About the Client
Working from her design studio in Oakland, Hansine Pedersen Goran is one of only a handful of people in the United States creating custom hand-tufted carpets that blend the traditional values of craftsmanship with the crisp clean lines of modern design. She is the only contemporary carpet designer to use licensed Wools of New Zealand, the highest quality of wool labeled as "Woolmark," and her carpets are available in 84 colors, 252 shades, and 3 different pile types. Her collections feature carpets with non-traditional shapes that are particularly well-suited for contemporary settings and loft spaces, and carpets whose curves and lines accompany any style from Victorian to Deco.

Hansine works with each client individually to choose the size, colors and shape that make the best focal point and center for their living or working space. Emphasizing service and support, she personally handles every aspect of a client's order to ensure that there are no mistakes or delays. As an ASID Industry Partner, she also works with a number of interior designers and architects around the country. Retail prices for the carpets range from $2,500 to $6,000.

Most of Hansine's customers find her through referrals and Internet search engines, and sales are made direct to customers through her web site at www.currentcarpets.com. She also maintains a studio presence at The Magazine Modern Furniture Stores in San Francisco and Berkeley, and sells to customers at both locations.

PR Strategy
Despite the uniqueness of Hansine's carpets, she had received only brief mentions in the press and was still an undiscovered gem. Galvin Communications was engaged to initiate a media relations campaign, and we began by assembling a complete media kit including a company history, artistic biography, and testimonials from satisfied clients.

We subsequently created various press releases highlighting the uniqueness of Hansine's carpets and her design expertise. Then, we identified journalists at home magazines and newspaper home sections throughout the country who have covered carpet design or designers with special talents.

Results
As a result of our efforts to date, Current Carpets has been featured in Bay Area newspapers such as the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, Alameda Times-Star, Hayward Daily Review, Hayward Journal, San Mateo County Times, San Ramon Valley Herald, and Tri-Valley Times. Nationally, a piece has appeared in At Home In Memphis, and additional articles in several upscale lifestyle magazines are pending.

"Thank you so much! I really appreciate your thoughts and thoughtfulness. You have such good minds for figuring out how to reach people and how people relate to products." - Hansine Pedersen Goran