Recognizing Marketing’s Finest
Here we present all of this year’s winning submissions, highlighting a different category each week.
BRAND AWARENESS /
C.N. Robinson Lighting Supply
150 Years of Excellence
C.N. Robinson Lighting Supply (CNR) has been in continuous operation since 1869 but had no cohesive visual identity communicating that longevity to the people it serves. To address this gap, CNR’s marketing team put a concept together for an original “150+ Years of Excellence” badge and built a campaign around systematically deploying it across every customer-facing and internal touchpoint the company operates.
Over the course of roughly one year, the “150+ Years of Excellence” badge was rolled out across six distinct channels—LinkedIn; the CNR website; employee email signatures; branded Post-It note cubes; and official company letters, formal statements, sales trifold brochures, and other printed collateral—as well as across all internal communications channels.
The most telling results have come directly from customers. Multiple customers have commented that they had no idea CNR had been in business for more than 150 years: One common reaction captures the campaign’s impact: “I didn’t know you guys were that old.”
“The badge turned a missing brand story into a visible, consistent promise that customers recognize and trust,” said the judges. “By focusing on a visual mark rather than paid media, CNR achieved broad reach and high touch without large spend, proving the campaign’s efficient execution.”
Parrish-Hare
Video Production
Recognizing that traditional written communication alone was not always the most effective way to explain complex solutions, services, and capabilities, Parrish-Hare developed a strategic initiative focused on delivering relevant, easy-to-understand video content across multiple digital touchpoints, including YouTube, landing pages, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Video concepts were developed based on interviews with subject-matter experts, managers, and internal teams to capture real-world knowledge and experience. Scripts were refined through internal review cycles to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with brand messaging. Production included on-site video shoots and professional post-production editing.
By focusing on clarity, accessibility, and consistency, Parrish-Hare transformed video into a powerful tool for education, engagement, and trust-building that generated more than 38,000 total views.
“This initiative is a powerful brand-reinforcement effort that delivers clear, customer-focused content across a wide digital landscape,” said the judges. “By focusing on clarity, accessibility, and consistency, Parrish-Hare strengthens its position as a forward-thinking, customer-centric partner in the electrical distribution industry.”
OneSource Distributors
Electrical Training Institute L.A. Tool Showcase
Wanting to connect with the next generation of electricians in a meaningful and supportive way, OneSource hosted a Tool Showcase at the Electrical Training Institute in L.A.
Rather than a traditional presentation format, the focus was on hands-on learning, open conversation, and practical guidance. In-person interactions allowed OneSource to build trust and familiarity with students who will soon be entering the workforce, reinforcing its commitment to supporting their success and positioning the company as a trusted resource as they transition from training into the field.
The Tool Showcase welcomed more than 200 ETI students and generated strong engagement both in person and across social media platforms.
Beyond attendance and engagement metrics, the showcase delivered meaningful long-term value for OneSource by strengthening relationships between its tools and safety team, ETI leadership, supplier partners, and the students themselves.
“The showcase effectively reinforced brand awareness by combining hands-on engagement with meaningful value for future electricians,”
said the judges. “Feedback from students, ETI leadership, and the safety team highlighted the event’s success in bridging classroom learning with real-world application.”
Intermatic
Quality and Support with a Personal Touch
After Intermatic was acquired by MPE Partners in 2025, the marketing team took the opportunity to reinforce the company’s core values with a people-focused brand awareness campaign highlighting its strength in key areas.
Understanding that long-time customers might be leery of an ownership transition given Intermatic’s family-owned company roots, the team
worked to develop a campaign that showcased its greatest asset as an organization: its people.
The campaign was anchored by two documentary-style videos that showcased Intermatic’s in-house expertise in product testing and customer service, and fun employee milestones and activities were shared via social channels to further communicate its people-oriented
culture to stakeholders.
“The campaign delivers a powerful, people-centric narrative that clearly reinforces its longstanding reputation for quality and service,” said the judges. “The integrated video and social strategy delivers a unified, compelling message that meets every judging criterion for brand awareness.”
Light Efficient Design
C-Flex
C-Flex was launched in 2020 as a subbrand of Light Efficient Design. As traction grew, C-Flex surpassed the marketing behind it.
The marketing team’s strategy was to position C-Flex as not just a product, but also a concept and seamless solution. Focusing on clarity, integration, and the concept of possibilities, they went to work, explaining the concept in simple, repeatable language; illustrating that the products work with existing systems using a compatibility matrix; and showing what’s possible through imagery.
The team established concise and meaningful messaging, defined two unique photography styles to be used, created a brochure and spec sheets for each product in the portfolio, and built and launched a new website. The result: A new sales record was set.
“The campaign turned a quietly niche sub-brand into a headline-grabbing market leader with a fresh, cohesive story that instantly resonates with sales reps, contractors, and design professionals,” said the judges. “Customer feedback praised the website’s professionalism and the depth of documentation, confirming that the refreshed brand truly feels like a destination for industry insiders.”
nVent
We Do Cool Stuff
With the tremendous growth opportunities in the data center industry, nVent created a bold new marketing awareness campaign for data center solutions with the slogan “We Do Cool Stuff,” highlighting nVent’s leadership in liquid cooling while also showcasing its extensive portfolio.
In a highly collaborative effort—bringing together internal teams and external partners—the campaign included enhanced targeting and advertising capabilities across digital channels and industry outlets, strategic PR and media, in-person trade shows including VR and increased industry speaking engagements, and partnership and collaborative marketing with other industry leaders.
“nVent’s ‘We Do Cool Stuff’ campaign stands out for its bold messaging and measurable impact,” said the judges. “The effort combines strategic targeting, engaging content, and impressive outcomes to solidify nVent’s position as a data center innovator.”
WEBSITE – Honorable Mention
Parrish-Hare
Digital Branding Campaign
Summit Electric Supply
Consistency Creates Awareness
Legrand
Rated Right. Built Right.
Lutron Electronics
Preferred
Tagged with awards, Best of the Best, marketing