Berkshire Roofing Press Kit
THE CHALLENGE
Owens Corning is the most recognized residential roofing brand in America. Its Berkshire® Collection of roofing shingles was the first premium line of super-laminate shingles to accurately replicate the thick look and feel of natural slate roofing with its rich color variations and textures.
Three years after the initial product launch, Owens Corning knew that the premium line of shingles hadn¹t received the attention it deserved and approached HMH to help generate excitement around the products. Berkshire shingles were not well known among roofing contractors and there was virtually no knowledge of the product¹s superior aesthetic value. Given that roofing material is often seen as a commodity product, and typically is given consideration only when the roof begins to leak, our challenge was to give the collection a serious awareness boost.
THE APPROACH
HMH tied messaging to the Berkshire shingle's ability to re-create slate's natural beauty, and the fact that slate roofs installed at the peak of the material's usage‹nearly 100 years ago‹are only now at the end of their useful life. This historical perspective provided a compelling hook for our media outreach.
THE WORK
To achieve maximum exposure for the product with the desired audiences — roofing contractors and homeowners — HMH created a customized press kit that included an actual shingle sample board sized specifically for the mailing, and a personalized letter on parchment to the editor, highlighting the beauty of slate, its history in roofing and the ability of this line of shingles to realistically re-create the look of slate at a much lower cost.
The custom designed box, inserts and labeling all built on the beauty of the Berkshire line with compelling application shots highlighting the curb appeal that a distinctive roof can add to a home. As a gift to the targeted list of editors, HMH included an art book of lush photography of the interior and exterior design details that make a house a home. The press kit was mailed to a qualified list of editors at building and construction industry trade magazines, as well as to lifestyle and consumer shelter publications. The editors who received the mailing also received e-mails and phone calls asking for their opinion of the product, and inquiries into how Owens Corning could participate in upcoming editorial opportunities that might involve roofing.
THE RESULTS
Of the recipients, 41% either had an immediate opportunity for Owens Corning's Berkshire roofing or planned to use the product information in their next building material focus. Another 30% asked for more product information for future projects and for updates from Owens Corning on future product developments. The resulting coverage ranged from roofing product and trend features to inclusion in sponsored show home projects. Additionally, the mailing and subsequent follow-up resulted in many new editorial relationships and even opened up new opportunities for coverage of other Owens Corning exterior products.
