case study: public relations
case study: public relations


Trillium Health Products
(Ericho Direct Public Relations)

The Challenge
Develop a groundswell PR program to generate national awareness of and sales for “The Juiceman” juicing machine among the general population (beyond the health fanatic).

At the onset of representing Trillium Health Products, juicing, as a product category was, as one industry expert put it, “dead.” Therefore the task was not only to sell juicers, but to sell juicing beyond the “health fanatic” and to the American public at large. And actually initiate a national shift in mindset while creating a trend that would drive consumers to adopt the entire concept of integrating juicing into their daily dietary regimen.

The Ericho Difference

  • Segmented the marketplace into a series of audiences, each of which received a separately crafted trigger “message to purchase,” based on the subset audience's characteristics, interests, etc.


  • Sought out charismatic, unknown spokesperson—Jay Kordich—to give the “The Juiceman” product and its messages a human face.


  • Utilized the media-trained spokesperson as part of national, grassroots seminar series that spread the message via “word-of-mouth.”


  • Worked with spokesperson in simultaneous local market publicity efforts (print, broadcast, radio).


The Impact

  • Responsible for invigorating juicer sales and creating the “fastest growing health movement of the '80s.”


  • Company grew from four people to several hundred. Was one of the first to become a hot seller in retail and on infomercials, breaking from conventional wisdom.


  • Achieved widespread national media coverage for Jay Kordich including People Magazine, New York Times, and ABC-TV's 20/20.


  • Attracted between 500 and 5,000 people to each local market seminar with a 20 percent purchase rate.


  • Coordinated a book deal for “The Juiceman” that became a New York Times best seller.


  • Within one year increased gross sales from $2 million to $100 million.

spacer