Screenblock Case Study
Challenge:
The consultancy was challenged to launch Screenblock, a device that limits the amount of television that children can watch. It controls the supply of power to the television during allocated viewing times, which are pre-agreed by parents, and automatically shuts down the television once viewing time has finished.
The device was created by inventor, Tony Ratcliffe, after realising that his own children were watching too much TV. The product was successfully trialled amongst 40 families and was found to significantly reduce family arguments and encouraged children to pursue other activities in their spare time. Screenblock also proved popular with the children who felt the device gave them much greater control over their own time.
The objective was to launch Screenblock to parents and other influencers of children and inform them of its value to the family environment. A further objective was to increase hits to the web site where the product could be purchased.
Strategy:
The strategy agreed was to raise awareness of the negative impact on children of watching too much television and to create debate amongst parents and other influencers. Research shows that too much TV can lead to obesity, sleep deprivation, hyperactivity and lack of concentration.
However, it was a critical part of the strategy that Screenblock wasn’t positioned as an anti TV product. Messaging was focused around Screenblock’s ability to remove tension amongst families caused by excessive TV watching and its role as a tool for parents to help control when their children watched TV. Important too was the message that Screenblock was also a tool for children to help them manage their own time more effectively.
Tactics:
The consultancy commissioned research to identify the viewing habits of children amongst 500 families in the UK. The research also questioned parents about how they monitored their children’s TV viewing and the effects of TV on their children.
The results revealed that children in the UK spent more time in front of a television than they did in front of a teacher. A hard hitting news release, accompanied by a full report of the findings and good photography, was distributed as a Sunday for Monday to national print and broadcast. Regional variations of the story were distributed to local press and broadcast and retail trade press stories were also developed. Comments from third parties, including a behavioural psychologist were included in press collateral.
The launch release was supplemented by competitions in women’s consumer press, product reviews in lifestyle and gadget press, case-studies of delighted Screenblock owners, distribution of the product to journalists with young families and a word of mouth campaign on parenting web-sites. A letters campaign in national and regional press helped maintain the debate.
A programme of releases post launch was also developed to capitalise on seasonal opportunities such as school holidays and Christmas, as well as events in the news. A question from the original survey identified the UK’s most popular ‘soap’ mum. Coronation Street’s Gail Tilsley was voted number one, but the results were held back and released to coincide with her then high profile story line.
Results:
The three month launch campaign generated coverage in eleven national newspapers, as well as interviews on Richard and Judy, Sky News and some fifteen regional radio stations. Web site coverage included BBCi, GMTV, the electronic Telegraph and Consumer Education. Coverage was also achieved in Woman magazine, Take A Break, Family Circle and Right Start.
In total the media relations programme generated over 18.5 million opportunities to see with nearly 40% of coverage mentioning the web-site or freephone number.
As a direct result of the press coverage, average daily hits to the web site increased by over 300 per cent. During the three month campaign, a total of 4,735 hits to the website were received.
Ninety five per cent of coverage was positive about the value and benefits of Screenblock and the key messages delivered were around the control that the device gave parents as well as the motivation that it gave children to be more selective about what they watched.
