Overview
Gunner provides roofing, siding, gutter, and window installation services, offering homeowners exceptional work, an unmatched customer experience and technological solutions that save them time and stress through their new website and patent-pending technology. Through Gunner’s website, customers can shop, purchase, and schedule the installation of their brand-new roof from anywhere or at any time. In a historically “stuck” and outdated industry, Gunner is the first to launch a platform this advanced.
Strategy
There are few, if any, roofing focused reporters across top-tier, trade, and local media. While there are a few trades like Roofing Contractor, the roofing industry does not have specific reporters that cover the beat regularly. Additionally, there are few newsjacking opportunities for the roofing industry. The client was not previously educated on PR and media, so this was entirely new to them. It was the 5W team’s job to showcase within the first six months the value and need for an ongoing media strategy and team. Gunner wanted to be known as a national brand versus a local brand, as they have offices in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. However, local media is not a focus as they are able to handle projects across the country and want to be seen as a leading national roofing company.
Results
Home Depot announced it will buy building materials supplier SRS Distribution in a $18.25 billion deal. This is one of the few newsjacking moments the team experienced. Placements included Reuters, U.S. News & World Report, Yahoo Finance and more. Focused on securing a company profile, 5W pushed the founders and co-founders’ narrative ‘from rags to riches’ which landed in a profile series with USA Today. Additionally, the team leveraged Gunner’s unique technology which led to a feature story and the July cover for Roofing Contractor.
