Low Tech & High Tech Marketing

• Platt – a recent issue of Electrical News, a West Coast electrical trade publication, featured a back page ad for Platt’s mobile app.  It touts the ease of usage as well as the cost / time saving benefits.

Platt’s been promoting the app for awhile and knowing the company, they wouldn’t be promoting it if they didn’t have lots of downloads and were generating e-revenues.

As you can see, they emphasize the use of the camera and their customer service capabilities.
And while the app is very effective (and they have it for Apple, Android, Blackberry and Windows!), their website highlights other contractor-oriented apps.  Another key … they are actively communicating the offering.  Not trying to promote product through the newspaper, but promoting their company.

And it could be presumed that eventually Rexel and Gexpro will leverage the e-investments that Platt has made. 

• Kirby Risk

• Kirby Risk recently launched an app on iTunes, which is available here   According to information they have posted on CNet, where the app is promoted, it “was created to provide our website customers additional access when they are on the road and away from their computers. To use this app the way it was designed and to take advantages if all its functionality, you will need to have an account with User ID and Password. Sign-up today to access the following features:Shop- Price and availability- Product spec sheets – Order material for pick up or delivery Promos- Take advantage of Kirby Risk customer and vendor promotionsBranches- Quick access link to call or get directions to all of our branch locations- Store hoursMy Groups- Customer specific product groups that can be created to help increase productivity and efficiency throughout the ordering process- Examples: top items purchased, fixed project BOM, kits of product, etc.Quick Pad- Barcode capture with camera to aid and expedite ordering processMy Account- Log in/Log out to Kirby Risk account- My Profile = my account information- Bids (open quotes), open orders, and invoicesPhotos- Submit a picture taken with a description to the mobile sales team to accurately identify and respond with pricing and availability Videos- Library of product demonstrations, new products, and other Kirby Risk customer specific information Help- Contact Us: open communication with mobile sales team – FAQ- Submit Feedback: concerns or enhancements on this application – Non-stock Request: request quotation for product not found- Policies and Terms & Conditions
• A visit to Kirby’s site also highlights a “low tech” marketing strategy.  While Kirby is known for its industrial (Rockwell) business, they must have a strong contractor business as they currently are promoting 15 (yes, 15) different short-term, manufacturer specific promotions.  They types that are “purchase x, get y”.  Must work for them to offer so many (or is it too many?)

• Walters Wholesale – Walters, a sister company to CED and USESI (hence run separately), also had a full-page ad in Electrical News. They took a classy approach to customer appreciation.  While we know that they run a trip for their contractors, this ad simply said “Thank you for your business.”  Recognition can go a long way to building relationships.  Sometimes it helps to step back and say thanks … especially since so few do.

And again, like Platt, this is another company using a publication to promote itself, not promoting products or suppliers (and presumably spending marketing funds to build their brand and to differentiate themselves.)

• US Lamps – US Lamps is a “small” lighting distributor in the Wisconsin market.  A key focus for them is the energy efficiency / lighting retrofit market.  The principal has his lighting certification, the company is active in NAILD and a number of their staff have taken NAILD’s LS program(s).  What makes them unique is thinking outside of the box.

As a small company they don’t have the ability to invest much into marketing and they are too small to develop their own financing / incentive programs (in addition to state programs). So, they got creative and sought a grant from Wisconsin Public Service … and were granted $300,000 to “target, promote and develop high-efficiency lighting solutions and controls for these WPS retail and industrial customers.”  Shows the power of creative thinking and that sometimes you can use OPM (other people’s monies … and it not be a manufacturer!)

What creative ideas are you seeing in the marketplace? Or if you’d like us to highlight something you’ve done, let us know.