STABILOY® BRAND TRADE SHOW CAMPAIGN

THE CHALLENGE

General Cable (G.C.), a worldwide leader in wire and cable manufacturing, wanted to ensure that their participation in an upcoming trade show resulted in a measurable ROI. The show was to exclusively feature their STABILOY® Brand range of products, and G.C. wanted to increase traffic to their booth, set the stage for meaningful engagement with clients and prospects, and ensure bankable results with leads cultivated from the show. 

No stranger to trade shows, G.C. did not want to approach this show with a “Build It and They Will Come” mentality. Since they approach all of their marketing activities with an intense focus on results, wasting marketing dollars to participate in trade shows without a plan is categorically unacceptable.

Since G.C.’s participation in the event required equal measures of “creativity” and “strategy”, they hired HeavyDuty Branding, whom they’ve worked with for many years, to create a comprehensive trade show campaign. HeavyDuty’s structured approach to projects, large and small, is something the G.C. team counts on. The process provides the team with the confidence that they’ll receive a well-thought-out, well-rounded creative product. One that’s on time and on budget and sure to reap the most from their marketing dollars.

THE SPARK

The start of any HeavyDuty project begins with a kick-off meeting with all of the stakeholders from the client’s team in attendance, along with HeavyDuty creatives and the assigned Account Executive. In this meeting all of the details for the show and the measurable, desired outcomes are discussed along with the budget. This becomes the framework for the project.


At the kick-off meeting for this show, G.C “mentioned” that an industry survey’s findings showed most electrical contractors don’t make proper torque connections. Furthermore, a poorly terminated cable can cause corrosion in the junction box or, even worse, an electrical malfunction—so this is a serious concern.

THE BIG IDEA

The HeavyDuty crew took this “mention” a giant leap forward and extrapolated it as a perfect idea to build an entire trade show campaign around. Inspired by the poorly terminated cable findings, HeavyDuty created a carefully-crafted strategy that did not disappoint the visitors, nor the client.

PRE-SHOW 

PRINT ADVERTISING

HeavyDuty’s first component for this campaign included a print ad for industry publications that featured the headline: “STRIP IT. TORQUE IT. TERMINATE IT!” The ad focused on the importance of correctly terminating cables and revealed “The Shocking Truth!” that many electricians torque below specifications. The ad invited the reader to stop by G.C.’s booth at the upcoming trade show in addition to contacting them for information on STABILOY® Brand.

INVITATION EMAIL

Two versions of a personalized invitation email were deployed. One version was sent to a general list of leads and clients that announced the chance to win a torque wrench ($150 value) by competing in the Torque Test at the booth (more on this later). The other invitation email was sent to a higher tier of “hot leads” offering a torque wrench as a free gift to those who scheduled an appointment in advance to meet with their sales rep at the booth.


ROOM DROP

HeavyDuty arranged with the hotels associated with the event for the hotel staff to place a door hanger on all the rooms of the trade show attendees. The door hanger reinforced the “STRIP IT. TORQUE IT. TERMINATE IT!” message and invited the recipients to stop by G.C.’s booth and test their skills by taking the Torque Test for a chance to win a $150 torque wrench.

AT-SHOW

EXHIBIT SPACE

A stunning booth was designed to showcase the STABILOY® Brand range of products. At the door, HeavyDuty strategically erected an 8-foot tall Terminator robot with glowing, red eyes, holding a torque wrench. The Terminator quickly became the “star” of the show. This eye-catching spectacle drew throngs of traffic and made a lasting impression on attendees. Not to mention, what a disarming conversation starter for the sales team!

HANDS-ON TORQUE TEST

One section of the exhibit was specifically sectioned off for presenting a training session to educate attendees on how to quickly, but effectively, torque. The visitors were then challenged to try their hand at the Torque Test. They had to correctly torque 10 cables. The participant with the fastest time would win a $150 torque wrench. The prize, chosen by HeavyDuty because of its relevance to the participants, made for a very competitive show experience. The activity created the fun atmosphere of a midway game.


EVERYONE’S A WINNER!

HeavyDuty conducted a survey at the show to obtain more information about the attendees; specifically what products would be of interest to them in their professions. All survey participants received a free “TERMINATE IT” tee shirt with a picture of our star, the STABILOY® Brand Terminator, on the front. The tee shirts were a smash hit. Attendees lined up around the booth to get theirs. In fact, the shirts were so popular, visitors put them on immediately, which gave STABILOY® Brand even more exposure throughout the show.


POST-SHOW

NURTURE CAMPAIGN

Two emails were sent immediately following the show.

One email was a recap of the show to all those invited previously who did not attend. The email included links to trackable downloads containing information about various STABILOY® Brand products and solicited the recipient to “click now” to contact their rep for more information. Based on what the recipient clicked on, they were put into a strategically-designed “drip campaign” (a matrix consisting of a series of emails spaced out over time). Each email contained information relevant to the choices the recipient made by clicking links within the original email.

The second email was more targeted and sent to visitors who actually engaged with the sales team at the booth. Several variations were created to be relevant to the types of products the sales team ascertained would be a good fit for each visitor. A drip campaign was also created for this group ensuring these leads would be continually nurtured by G.C. to increase the chance of closing sales.

EDUCATIONAL SALES TOOL

Any visitor considered a strong prospect was personally contacted after the show by the sales team. An in-person meeting was scheduled for the sales rep to get to know the prospect and inform them of everything STABILOY® Brand had to offer. HeavyDuty created the TERMINATE-IT™ Insulation Stripping Kit as a parting gift for the sales person to leave behind with the client. The kit included a set of tools and accessories for stripping cables and terminating them properly. Such a relevant gift kept STABILOY® Brand front-of-mind with the prospect, in turn facilitating many more closed deals.

THE OUTCOME

The STABILOY® Brand Terminator Campaign engaged the show’s attendees, improved their skills, and demonstrated STABILOY® Brand’s commitment to their customers. The campaign proved to be a huge success with record-breaking sales following the show—which is, ultimately, what it’s all about.