Restoration 1 Seizes a Timely Opportunity
Opportunity
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, demand grew for home improvement services as homeowners used the time at home to make upgrades and improvements.
At the same time, entrepreneurs began looking for “essential business” franchises in which to invest. As CEO of the rapidly expanding home service franchise brand, Gary Findley recognized the opportunity to reach both customers and potential franchisees.
Insight
BizCom identified the perfect venue for showcasing Gary’s colorful personality and reaching both audiences: the long-running reality TV show Undercover Boss.
With an average audience of over 5 million viewers on CBS, plus millions more on streaming platforms, the show offered Gary a way to showcase the company to potential customers as well as generate leads from potential franchisees.
Approach
CBS considers as many as 80 potential “bosses” before green-lighting only a handful of candidates. Based on previous experience with the program, BizCom was able to prepare Finley for an initial interview that would be taped and sent to CBS as part of the selection process.
Based on the taped interview and follow-up one-on-one interviews, Gary was one of ___ “bosses” selected for a segment on the show.
Gary’s appearance on Undercover Boss was strategically timed to coincide with the release of his autobiography, The Redneck CEO.
BizCom worked with producers to identify the most visually appealing jobs to feature on the show – the dirtier, the better!
Findley went undercover from May 10-22 as “Bobby Turner” He traveled across the country working at Restoration 1 locations, dressed as restoration newbie in a mullet wig, dyed beard and mustache, ripped shirt, and fake tattoos.
Finley’s episode aired in March 2022 and to celebrate, BizCom worked with the Restoration 1 team to organize and host a “World Premier” party complete with a Red Carpet and “Oscar” presentation.
Results
Results from the show were immediate:
• Franchise leads more than doubled from an average of 24/mo to 70 in March. Leads remained higher than average in the three months following the show.
• Restoration 1’s consumer website traffic tripled from the previous three month average
• BizCom media outreach efforts generated 109 total placements, resulting in 88,205,186 total earned impressions
