Support a cause that is important to your target customers and employees. Gather research, conduct surveys, and chat with your employees to find out what causes or
organizations they already support or have a personal connection to. Employees will be more committed to the program and customers will be more interested in your campaign.
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Create a product that ties into your business. Carpet One Floor & Home chose to create pink ribbon welcome mats because the product is a natural extension of the
flooring options that retail locations already offer. It creates a logical connection between the product and the company for consumers and the media.
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Donate a significant percentage of sales. It makes a much stronger impact to donate a tangible amount, rather than saying "all proceeds," and to donate a significant
portion of sales. Carpet One donates 25% of the sale price of each welcome mat.
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Develop strong partnerships. Choose a product manufacturer that you know and trust. And, do your research before choosing an organization to support. Carpet One Floor &
Home has developed strong and mutually beneficial partnerships with the welcome mat manufacturer and with the organizations the company supports.
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Build a buzz with innovative ideas. Continue to brainstorm new ideas for improving your product and generating more excitement around your campaign. In 2006, Carpet One
launched a welcome mat design contest with Canadian Home & Country magazine. After its success, the company launched a sister contest in the U.S. with Country Living
magazine.