Recognizing Marketing’s Finest
Here, we present all of this year’s winning submissions, highlighting a different category each week.
EVENT /
Scott Electric
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Faced with the task of creating a “wow” event for the Cleveland market, the Scott Electric marketing team organized a customer appreciation night at the city’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Individual invitations were created and delivered to prospective attendees by the dedicated salesperson assigned to their account. Upon arrival at the event, attendees enjoyed free valet parking and a walk down a red carpet complete with photographers and a backdrop featuring the logos of Scott Electric and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Once inside, each attendee
received a personalized VIP backstage pass, exclusive access to the entire Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the evening, and a variety of food and drinks.
“Guests were also treated to a live performance from Cleveland’s own, ‘The Element,’ as they played various rock and roll hits on the main stage” was written on the entry form.
Company branding reminded guests who was hosting the event, and upon departure, the guests received a Scott Electric/Rock Hall-branded frame with a picture of themselves on the red carpet.
Postevent, the marketing team produced a five-minute video highlight of the evening, which was sent to all attending customers, expressing Scott Electric’s gratitude.
“Truly a class act; VIP all the way,” said the judges, who liked that the company logo “was everywhere!” and added, “They did everything right.”
Kirby Risk Electrical Supply
Drives on Tour
This free training event was hosted in partnership with Rockwell Automation and targeted OEM, SI, and end-user customers. It was held at multiple Kirby Risk locations over a period of two months and included a variety of labs showcasing the capabilities of the Powerflex family of variable-frequency drives from Rockwell.
Prior to 2023, customers were notified about the event via a paper flyer handed out by account managers.
An event landing page was created as a central place to drive all interested customer traffic and a series of email templates (invite, registration confirmation, waitlist, and reminder) were created so account managers and specialists could invite and engage customers.
“A template was used to notify a customer when a class was full” was written on the entry form. “Instead of removing the location from the form, the waitlist email allowed the Automation Team to track additional interest, and in some cases, book a larger space for the training.”
“This is a perfect example of an event that showcases a product to increase awareness, understanding, consideration, and purchase intent,” said the judges, who added that they “loved the use of a waitlist” for the event.
Sonepar USA
Soneparty at Automation Fair
Each year, Sonepar partners from Codale, Crawford, North Coast, NorthEast Electrical, and OneSource host an invitation-only hospitality event during the annual four-day Automation Fair hosted by Rockwell Automation.
“This year the event was located in the heart of Boston at the Boston Convention and Event Center, and welcomed more than 10,000 customers—a new record!” was written on the entry form.
Sonepar booked Big Night Live, a night club and music hall in Boston and, to help fund the event, reached out to several vendors for sponsorship.
Sponsors received logo placements at the event in addition to participation in a bingo card promo to drive traffic to their booths. Vendors were given a “Sonepar stamp” to mark the cards at their booths.
To encourage attendees to register and attend, invites and reminders were emailed and salespeople called their customers to talk up the event and remind them attend. Those who registered received an email confirmation with a QR code to expedite the check-in process. Buses transported attendees from the Automation Fair to the event.
Pop-up banner displays along the hallway where attendees entered the event venue were used to promote the Sonepar USA brand along with the brands of the operating companies.
Additionally, Sonepar and operating company logos were displayed in big bright lights, projected on the walls, and featured in a digital banner outside so they were visible for all those visiting the Event Center.
A live band, visual logo artists, an AI photo booth, and two “living statue” actors—one dressed as Paul Revere and one as Sam Adams—were included in the entertainment.
The judges liked everything about this effort—including the clever name.
“This is a very nicely done invite-only party,” they noted, adding kudos for the “clever Sam Adams and Paul Revere actors and photos with a choice of AI backgrounds.”
Intermatic
Intermatic Road Show
After years of tailoring its events strategy to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions and unpredictable show attendance, the Intermatic team saw an opportunity to put its stamp on local events with the creation of the Intermatic Road Show.
“Working in tandem with sales, our marketing team devised a clever plan to bring the Intermatic experience to the front door of electrical distributors from coast to coast,” was written on the entry form.
Using a cross-functional committee, the team set out to plan 30-plus local events across three regions of the country. Sales teams in the West, Midwest, and East were equipped with branded vehicles, dynamic product displays, giveaways, and collateral to put on their own local show-and-sell-style events.
For each event, the field team partnered with a local electrical distributor and provided lunch/breakfast for patrons—a simple incentive that helped draw in local customers and create a platform to have meaningful sales conversations about Intermatic solutions.
To support the tour, dozens of event-specific promotional items (e.g., flyers, counter displays, giveaways) were created, and location-targeted social media posts helped raise awareness for each event.
The judges called the road show “an effective use of an event to promote brand awareness, knowledge, and consideration,” said the judges. “Linking the Intermatic logo with the shield highway sign shape is clever branding, and I like how the visuals evoke a slightly retro vibe.”
ABB Electrification
NECA 2023 Convention & Trade Show
Each year, NECA invites the entire
industry to the NECA Convention & Trade Show, where leaders of the $202 billion electrical construction industry convene to discuss the ever-changing, ever-growing business environment.
“Attendees come from all 50 states and several countries to discover innovative new solutions that will benefit their bottom line. ABB has participated at this conference for more than 10 years” was written on the entry form.
For the 2023 conference, ABB mapped out a marketing plan to deliver memorable and meaningful connections through every touchpoint and interaction:
At the opening ceremony, ABB sponsored an illuminated drone show that closed out the evening.
At the show, the ABB booth was designed to engage guests with inventive and innovative displays of product solutions—including a timed challenge display, a 3D hologram, and a live screen-printing service booth that allowed attendees to choose from nine humorous industry-themed shirt designs.
After the show, ABB hosted an event at Other Half Brewing Company where customers were treated to draft beer, live music, yard games, and complimentary tickets to NECA’s Closing Celebration that featured a performance by REO Speedwagon, sponsored by ABB.
The judges praised the “robust promotion of an effective trade show event that is heavily industry-focused,” adding, “While there was much to learn, ABB also made the event fun with music and festivities” and “I love the T-shirts and how they humorously reinforce the ABB brand.”
EVENT – Honorable Mention
NorthEast Electrical
2023 Regional Trade Show
Tagged with awards, Best of the Best, marketing