Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
Coalition Reaches More Consumers and Fire Service
In 2016, the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) completely renovated its website, HomeFireSprinkler.org, better optimizing it for today’s digital age and making it easier for target audiences to find the free home fire sprinkler education resources they need. Now, HFSC is taking the next step with digital media advertising to further promote the website and its vast library of resources.
HFSC recently expanded its online reach using paid search, display, and video advertising on Google, YouTube and other similar networks. The two primary target audiences are consumers who are looking to build new homes and the fire service. The major benefit of the digital advertising campaigns is that they are much more dynamic than traditional advertising and cost effective; HFSC can more closely monitor results and make regular adjustments to determine the best way to drive traffic to its resources.
The consumer campaign, which was launched in April with digital and video advertising, aims to make consumers aware that fire sprinklers are available for homes, persuading those who are building homes to consider installing fire sprinklers. Paid search advertising will target searches for subjects such as homebuilding, residential construction, and home plans, among others. Additionally, when consumers visit those types of websites and online forums, display ads will appear with messaging such as “Home Fire Sprinklers Protect Your Family, Pets, and Property” and “Fire Sprinklers: Build with Them. Protect What You Value Most.” Searches of homebuilding-related subjects on YouTube and other websites will also lead to corresponding video advertising. Both the display and video ads prompt consumers to obtain free guides and provide a link to a landing page for the new campaign, MyHomeFireSprinkler.org.
MyHomeFireSprinkler.org provides home fire sprinkler facts and costs, while also dispelling the myths about them. More importantly, it directs consumers to download the “Future of Fire Safety Here Today” and “Building with Fire Sprinklers” informational guides. The “Future of Fire Safety Here Today” is a home fire sprinkler education piece intended for the consumers, while the “Building with Fire Sprinklers” guide is to help them educate their homebuilders, designers, architects, and others involved in the homebuilding industry. In order to download the guides, consumers must fill out a form with their name and email address, which HFSC can use to target and remarket to them at a later date.
Launched earlier in March, the fire service campaign is designed similarly to the consumer campaign, but with a limited amount of video assets. Also, traffic generated by the advertising will be linked to the fire service section of HFSC’s website. Secondary audiences for the campaign include code enforcement, building, and elected/appointed officials. HFSC’s paid search advertising with messages such as “Reduce Home Fire Deaths by 80%, Free Info Home Fire Sprinklers” and “Cut Fireground Death & Injury with Home Fire Sprinklers” will appear with search term phrases for “Fire Prevention,” “Fire Safety Programs,” “Firefighter Safety,” and “Live Fire Demo’” among others.
Between the two digital media advertising campaigns, HFSC looks to more efficiently influence and educate its core audiences about home fire sprinklers, generate traffic to its website, and measure the impact of its messaging.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Erik Hoffer is a writer for Frankfort, Illinois-based Peg Paul & Associates, writing on behalf of fire sprinkler advocacy and fire safety organizations such as the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (homefiresprinkler.org).
