When your revolutionary recycled brick finally secures industry certification after years of research and development, how do you transform a technical milestone into a global story that drives ongoing coverage, retail partnerships and sales leads?
Turn construction waste into worldwide headlines with Hot Tin Roof.
When Kenoteq’s K-BRIQ – made from nearly 100% recycled construction waste – achieved BBA certification, we knew this wasn’t just another product update. As the first innovation of its type to achieve such prestigious certification after many years of testing and technical analysis, we saw an opportunity to highlight once again Kenoteq’s core messaging – that this innovation provides a solution to the construction industry’s massive waste crisis with global implications for sustainability and carbon reduction.
However, this narrative wasn’t new. We’d been talking about the brick globally for several years on some of the world’s biggest media platforms. Plus, certification announcements can be dry and too technical to capture imagination beyond trade publications. We needed to craft a narrative that would resonate from boardrooms to living rooms, from local Scottish media to international newswires.
230+
Pieces of coverage
2
Global newswires
A multi-layered approach
Working closely with Kenoteq, we developed refreshed key messaging that positioned the BBA certification as the gateway to mass production of a genuinely revolutionary building material. We crafted two distinct press releases – one for mainstream media emphasising the environmental impact, and another for trade publications focusing on technical specifications and commercial viability.
Rather than simply distribute widely and hope the story landed, we invested time in relationship building. We secured advance conversations with broadcasters, explaining the visual story opportunities at Kenoteq’s East Lothian manufacturing facility and this groundwork proved crucial in securing filming opportunities with major newswires.
Stakeholder coordination
We managed a complex embargo process, liaising extensively with the BBA’s own PR team to ensure message consistency while maximising coverage potential. Our team attended multiple filming sessions over several days, providing on-the-ground support to broadcasters and ensuring key messages were delivered effectively.
Recognising the global significance of the story, we leveraged our media relationships to secure opportunities with international newswires, including Reuters and EFE (Spanish language), creating content that would syndicate worldwide.
Demonstrable Results
The campaign delivered exceptional international reach. Reuters coverage alone achieved 148 individual hits across 30+ countries and territories, with the story reaching a combined potential TV audience of 65-75 million households in North America.
Major international broadcasters included China Media Group (reaching over 1 billion potential viewers), Japan’s NHK (44.48 million subscribers), Spain’s TVE, and RTL Netherlands, alongside dozens of US regional networks from coast to coast.
Domestically, we secured premium coverage including STV News at 6, while trade media embraced the story across construction, sustainability and manufacturing titles. High-profile print placements included Specification Magazine, Architecture Magazine, and Construction News.
Business Impact
The international coverage led to direct inbound enquiries from potential partners and customers across multiple markets. The sustained media momentum, maintained across four months through strategic follow-up activities, positioned Kenoteq as the definitive voice in recycled construction materials – transforming them from an innovative startup to an industry thought leader.
“We have worked closely with Hot Tin Roof for several years pre-commercialisation and throughout our R&D phase. They are part of the Kenoteq family, with intrinsic understanding of our business, products and markets. The HTR team are strategic yet nimble in their approach, messaging and response and have helped Kenoteq to build strong brand awareness of both the company and the K-BRIQ at a local, UK and international level securing coverage and opportunities we could not have achieved alone.
“Some might think bricks are a mainstream commodity item with limited news potential, however Hot Tin Roof focus on the pioneering features, benefits and values of the brand, crafted engaging and effective content alongside key milestones that has given the company exposure we could not have dreamed of.”
Sam Chapman
Co-founder and Executive Director, Kenoteq
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