THE CHALLENGE: Metro hired Coates Kokes to develop a three-year marketing plan to launch their new, craigslist-like website—an online marketplace to buy and sell salvaged building material. But the site was a new idea and being delivered for the first time, with love, by the very same governing body that regulates developers, architects and contractors.

THE APPROACH: While salvaging isn’t new, there has never been a formal marketplace to buy and sell. Thus over 20% of landfill-destined waste is construction and demolition material, much of which could be reused. Our research confirmed Metro’s belief: building professionals would welcome such a hassle-free resource. We just had to let them know it existed.

THE WORK: First, the site needed a name. Because the service was new and our target hasn’t traditionally turned to the web for building materials, we wanted a familiar name rooted in their business. The solution: BoneyardNW. Next, we developed messaging about the benefits of salvaging, not forgetting to mention the site is free to use. And being an exclusively online service, we focused our efforts (you guessed it) online. We initially floated our story by a few web-based, mainstream trade resources hoping our messaging would be forwarded by individuals and picked up by blogs. It was. And to catch the offline folks,
we also placed ads in traditional trade pubs.

THE RESULTS: PR alone generated over $75,000 worth of activity (with an initial budget of $12,000). A simple Google search shows over 400 BoneyardNW entries listed among blogs, print stories and del.icio.us bookmarks. In the first three months, over 3,500 people visited and clicked through approximately 10 pages each. Materials are being bought and sold.