Lycored
The Challenge
Initially, the goal was to introduce the public to a newly-recognized carotenoid called lycopene. This approach included educating the public about lycopene's health benefits, the foods it comes from, and ways to get more of it into your diet.
Once the initial education phase ended, the challenge was to educate the public about the need for all natural tomato complex supplements, which contain lycopene.
Campaign Strategy
Media Relations (MRI) took a layered approach to present this broad and multi-facted topic to the media. Initially, MRI pitched the story of lycopene as a newly recognized carotenoid with health benefits that come primarily from tomatoes.
Subsequent angles focused on the need to supplement the human diet with all natural tomato lycopene supplements. MRI backed these pitches with scientific studies demonstrating lycopene's effectiveness in cancer and heart disease prevention and treatment.
MRI approached both health/medical reporters, and food and nutrition reports. Well-recognized doctors were sought out to serve as spokespeople.
MRI recruited an author to write the book, Tomato Power, about the health benefits of tomatoes and lycopene. MRI created an in-depth web site for LycoRed, complete with a special section for the media and detailed information about recent studies.
MRI created four unique b-rolls for LycoRed, featuring different spokespeople and different health angles.
Story angles included general education about lycopene, and lycopene's role in helping prevent or treat prostate cancer, heart disease, UV damage, and more. Additional releases were written in conjunction with important studies with new findings on lycopene.
Campaign Results
Since 1996, MRI has secured hundreds of placements ranging from national to regional and local, in both print and broadcast media.
Placements include: Time, NBC Today Show, America's Health Network, Woman's World, New York Times, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, WNBC, CNN, Cope (ACT-TV), AP, UPI, San Diego Union Tribune, Men's Health, WOR radio (as well as hundreds of radio interviews nationwide), Copley News Service, Denver Post, Better Nutrition and Family Circle.
