The Promotional Idea Showcase - Winter 2000 - Updated Quarterly

When a company’s introducing a new product, the theme surrounding the attached publicity isn’t all that difficult. After all, it’s something the firm has never offered before, and people tend to prick up their ears at the word “new.” But what about a product that’s been around for decades, enjoys steady sales, but simply isn’t that well-known? How do you generate publicity about that?

Damp Rid Corp. of Orlando, FL, has been making Damp Rid (a dehumidifying agent designed to hang in closets to prevent mildew, mold and musty odors) for 50 years. The product apparently works well and is very popular among users. The problem was, nobody else knew about it. So when the company was purchased by the Houston-based Tetra Corp., it was decided it was time to fix that. 

“Basically, we wanted to bring the product to light with the media,” says Mary Scott, vice president of the PR firm that handled the program. “We wanted to do so by doing something that would grab the attention of the media – something different from the usual type of media kit they receive 50 of on a daily basis. Something they’d open and say, ‘Oh, wow!’ instead of tossing it into the rest of the pile.”

The end result was an interactive media kit that arrived via UPS to 5,000 members of the media nationwide. It consisted of a long multicolored box with the Damp Rid logo, interesting graphics and the words “Interactive media kit” and “loads of fun.” Once opened, it revealed a compartmentalized tray holding a sample of the product, an instructional brochure titled “Media kit for the new millennium” and a custom-shaped CD-ROM imprinted with the Damp Rid logo. Underneath these, respectively, was a likeness of “Mr. Musty,” the company mascot, and Damp Rid’s Internet address. 

“We packed a lot of stuff onto the disc,” Scott says. “There were photos and descriptions of every Damp Rid product, sample story ideas, all the press releases, Web links, all the TV and radio commercials that were part of the campaign, information about Tetra Corp., statistics of the most humid places in the country that need protection most, a list of where to buy Damp Rid and images of Florence Henderson (Damp Rid’s spokesperson) and Mr. Musty. It was very definitely loaded with interesting and useful information.” 

Costwise, the entire mailing ran between $6 and $8 apiece, with most of the expense tied up in the box and its design. Mailings were followed up with phone calls asking recipients how they liked the kit and if they had any trouble opening it.

As it was part of a multi-tiered campaign, there were no measurable results from the mailing alone – but that doesn't mean it wasn’t successful. 

“We were very satisfied with the response,” Scott says. “We got lots of inquiries and lots of phone calls from people who hadn’t been familiar with the product and wanted to know what it was all about. There were also a decent number of articles about the kits themselves, and that’s really what we wanted.”

This online version of IMPRINT MAGAZINE is updated regularly along with the printed version.