If You Had Used Our Product, You Would Be Alive Today

Smart marketers are often alert to tie in their product claims with current news events, so the following press release title brought a smirk to my lips:

Devastating Landslide in Laguna Beach Could Have Been Averted or Minimized by New Predictive Mapping Technology by Geoka

This timely headline came less than 24 hours after news reports of the Laguna Beach landslide, which destroyed about 15-20 homes in that affluent California community. Homeowners had to flee their homes when they awoke to the sounds of rending structural members and exploding water pipes.

But setting aside my commentator's jadedness, Geoka makes some good arguments in its release:

"The new hazard mapping technology from Geoka shows the exact locations of the natural processes which led to the devastating landslide in Laguna Beach this week. Geoka's Ladwein Map explains the causes of the landslide by disclosing where strong rain weakened the soil, leading to the property damage ....

"The Geoka technology differs strongly from conventional methods used by geologists. While traditional geological appraisals require investigations, drillings and chemical soil examinations, the new technology of Geoka allows for a software based analysis by a 3D model of the area. Conventional methods usually do not detect unidentified weak zones, while the Ladwein Map of Geoka will uncover the cause of previously unknown weak zones."

Geoka's Web site includes great illustrations showing how Ladwein maps can identify unstable terrain. Here's an example of the Ladwein map of La Conchita, Calif., site of a devastating landslide earlier this year:

Glad I didn't build a home below that yellow circle.

Richard Ladwein, scientific director of Geoka, developed the SPIRS procedure, described as a "procedure for an automated disclosure of areas which are threatened by natural hazards." SPIRS stands for "Structure Process Inclination Response System" and is explained on the Geoka web site. Unlike many web sites I visit, Geoka's is rich with illustrations and details about the company's services and technology.

AB -- 6/3/05