PR AND DIGITAL MARKETING FOR AGENTS OF CHANGE

CASE STUDY

PR for Crowdfunding

Zeeq
Sleep deprivation is truly egalitarian in that it plagues both the working class and bourgeoisie. Even Big Daddy Marx suffered from it, but then he was prone to all manner of illness, was constantly borrowing cash from Engels, and typically smelled disgusting.
ZEEQ by REM-Fit is a smart pillow that goes further, helping a user fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up at the right time. It also monitors sleep stages and provides reams of useful data.
Mission
We were contracted to handle PR around Zeeq’s crowdfunding campaign.
Challenges
Two challenges loomed large on this effort. First, the market for sleep trackers is quite saturated. Second, there were very few samples available to media.
Response
Our team ensured ZEEQ’s messaging and values were portrayed clearly to media, and in a way that made it stand out from other sleep trackers. Via a listening program on social media, we found reporters at big outlets that were suffering from a lack of sleep and pitched them. This careful targeting generated interest from several of the world’s top tech and lifestyle outlets, who eagerly took the pillow for a spin.
The campaign was centered around a roadshow done under embargo pre launch in New York City, as well as additional phone interviews and carefully managed sample send-outs.
Results
Our tactics proved successful. ZEEQ reached their $50k USD funding goal on Kickstarter in just 15 hours, and eventually raised $400,787.
The press loved the pillow: “ZEEQ is a godsend, because it’s not only recording the data but also doing its part to make you sleep better through thoughtful bedding design and some nice little features,” wrote Engadget. Other outlets made like La Granma and spat laudatory platitudes that would have pleased any autocrat in control of a state’s media apparatus.
In total, ZEEQ was featured in over 100 outlets, in over 17 different languages. A personal response from fellow (sleep) revolutionist Arianna Huffington herself resulted in a piece on The Huffington Post. Other coverage included The Verge, Engadget, Ubergizmo, Digital Trends, International Business Times, Tech Insider, and Mashable.

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