Winning Formula

You may have seen we won two Gold Brand Builder Awards with our client, Henry Company, for best advertising campaign and channel marketing program in 2018. We received these awards from Hanley Wood at a special ceremony during IBS + KBIS week. During this evening, we learned that more than ninety campaigns were submitted for the awards. Since the receiving these awards, several people have asked us to share the winning formula for the campaign with them. In the spirit of benevolence and a little self-promotion, we decided to share our awards application so you can see the campaign in the same way as the judges.

                                  

Here is our application for the 2018 Brand Builders Awards:

Please provide an overview of your company. (Limit 800 words)

Henry Company (client)

Henry Company (https://us.henry.com/) is a leader in Building Envelope Systems^®, which manage the flow of water, vapor, air and energy from foundation to roof.

In addition to quality products, Henry^® professionals offer designers, contractors, and building owners a combination of technical experience, a belief in sustainability and a commitment to provide excellent materials and effective solutions. Henry^® Company’s headquarters are in El Segundo, California, with offices and manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

 

Draper DNA (applicant on behalf of client)

Draper DNA (https://www.draperdna.com/) is a full-service marketing agency that specializes in helping home and building products companies stand out and boost sales by challenging industry norms head-on.

Why? Because as Albert Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

At Draper DNA, we like to challenge conventional thinking — using a working knowledge of the job site (going back three generations), a mix of new and traditional ideas, and a drive for simplicity for our home and building products clients.

We’re breaking new ground as we enlist lean business principles and the latest in demand generation to benefit our clients. And we have unmatched experience in leading marketing innovation.

• We embrace disruptive marketing to propel our clients to the top of mind, market, and wallet

• We are leaders in content marketing and social media influencer programs with architects, designers, and consumers
• We leverage marketing technology for geo-targeting, lead generation, and selling to your customers

At heart, we are entrepreneurs who believe there is a better, faster, less expensive way of achieving our clients’ goals.

 

Please describe your campaign including the strategy, thoughts, ideas, and disciplines used in the planning and marketing of the campaign. (Limit 800 words) 

Henry Company is a recognized leader of building envelope systems in the commercial market. They are introducing a superior air and moisture barrier product, Henry® Blueskin® VP100, into the residential market.

Henry Blueskin VP 100 differentiates itself in the market by:

• Performance – the “self-gasketing”, self-adhering membrane exceeds code requirements; it can remain uncovered 150 days (longer than the competition); it comes with a superior warranty
• Appearance – it allows for smooth adhesion to walls, versus the wrinkled, separated application of mechanically fastened products; it has the distinctive Blue color
• Ease of use – it’s easier to carry, lift and apply, and therefore requires less labor than competitive sheathing
• Full house/building system – it can be used to cover roofs, walls and below grade

We completed market interviews and a survey with distributors, trade customers and prospects to find out what it would take for them to sell or use Henry Blueskin VP 100. The consensus was clear: once they saw or used the product they would immediately be converted, based on ease of use, performance and price.

Based on this insight, we created the geo-targeted CODE BLUE campaign to introduce and heighten awareness of Blueskin VP100. We engaged with distributors and trades people of the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions, using a very short-duration blitz to gain conversion through trial.

The campaign specifically targeted current and prospective distributors and their trade customers. We use geo-fencing within a radius of 1.5 miles of each distributor location to deliver the Henry ad to mobile devices during the optimum time of day for trade traffic. Targeted social media and email were included to reach the audiences under a day part editorial calendar optimized for each platform. The email campaign included a full nurturing effort.

Ads and video were created for use in mobile, desktop, showroom, digital, social, and in-person presentations. A dedicated website was created to support the campaign; an integrated dealer locator helped prospects easily locate a distributor near them. Local market media was targeted for earned media support, references and referrals. The entire campaign supported the sales team’s efforts to set up on-site meetings and demos — getting to the key “if you try it, you’ll use it” point in the sales cycle. To that end, the campaign included a complete sales presentation.

