When the 2020 pandemic forced many non-essential businesses to close their operations, American Leather, a leading manufacturer of luxury furniture, was among those affected. Though the factory couldn’t continue to make furniture in the short-term, their in-house sewing and manufacturing capabilities allowed them to transition their operations to making masks and gowns for healthcare workers. This meant the furniture manufacturer could employ their workers in a limited capacity during a time when many were out of work.

American Leather wanted to build awareness for this initiative, so we quickly got to work to turn this challenge into opportunity. The agency developed a full-scale media relations campaign among local and national press to spread the word. This included press releases, in-person and zoom media interviews and on-site TV coverage, showing workers making personal protective equipment (PPE).

Our efforts garnered significant national and state-wide broadcast, print, radio and online media coverage for American Leather, including nationally syndicated FOX news programming. Over just a five-month period, the coverage reached nearly 20 million viewers/readers with a value of more than $750,000 in equivalent ad spend.

It also gave American Leather an immediate boost in website traffic, which drove sales over the summer for PPEs to the public, as well as for future furniture orders. The months following the campaign recorded the highest sales numbers for the entire year.