Background
QuakeHold! is the oldest and largest manufacturer of earthquake safety fasteners in the United States and Japan. Begun in 1991 as an at-home business, QuakeHold! rapidly expanded its product line and distribution. Although QuakeHold! was well-known in its home base of Southern California, the company wanted to increase its visibility and sales in other earthquake-prone markets.

Strategy
QuakeHold! selected Landis Communications Inc. to design a public relations strategy to garner attention for and help boost sales of QuakeHold! products in Northern California. LCI crafted a regional strategy around the 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake that positioned QuakeHold’s representatives as the “go-to” experts on preparing the inside of one’s home or business for an earthquake.

Tactics
LCI began the QuakeHold! promotion by developing key messages and a full press kit, including a “Top Ten” list of earthquake preparedness suggestions. LCI helped QuakeHold! update the company’s Web site by incorporating the new messaging and tips into existing content.

Because QuakeHold’s spokespeople were both knowledgeable and personable, LCI wanted members of the press to meet them face-to-face to give personality to the product. To foster this goal, LCI developed promotional partnerships with Bay Area institutions, such as the Oakland Museum of California, for special events and exhibitions around the anniversary. LCI leveraged media interest and attendance at these events to distribute the “Top Ten” list, QuakeHold! samples and earthquake preparedness advice to press attendees.

LCI took this personal approach one step further by offering a hands-on product demonstration by earthquake-proofing areas of reporters’ homes, including reporters from The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle.

Also, LCI crafted a rapid response plan to take advantage of earthquake news during the proactive campaign. Immediate media outreach offering expert earthquake preparedness advice in response to small Northern California earthquakes in spring 2006 garnered additional television coverage.

Results
The QuakeHold! promotional campaign attracted significant attention in national and Bay Area newspapers, on Bay Area television and radio and in online media outlets, including: The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, KPIX-TV, KNTV-TV, KGO-TV, KNSD-TV, KCBS-AM, KGO-AM, KQKE-FM and SFist.com. Overall, LCI earned over 19 million gross impressions for the QuakeHold! promotion. The sales of QuakeHold! products were 41.4 percent greater in April – May 2006 than the same period in 2005.