ABC-TV’s Emmy Award-winning “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” filmed a two-show special in Knoxville. More than 4,000 volunteers worked seven days around-the-clock to build a 4,000-square-foot-plus house for a deserving family. Grace Construction, the lead contractor on the project, approached Moxley Carmichael to provide public relations services on a pro bono basis.
Using its strong ties to local media and community leaders, Moxley Carmichael handled all local promotion of the week-long build, including:
- Pitching stories to news media
- Coordinating interviews
- Hosting press conferences
- Managing the Extreme Home Tennessee website, Facebook page and Twitter account
- Designing signage, lanyards and other materials
- Distributing regular media updates and pleas for donations and support
Moxley Carmichael also handled the promotion of a pep rally to kick off the project at the Tennessee Theatre, which was attended by about 1,000 volunteers and sponsors. Moxley Carmichael was the conduit through which “Extreme Makeover” representatives communicated with the local media and the public. During the build, Moxley Carmichael representatives were on the construction site each day to assist print, television and radio media representatives.
Articles about the “Extreme Makeover” build appeared locally, regionally and nationally. In the Knoxville television market, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” was mentioned 418 times during the period, gaining a total local viewership of 16,531,470 with a publicity value of $407,139. The project was also covered in scores of newspaper articles and radio reports as well.
Moxley Carmichael also was charged with social media communication during the build. Social media was an invaluable tool for immediate communication with volunteers and the public. When the build team needed anything from construction materials to skilled labor to hot sandwiches, the call went out on the Extreme Home TN social media accounts, and the needs were quickly met.
By the end of the build, the Extreme Home TN Facebook page had more than 1,700 likes and the Twitter account nearly 700 followers. Social media engagement was significant: As examples, on January 15 during the build, more than 475 people were talking about the Extreme Home TN page; by January 20, the page was receiving over 60,000 impressions.