Challenge:

To engage the women’s interest consumer media in an already populated industry of trusted brands

Strategy and Objectives:

ThermaCELL and Avalon Communications began working together to increase brand recognition and overall consumer awareness within a different audience than the already established consumer. Avalon’s Communications challenge was to create recognition of the ThermaCELL Mosquito Repelling brand within the women’s interest audience.

When ThermaCELL came to Avalon Communications, the brand had, for the most part, successfully achieved brand awareness within the target verticals of hunting, fishing, and beyond. However, ThermaCELL had recently launched their Patio Lantern product that was geared at not only the outdoorsy person but the outdoor entertainer with an eye for décor. Developed with a more sleek design for women in mind, the Patio Lantern launched with a traditional public relations campaign. Avalon Communications and the ThermaCELL team successfully pursued a daunting task of introducing a new mosquito repellant into an already saturated market. The following year, ThermaCELL launched another lantern, at a lower price point yet just as aesthetically appealing for the women’s interest audience.

For the launches of both lanterns, Avalon Communications objective was to establish brand relevance among women, moms, and families in both the US and Canadian Markets. Secondary objectives have been to also keep in mind the Outdoor lantern for relevant stories along with the handheld appliance.

Results:

Avalon Communications succeeded in securing impressions in national magazines including: Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, GQ, All You, Better Homes and Gardens, Handy, Men’s Journal, HEALTH, Shape, Today’s Parent, Jet, Popular Science, and many others. National newspaper coverage secured as a result of the PR program has included the Miami Herald, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Boston Globe, Denver Post, Globe & Mail, Seattle Times, The Week, and others.

Avalon’s efforts also established the ThermaCELL media presence throughout the Canadian market place thereby actively supporting the brand’s prominent retailers in that market, Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire.

Avalon’s public relations support and counsel has successfully reinforced the brand awareness of ThermaCELL’s Mosquito Repellant Options and the firm continues to promote the ThermaCELL product line with an all-inclusive public relations campaign.