Schlage issues strong challenge to unlock brand's true potential

Client
Schlage (Carmel, IN)

PR agency
Young & Laramore (Indianapolis, IN)

Campaign
Key to Strong Challenge

Duration
June 23-27, 2012

Budget
$50,000-$70,000

To ensure consumers remember a lock company, agency Young & Laramore worked with Schlage to create an experiential brand campaign in the Seattle market.

Strategy
The Key to Strong Challenge, a citywide scavenger hunt, took brand engagement beyond traditional paid media. To fuel consumer interest in the company, Young & Lara-more locked a volunteer in a 174-square-foot house in downtown Seattle.

Interested residents were led on a five-day challenge to find the Schlage key to unlock the house and win a cash prize.

Tactics

Without any paid advertising, the challenge generated several hundred participants initially and was narrowed down to 30. The locked-up volunteer was given a blog, Twitter handle, and cellphone to release clues. Focusing on the strength of Schlage locks, all 14 clues reflected a strong characteristic, including Seattle's Hammering Man sculpture and a strong cup of Starbucks coffee.

Results
The Key to Strong Challenge exposed the brand differently than the company's traditional advertising. Schlage.com saw a 38% increase in Web traffic after the campaign and 10% to 15% sales growth within the first two weeks. The challenge was covered on the Downtown Seattle site, on iDigHardware, and internationally at Nikkei Marketing Journal in Japan.

Ann Matheis, Schlage's brand director, says the campaign's new platform encouraged "consumers to become highly engaged with a brand in a low-involvement category such as door locks."

Future
Young & Laramore continues to work with Schlage and plans to roll out the challenge in other markets nationally.