The multi-media campaign behind the American Hardwood Export Council’s (AHEC) Endless Stair promotional project in September included press releases, YouTube videos, multiple Twitter tweets, even a dancing ‘flash mob’. The result has been global publicity with an initially estimated value in equivalent advertising of over US$2m. That makes it an even greater success than AHEC’s previous marketing hit, the Timber Wave.
"We’re really happy with the outcomes to date, and the publicity is still ongoing, with further in-depth articles due out in leading architectural and design press," said AHEC’s assistant European director, Belinda Cobden- Ramsay. "We’ve hit all our media targets."
Like the Timber Wave structure before it in 2011, the Endless Stair formed a focal point of the London Design Festival (LDF), this time built outside the iconic Tate Modern gallery rather than the Victoria & Albert Museum. Comprising a complex structure of interlocking staircases in cross-laminated American No 2 common tulipwood, it was designed by architects dRMM and engineered by Arup. The aim, from AHEC’s point of view, was to highlight the potential of hardwood generally in construction, its use in engineered form, and particularly the capacity of lower grades of such a prolific species as tulipwood to take on this sort of demanding application.
Publicity started in May, with a mix of press releases and online coverage via the project partners’ websites and Twitter, all featuring computer-generated images of the finished structure.
"One of the many lessons we learned and built on from The Wave, was that quality images are an absolutely central hook for any campaign, and that applies to all media," said Ms Cobden-Ramsay.
As the LDF approached, the promotion built momentum, including release of a film on the development of the structure, featuring an interview with architect Alex de Rijke.
"This and a second video, a time-lapse film of the Stair’s construction, achieved 5,000 hits on AHEC’s YouTube Channel alone," said Ms Cobden-Ramsay. "They were also hosted on dRMM and the LDF’s sites, and elsewhere, and Dezeen magazine made its own."
The exposure of the Stair, she acknowledged, was partly down to the "huge buzz around the LDF".
"But we were absolutely intent on making the most of it. Part of that was having an official launch event, complete with dancers. It was a bit of fun, but really caught the media’s attention."
The flash mob fulfilled the same role. "We didn’t organise it, but we had to authorise it and, of course, were there with cameras at the ready!" said Ms Cobden-Ramsay.
The launch created an instant publicity surge, with half a dozen UK national papers giving the Stair prominent coverage on its first weekend open to the public. Since then it has clocked up 211 press clippings in the UK (62% online) and 470 worldwide.
"The twitter campaign has been very extensive too," said Ms Cobden-Ramsay. "Again from the Wave, we’ve really learned how to use the hashtag and have been multiply retweeted!"
While we may be in a brave new online era, in AHEC’s analysis internet and press publicity still carry equal weight.
"It depends on your audience," said Ms Cobden-Ramsay. "For consumers, online is now the key, but for the serious designer and other professional media, you still need the press release."
Of course, the ultimate aim of the campaign was not just to get multiple online hits, and clippings, but also ultimately to make the construction market more fertile ground for US hardwood. Early signs are that it’s done this too.
"We’re now getting serious enquiries about use of engineered tulipwood," said Ms Cobden-Ramsay.