Recognizing Marketing’s Finest
FORTY-TWO INDIVIDUAL MARKETING EFFORTS EARN AWARDS IN OUR 2021 CONTEST
Judging for tED magazine’s 2021 Best of the Best Marketing Awards Competition took place in late April. Over the course of a week, our four judges weighed the entries submitted for the contest’s 11 categories. Ultimately, 42 entries were determined winners, with two companies—OneSource Distributors and ABB Electrification—taking home the honor of Best of the Best Overall Distributor and Best of the Best Overall Supplier, respectively. Here we present all of this year’s winning submissions, highlighting a different category each week.
DIGITAL / SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN /
Distributor $101M-$400M
Summit Electric Supply
Newswire Redesign
In an effort to make its Newswire monthly email newsletter more timely and actionable, Summit halted the practice of purchasing original content (which was no longer relevant or timely) in favor of curating interesting and timely publicly available articles from industry trade press, government agencies, and manufacturer case studies. This information—a result of scanning at least 30 sites for new content—was consolidated into an easy-to-scan email newsletter.
FROM THE JUDGES: “Curating information from other sources is a good strategy. It says, ‘We’re in touch with the world and we’re bringing you into it.’ Brilliant.”
Distributor More Than $700M
Sonepar USA
COVID-19 Response
In response to the pandemic, Sonepar USA developed a multimedia strategy to inform and support associates and customers. More than 70,000 customer emails were sent in a three-month period, and social media engagement was increased across all platforms. Additionally, the company hosted six webinars with more than 700 registrants. As a result, the company kept COVID-19 cases to a minimum across its 7,000-plus associates and created a more connected Sonepar USA brand nationwide with its “Pros Need Pros” campaign.
FROM THE JUDGES: “Very customized. In a time of physical distancing, Sonepar made people feel closer.”
Supplier Less Than $250M
Intermatic
Ascend Smart In-Wall Timer
After launching its Ascend Smart In-Wall Timer in 2018, the Intermatic team partnered with customer Aid Electric and found a creative way to sustain momentum for the product while demonstrating its real-world capabilities. Using a combination of a video and written case study as the centerpiece of the campaign, the team shared key values messages across LinkedIn and Facebook and promoted the content in direct-to-customer emails and in digital sales tool kits.
FROM THE JUDGES: “The video quality is excellent, and the testimonials are strong. A wide variety of digital media was used—with impressive results.”
Supplier More Than $250M
Legrand North America
Designer Switches & Outlets Full-Funnel Campaign
Legrand took customers on a digital journey from awareness to conversion with a strategic social campaign. Focusing on Facebook, a program tailored to the platform’s standard ad campaign structure was designed. With phases outlined for awareness, consideration, and retargeting, the campaign allowed the team to build a story for customers through repeat engagement. Videos,
testimonial content from brand ambassador Leanne Ford, and blog posts supported the ads.
FROM THE JUDGES: “The Leanne Ford endorsement is perfect for social media; it ties in with the trend of influencer marketing. A great application of social and digital.”
DIGITAL / SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN – Honorable Mention
Steiner Electric Company
Steiner Delivers
OneSource Distributors
Delivery Notifications
Universal Lighting Technologies
Lighting that Does More
Zekelman Industries
Z-Commerce
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