The Project: Don’t Fraud My Texas PR and Advocacy Campaign
Don’t Fraud My Texas is an award-winning publicity campaign advocating against fraud in the Texas roofing market.
In early 2022, Thrive was tasked by a new volunteer committee comprised of Texas roofing trade association leaders to create the campaign’s branding strategy, communications strategy and then implement and launch the campaign. The integrated PR campaign included branding, social media (organic and paid), video, communications materials and media relations.
The Challenge
Background
Texas consistently ranks number one for roof-related hail damage insurance claims in the country. Failure to pay property insurance deductibles has been against Texas law for decades.
However, because of a poorly-worded 1989 statute, the law was confusing and not enforced. As a result, many roofing contractors began waiving deductibles to win business with no legal ramifications.
In 2019, a new Texas law passed making it crystal clear that it’s illegal for contractors to waive deductibles, yet many continued to break the law to win business, with no prosecutions.
This left law-abiding roofers across Texas frustrated. These contractors install quality roofs, adhere to a strict code of ethics as members of professional associations and face an uphill battle to compete against free roof schemes.
Most consumers are not aware of the law and think those offering to not charge them a deductible are doing them a “favor,” but they are not. Instead, to afford to give them the “free roof”, they cut corners that can void homeowners’ warranties, break the law and entangle consumers in insurance fraud (a felony) through falsified invoices.
Thrive’s Role
Thrive was tasked by a new volunteer committee comprised of Texas roofing trade association leaders to:
- BRANDING. Determine how to best position, name, brand and communicate a new statewide initiative dedicated to raising awareness, driving action and advocating for enforcement of the property insurance deductible law passed in Texas in 2019 to protect property owners.
- INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY. Formulate a communications strategy to gain support from the roofing associations across Texas
- IMPLEMENTATION. Create and implement a strategic communications plan to launch the initiative.
The Solution: Research, Planning, Implementation
We conducted primary and secondary research to inform our strategic plan, tactics and messaging.
We planned and executed a strategic, integrated communications plan to brand and launch the campaign, leveraging Texas roofing associations and its members to help amplify and distribute the content.
Our multi-pronged approach utilized engaging consumer educational content across various communication channels, all designed to drive contractors and consumers to DontFraudMyTexas.com, where they could access educational information and report fraud/law-breaking activity and evidence to an investigative partner.
Key Don’t Fraud My Texas Campaign Strategies Included:
- Brand the campaign with an engaging name and logo that resonates with Texas consumers and roofing contractors
- Secure funding from the Texas Roofing Associations
- Position Don’t Fraud My Texas (DFMT) to avoid false perceptions that DFMT would be obtaining or enforcing any reported information
- Focus external messaging on consumers to help contractors educate and warn property owners how “free roofs” hurt them
- Drive traffic to DontFraudMyTexas.com, to provide education and clear links to investigative agency’s web page to report insurance fraud
- Leverage the collective 1200+ members of Texas roofing associations to amplify DFMT educational content
- Create digital and print educational content that speaks to consumers and that roofing association members are likely to engage with and share with consumers and other contractors (video, postcard, social media)
- To ensure branding and messaging consistency, provide graphics and copywriting to the participating association that volunteered to build the Don’t Fraud My Texas website
- Leverage and utilize associations’ existing communication channels to amplify content (member enewsletters, social media channels, in-person events)
- Utilize organic social media plus targeted paid social media strategy to increase reach and drive traffic to the DFMT website
- Create press release and media pitches; time outreach with newsworthy events, such as major storms, new related scams or arrests
- Work with legal counsel on the committee to obtain approval and ensure that all content was accurate
- Plan and execute a 3-month launch period, with consistent, branded, integrated content across channels
The Results
As a result of this project:
- The Don’t Fraud My Texas initiative secured funding and public support from 6 Texas roofing associations
- Within 4 months of launching brand new DFMT social media channels, we exceeded our goals of 200K impressions and 15K engagements
- The consumer awareness video Thrive created reached almost 125K viewers with 2,500 click-throughs to the DFMT website and 200K impressions
- We secured close to 4K page views of the DontFraudMyTexas.com website within 3 months of launch
- Actionable Texas property insurance fraud reports were submitted to our investigative agency partner through the DFMT efforts
- We secured media coverage in a Dallas Morning News article by the consumer watchdog columnist and in trade publications including Roofing Contractor magazine, Western Roofing and Roofers Coffee Shop
- Thrive won several awards for this project, including:
- PRSA Worthy Award for Social Media/Digital Communications Program
- PRSA Pegasus Award of Honor for Most Effective Campaign on a Budget
Client Feedback
“I have worked with Thrive across 12 years – in my leadership roles at NTRCA, in work they have done for my company and, most recently, as chair of a new statewide advocacy campaign. Over time, even as the world of PR and marketing communications has changed, Thrive has consistently provided wise counsel, smart strategy and excellence in everything they deliver.”