 

Who did the campaign target? (Limit 800 words)

1 – Trades people: builders, remodelers, installers

2 – Distributors: roofing and siding dealer, lumberyards

Trades people

• Overall, the labor force is older, prime age 45-55, white, male
• A strong influx of younger Hispanic workers, ages 20-35, male, speaking English as a second language, trained on the job site
• The labor market is tight, and competitive
• Having a limited amount of time to find and learn about new materials is a big challenge for them
• Conservative, resistant to change; brand loyal unless they can save time, make money, reduce callbacks

Distributors

• Primarily age 45-55, white male
• Increasingly, age 30-45, white males, college educated, digital and social media savvy and influenced
• Conservative, cost-conscience, financially aware

Audience Insights

Based on customer interviews conducted for this campaign

• When builders, remodelers and installers see the Henry Blueskin product, they’re sold on it
• The self-sealing/self-gasketing, peel-and-stick installation and strong warranty are seen as the big advantages
• Henry corporate sales reps are key to relationships with all audiences
• Programs need to be more complete and easier to engage with
• The biggest challenge is getting the word out

 

Describe the overall goals and objectives of your campaign. Judges will score for soundness, clarity, and measurement. If objectives were not measurable, judges will score based on the potential for achievement. (Limit 800 words) 

Objectives

1. Increase awareness of the Henry Blueskin VP100 product among distribution and trade partners and prospects in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions
2. Increase sales team’s engagement with distribution and trade customers and prospects
3. Generate product trials

Goals

Awareness – the reintroduction of Henry Blueskin VP100 through mass and targeted media

• Geo-targeted advertising campaign
  • 500,000 impressions
  • 2,500 clicks
• Social media
  • 200% increase in engagement
• Email
  • 50,000 delivered
  • 1,000 opened
• Media relations
  • 50 local placements
  • 100 national placements
• Microsite
  • 2,500 users
  • 2.5% interaction rate

Engagement – support the Henry sales team in reintroduction of Henry Blueskin VP100 to distribution and trade professionals

• Direct sales meetings scheduled by Henry sales team
  • Proprietary number defined
• Inquiries from social media, email, media relations and microsite
  • 1,500 leads
  • 1,000 warm leads

Product trial – calls to action through all facets of campaign

• 50% increase year over year

 

How did the creative messaging of the campaign align with the target audience and support the goals and objectives? Judges will score based on the quality of the alignment of graphics and copy to these factors. Emphasis on innovative and creative ideas will positively affect scores. (Limit 800 words) 

Since the campaign was designed primarily to increase awareness (and ultimately trial) of Henry Blueskin VP100 among trades people and distributors, it was essential that the creative messaging accomplish two things: first, grab their attention, and second, show them something they’d remember.

Starting with a product that is distinctly different and clearly better than competitive offerings made that job much easier.

Henry Blueskin VP100 is the only product of its kind, bringing commercial-grade functionality to the residential market. Its key differentiator is its peel-and-stick application, which has numerous benefits for homeowners, general contractors and — of most immediate interest — the trades people who install house sheathing. Because not only can it increase in-home comfort and reduce energy costs (facts backed up by hard data), it’s also easier to install.

It was important that the creative messaging be equally functional, and equally innovative.

To that end, we put that key product differentiator front and center — which enabled the campaign to simultaneously accomplish both goals mentioned above: grab attention with a representation of the peel-and-stick capabilities, and hammer home the direct, memorable campaign theme, “Work with what sticks. Stick with what works.”

The graphics took advantage of the product’s bold, distinctive color and feel. In fact, with headlines and copy that looked as if they were printed directly on a sheet of Blueskin, the product itself became the visual.

Using this approach, we delivered campaign materials designed to overcome our target audience’s inherent resistance to change, and lack of time to learn about new products. Everything was clear, easy to understand and practical — while at the same time being distinctive, interesting and practically begging to be tried out.

Taken together, we presented Henry Blueskin VP100 as something new, something better, and something that could make life on the job site easier.

 

Please explain the campaign results and accomplishments. If campaign is still in progress, outline results to date. (Limit 800 words)

Overall results

The total impressions across media and platforms are 1,382,078
Total engagements across media and platforms are 12,394

The total number of leads is 3,209 with 1,424 “warm” leads

Geo-targeted advertising

1,112,123 impressions

6,300 clicks

0.43% click thru rate

Social media

219% increase in activity

426% increase in engagement

See attached report for results by platform

Earned Media (PR)

106 regional media placements

324 national media placements

Email

157,160 delivered

6,322 opened

3.41% open rate

0.92% click thru rate

Microsite

5,292 users

6,693 sessions

71% mobile

8% interaction rate

Dealer Locator

7,193 total views

139 total searches

156 total retailers

Lead generation

The campaign produced 3,209 total leads (unique opens) with 1,424 “warm” leads or unique clicks

Sales generated

Sales numbers are proprietary; Henry reported an increase in distribution, distribution commitment, trade commitment and product sales.

Trial of the product increased more than 200-fold.

 

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If you would like to see the full case study of this campaign or would like to talk about creating your own award-winning campaign, send us a note at Shawn@draperdna.com and we will make arrangements for you receive what you are looking for.