Recognizing Marketing’s Finest
Here we present all of this year’s winning submissions, highlighting a different category each week.
EVENT /
Distributor Less Than $100M
Atlantic Coast Electric Supply
ACES Industry Trade Show
Atlantic Coast Electric Supply (ACES) held its first-ever free industry trade show following the NEC Seminar with Mike Holt at the Low Country Conference Center in Summerville, S.C.
The trade show featured a product exposition with hands-on product demonstrations and door prizes, giveaways, and a grand prize of a NAVITAS STORM custom golf cart valued at more than $10,000. ACES also hosted the Charleston Electrical Contractors Association monthly meeting featuring Mike Holt as the guest presenter.
The event was promoted via email, social media, direct mail, an eight-page promotional flyer, and posters.
FROM THE JUDGES: “ACES did an excellent job using multiple vehicles to promote the trade show,” said the judges, who cited the event’s “strong energy” and called the golf cart “the perfect grand prize.”
Distributor $101M to $400M
Schaedler Yesco Distribution
2022 EXPO Event
Schaedler Yesco’s EXPO has been around since the 1940s, when it was held in a building’s basement with product displays and training. Over the years, the event grew and moved to the Harrisburg, Pa., warehouse, then to a local hotel, and then to the Hershey Convention Center in 2012. It is now held bi-annually on a single day and is the largest customer event hosted by Schaedler Yeso.
In 2022, the event saw more than 1,200 attendees and featured more than 90 vendors and more than 75 learning opportunities.
Event elements included online registration; a show app, website, and guide; hands-on demos; and the centerpiece of each category area on the show floor: 8´ three-sided pedestal displays that asked probing questions and assisted in the solutions selling process.
FROM THE JUDGES: “Schaedler Yesco always does a great job with the EXPO, but in 2022 they really took it up a step,” said the judges. “This is a complete program. I had a real ‘Hooray for you’ moment relative to this as a total event!”
Distributor $101M to $400M
Kirby Risk Electrical Supply
Automation Fair
In November 2022, the Rockwell Automation Fair was held in Chicago. Because of the event’s proximity to Kirby Risk locations, there is a push to get as many customers to attend as possible. To reach and exceed customer attendee goals, Kirby Risk hosts two events: a welcome reception the evening before the Fair opens and a bowling event that starts at the close of the first day of the Fair.
A full marketing campaign is used to promote these events while also promoting Fair registration and travel packages offered by Kirby Risk. Elements include internal and customer emails, a landing page, a postcard with a QR code driving people to the landing page, social media posts, and magazine and Trigger Point ads.
FROM THE JUDGES: “It’s a very comprehensive marketing campaign with consistent visuals that reinforced the brand,” said the judges. “We love the focus on education and networking, which everyone was so hungry for after COVID.”
Distributor More Than $700M
Sonepar USA
Milwaukee Livestream Event
Sonepar sought to capitalize on its partnership with Milwaukee Tool by convening a live-streaming event to highlight new products and offer customers exclusive promotions.
Sonepar developed an omnichannel promotional strategy for informing customers about the opportunity to attend the live-streaming event that included homepage banners and landing pages, customer emails, and social media posts.
The live virtual webinar event was broadcast from Milwaukee Tool headquarters and featured product demos, raffle prizes, an interactive quiz, a live Q&A, and prize giveaways.
FROM THE JUDGES: “An excellent example of how to host a live virtual event during a pandemic,” said the judges, who added that the promotion was thorough and the results were powerful.
Supplier More Than $250M
Atkore
NECA Trade Show
For more than six months, Atkore strategized and planned for its biggest trade show of the year: NECA.
A core team of Atkore technical sales managers, product managers, marketing managers, other key company stakeholders, and Atkore’s trade show display house worked together to create the ideal booth experience.
The result: In a space of 40×50´ the company highlighted its electrical brands and positioned a 30´-long mobile training vehicle and a full-size, custom pickup truck promoting its Contractor Sweepstakes.
Materials designed to drive booth traffic included a show guide ad and a show map ad, show floor stickers, rotating kiosk panels, preshow email blasts, flyers, business cards, and digital signage.
FROM THE JUDGES: “I love the green Atkore branding—it’s very strong and consistent and it gave them a very strong presence on the floor,” said the judges, who added that the event “had that extra ‘wow factor’ that put it over the top.”
EVENT / – Honorable Mentions
Granite City Electric Supply
New Product Showcase
Springfield Electric, A Sonepar Company
Klein Tool Day
Capital Electric
Digital Roadshow
Panduit
GSIC 2022
Tagged with awards, Best of the Best, marketing