National Public Relations Campaign Case Study
WD-40 Company
40th Anniversary
Summary
The WD-40 Company, maker of the product of the same name, had achieved its 40th anniversary. After recognizing the approaching birthday, Ms. McRae alerted WD-40 and began creating a year-long public relations campaign. The goal was to achieve $100 million in sales during the anniversary year.
The first objective of the plan was to increase product usage by introducing new and reinforcing traditional applications of the product. The second was to get consumers to use more product by encouraging them to experiment and invent new uses.
Execution
In late-December, a national news release announcing the birthday was distributed and was followed by a San Diego news release on the search for "WD-40's Most Wanted," the first users of the product who purloined it from the plant to use at home, thereby creating a large consumer market for the product before it was packaged in a can.
This story was positioned as a "thank you" to these people who first launched the product. Several people wrote in and were the subjects of subsequent publicity. The birthday story was carried on local TV and in small and large newspapers alike.
Following that, Ms. McRae targeted consumer columnists, traditionally one of the product's best media audiences. A Scripps Howard columnist wrote a lengthy story that appeared on the front page of the Arizona Republic, as well as hundreds of other Scripps Howard newspapers.
A video news release went out mid-January. It featured new uses with unusual uses – tying the educational with the newsworthy. A total of 19 stations (in the top 30 markets) aired it including major network affiliates in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Houston, Phoenix and Tampa.
At roughly the same time, Ms. McRae sent out a "Memorabilia and Unusual Uses Search" national news release, which offered T-shirts for interesting submissions.
More than 1,200 letters were received. The news release ran in 61 newspapers. (To maximize the opportunity, a follow-up news release with local uses and quotes by residents was sent to the newspapers that ran the original "Memorabilia and Unusual Uses" story. A general "here's what we heard from consumers" news release was sent to those that didn't cover the first release.)
The campaign gained tremendous momentum at this point. Ms. McRae pitched USA Today, which ran it on the cover of the "Life" section with their own illustrated art work in February. Fifteen radio/tv stations from around the globe covered WD-40 following that story, including a lengthy satirical piece on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
Additional individual pitches were sent, resulting in the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, National Enquirer, “Good Morning America,” CNN, CNBC, USA Network, “The Paul Harvey Radio Program,” “CBS Radio News with Dan Rather,” and more.
With the belief that consumers are most likely to act after a rehearsal, we conducted a New England newspaper competition and a separate nationwide newspaper competition. Consumers solved a puzzle that made them think and rehearse new uses of the product. The newspaper competition gave away bicycles, tool kits and books. It was wildly successful and WD-40 planned to continue it into their 41st birthday.
Many of the more traditional WD-40 public relations activities were given a new birthday spin this year. The radio program, which offered free product to stations that would run a WD-40 quiz, was re-worked to focus on the birthday and helping consumers to become inventors of new uses of the product. To date, 80 radio stations throughout the United States have run the contest.
Two other traditional programs that reflected the birthday spin were the editor sample kit mailing and niche news releases. Consumer and industrial editors received a special sample kit with a six-ounce can and specific application of the product, i.e. leather and crayon, gum and carpet sample, bike chain and grip, etc. Birthday information and story pitches accompanied each kit. The traditional niche news releases also carried entertaining birthday tidbits along with specific WD-40 applications.
A satellite tour, featuring WD-40 CEO Jerry Schleif, was orchestrated three weeks before the birthday event and the release of the second video news release. Over 20 TV stations from around the country were booked for time slots to interview him via satellite.
Results
The birthday announcement and "Most Wanted" news releases resulted in reaching a half million people. The video news release was watched by 2.6 million viewers. The "Memorabilia and Most Unusual Use" story reached 6.6 in circulation. Individual print news pitches resulted in 11.5 impressions. Individual broadcast news pitches resulted in 22.4 million impressions. The radio program reached 10.6 million people and the newspaper programs reached 11 million people.
All totaled, nearly 77 million people were reached by the birthday campaign. The WD-40 Company was so impressed with the campaign that they decide to create an advertising campaign based upon it. (They have also relayed that it had an effect on sales and created a jump in stock prices.)
The Public Relations Club awarded the campaign: "Best Video," "Best Televised News Story," and "Best Ongoing PR Program." The American Marketing Association granted it "Best PR Campaign," and "Best of Show," awards. The Public Relations Society of America awarded the program four awards: "Best One-Time Program," "Best Video News Release," "Best Brochure/One or Two Colors," and "Best News Release." A national Silver Anvil certificate of merit was also awarded to the campaign.