Here's a PR campaign we thought was an impressive feat, pun intended.
To coincide with the annual conference of the National Association of Broadcaster (which opens today in Las Vegas), Los Angeles PR agency Skip Ferderber & Associates sent 75 trade journalists (some in overseas markets) Dr. Scholl's comfort insoles for client Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Transoft, which develops and markets digital data products, systems and technologies and relies on the networking it does at NAB to generate press coverage.
Price tag for the campaign was between $491 and $509, according to PR NEWS estimates.
The $2 insoles --which each cost between 55 and 78 cents to mail -- went to journalists in two different sizes depending on their gender. The PR firm was savvy enough to send larger insoles to male journalists. Also included was a press release inviting the reporters to drop by Transoft's NAB booth and enjoy a full-body electric massage. Last week, Skip Ferderber said he was buying two $150 massagers to round out the PR campaign and make sure the company delivered on its promise.
"We tried this gimmick because I was a former trade magazine editor and I remember that this is an agonizing show where you cover miles every day," said Ferderber. "We wanted to court these [file, video, multimedia and computer businesses tied to entertainment products] companies on an individual and friendly basis and we've learned it's far more effective to chase press in a vertical market."
As far as determining whether this will be a successful campaign, we assume the Ferderber and Transoft folks will have to determine which journalists are wearing the shoe inserts. If anything, this campaign is good PR for Dr. Scholl's. The folks at Porter-Novelli in Chicago, the PR firm for Dr. Scholl's, should thank Skip Ferderber for the free publicity. (Skip Ferderber, 818/902-2120)