Recognizing Marketing’s Finest
Here we present all of this year’s winning submissions, highlighting a different category each week.
EVENT /
Distributor $101M to $400M
CBT Company
Centennial Showcase
To mark its centennial anniversary, CBT sought to create an engaging, high-energy experience for customers who had become accustomed to seeing its team from behind computer screens during the COVID-19 pandemic. After securing a venue that could hold up to 500, the IT team developed a custom-built lead collection app for show vendors and the marketing team crafted and executed a multi-channel campaign across CBT’s website, social media accounts, email platform, and YouTube channel—supported by print collateral hand-delivered by its sales teams. On the day of the show, the event center was activated with custom banners, specialized show collateral, and CBT Centennial-branded swag and giveaways, all imprinted with the “CBT DOES THAT” brand campaign that was launched in 2021.
FROM THE JUDGES: “A very strong PR event. It does my heart good to see a company do an event the way an event should be done—and get real, live, practical results.”
Distributor $101M to $400M
Werner Electric Supply
IN4M
After hosting a successful Pro4M event in 2019, all plans to host similar events in 2020 were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowing customers would benefit from Werner’s industry knowledge and hands-on demonstrations, IN4M was created. The target audience was invited to two days of training and networking at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Branded as a unique educational opportunity, a distinctive logo was developed for the event and the overall visual style was carried throughout many promotional materials—including social media, YouTube, email, e-newsletters, save-the-date flyers and invitations/schedules, wernerelectric.com, and local and industry-specific media outreach. The event featured 63 vendor partners, 100-plus trade show booths, 70 tech sessions, 18 hands-on lab sessions, 15 contractor classes for CEUs, eight product demos, 1,386 customer training experiences, and two special guest speakers.
FROM THE JUDGES: “Good metrics and a very comprehensive, well-executed program—and how they introduced the In4N concept was very clever.”
Distributor $401M to $700M
Van Meter Inc.
The REEL Experience
When Van Meter Inc. opened a branch in the Kansas City market, it had a strategic list of top contractors it wanted
to establish relationships with and introduce to the company. The mission was quality over quantity, so Van Meter
took a very targeted approach that accommodated pandemic precautions and facilitated a focused, one-of-akind
experience for select contractors in the market: Just seven contractor accounts made the invitation list, for a
total of around 150 customers over five individual events. The marketing event and communication plan included an
event name and logo, formal invite, day of event signage, promotional items such as T-shirts, branded safety glasses and more, a website RSVP page, and communication rollout to supplier partners and sales and leadership teams.
FROM THE JUDGES: “They were very exclusive in terms of who they invited, which must have made the attendees feel very special. They really delivered an experience and opened the door to future relationships.”
Distributor More Than $700M
OneSource Distributors
Sustainability Solution
To capitalize on the increasing move toward sustainability, OneSource wanted to tell sustainability executives and the sustainability community about the solutions it has to offer as well additional advantages—including reduced
costs or even profitability, access to a more stable and reliable power source, and improvements in their infrastructure. The company also wanted to provide its sales organization and energy solution team with a pipeline of
leads that will help to further build business. After creating a “sustainability” microsite within its website and
sponsoring a sustainability-focused virtual seminar conducted by Angelbeat, OneSource partnered with Angelbeat
to hold a three-event virtual seminar series with focus on energy sustainability. The seminar series featured speakers from eight government agencies, one utility, and Amazon Web Services. The event was communicated to prospects through a combination of emails in partnership with Angelbeat, social media, banners, and phone calls.
FROM THE JUDGES: “Clever, interesting, and well done. Unique in how they presented sustainability experts to the marketplace.”
Supplier Less Than $250M
Robroy Industries
Corrosion College Virtual
Corrosion College was established in 1996 with the sole purpose of educating constituents on all things corrosion.
In January 2021, nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Robroy decided to turn it into an online experience that
would ensure that while Corrosion College would be virtual, it would feature the same amount of interaction with
constituents. Each presentation was re-recorded with pauses so the online interface could be edited to add in
interactive question and answer areas. Additionally, Robroy filmed a plant tour that gives the impression viewers
are actually walking through the facility, and installation training for three separate product lines was incorporated into an interactive virtual presentation. Even in its virtual format, the online “go at your own pace” course remains accredited for 15 professional development hours.
FROM THE JUDGES: “I love it when companies do research in advance—and giving users 30 days to complete the course is a good idea. This was a very cohesive, very practical program.”
Supplier More Than $250M
ABB Electrification
#PowerBetter Roadshow
With restrictions in place to limit capacities at large events and meetings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,
ABB Electrification designed and built a mobile trailer to travel around the country and deliver hands-on, customer-
facing events at customer locations to provide an interactive and immersive environment to learn about and
experience the ABB Electrification Portfolio. The #PowerBetter Roadshow featured 11-week tours that took
place in locations that provided opportunities for sales districts across the country to maximize connections with
influential customers and key decision makers. Attendees participated in tours led by field application engineers to learn about ABB’s low voltage, medium voltage, controls, and critical power equipment portfolios. Marketing tactics
included a webpage, blog, email (invitations, counter flyers, and signature banners), social media, videos, and internal communications.
FROM THE JUDGES: “ABB really capitalized on the opportunity to get in front of its distributor base during the pandemic in a way that says, ‘We are really serious about winning and keeping your business.’”
Tagged with awards, Best of the Best, marketing