Hoffmann Group USA 2017 Marketing Campaign

---

Hoffmann Group USA 2017 Marketing Campaign

STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. OUR INTEGRATED STRATEGY HAS DONE JUST THAT.

LAUNCHING HOFFMANN GROUP USA - COMING TO AMERICA. MAKING A SPLASH IN MANUFACTURING. Being new to the U.S., we needed to create an integrated marketing plan that incorporated our own marketing objectives, but also considered our competitive landscape. To accomplish this, we created a research-driven, 12-month marketing plan to ensure our go-tomarket strategy was integrated with our corporate goals. Our plan included the following elements: Competitive positioning analysis Corporate SWOT assessment Brand identity recommendations Messaging and brand positioning platform Thought leader strategy Industry events and awards Media relations approach Advertising campaigns Digital marketing themes and tactics Website enhancements Inbound marketing recommendations

IT ISN‘T EASY TO MAINTAIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MEDIA. UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WANT. Hoffmann Group USA needed to make a grand entrance into the American tooling market. Media relations efforts were targeted to increase broader awareness among manufacturing and tooling audiences. Featured Stories:

Manufacturing and Distribution Magazine Manufacturing News Manufacturing Today Modern Machine Shop New Equipment Digest Aerospace Manufacturing and Design Aircraft Maintenance Technology Automotive Manufacturing Solutions Contractor Supply Company Cutting Tool Engineering Fabricating and Metalworking Industrial Supply Magazine Machines4sale.com Manufacturing Engineering Magazine Production Machining

MEDIA. WINS.

WITH SO MUCH COMPETITION FOR ATTENTION THESE DAYS, CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT CAN BE A TRICKY SUBJECT. SIMPLE TACTICS GO A LONG WAY.

With a contact list of over 2,000 customers, we created a monthly e-newsletter that saw quick returns. A monthly newsletter made it easy to nurture our existing customers and reach new prospects with a view of our broader portfolio.

IMPACT: Average Open Rate 20% Average Click Rate 10%

NEWS. MATTERS.

EACH HOFFMANN CUSTOMER PRESENTS A UNIQUE CHALLENGE. OUR CASE STUDIES HIGHLIGHT THE WAYS HOFFMANN ADAPTED TO THOSE CHALLENGES.

SCHERDEL SALES & TECHNOLOGY Scherdel is a leading global supplier of technical springs and stamping for automotive, medical and other industries. The primary American facility in Muskegon, Michigan opened in 1999 and makes piston ring spring, torsion, tension, compression and spiral springs, double body springs, stamping and bending parts.

SITUATION

Every day, the maintenance team at Scherdel supports the operation and production teams that make the company’s leading springs and stamping machinery for electronic and e-mobility industries, among others. The Michigan facility is one of 29 locations that build metal forming, assembly and joining technology, machine and tool design and construction as well as surface technology

Hoffmann Group’s tools are the best tools I have ever used, hands-down.

CHALLENGE

“Our team uses every type of machining hand tool you can imagine,” touts Todd Waters, Maintenance Technician at Scherdel Sales & Technology. “When I joined Scherdel three years ago, we would go through allen wrenches and other tools every three months.” The downtime and replacement cost the team was incurring was less than satisfactory, and the Scherdel maintenance team suggested Waters and others consider Hoffmann Group’s Garant and Holex brands.

SOLUTION

Fast forward three years later, and “every tool in our toolbox is a Hoffmann Group tool,” said Waters. “The tools that used to break every three months, now last three years. Hoffmann Group’s tools are the best tools I have ever used, hands-down.” Waters and team use Hoffmann Group’s eShop to identify new tools including wire cutters, socket sets, and tooling end mills, among others.

MUBEA INC. Mubea Inc. is a 101 year old supplier of automobile components for automobile manufacturers around the world. This innovative company provides heavy duty spring components and related products for transmissions, suspensions, and other critical necessities as a global partner for the automative industry.

SITUATION

The Mubea Inc. location in Florence, Kentucky is where many of the company’s expert engineers and operations team members are trained on new products, assembly, and a wide array of skills associated with sustaining its broad product portfolio. In addition to new employees, the Florence location boasts an official apprenticeship program that serves as the end-to-end training for the engineering and manufacturing teams. This apprenticeship program provides a holistic training environment which invests in employees to assure they enter their positions with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed and maintain the “Mubea Way.”

No one has a better combination of quality tools and customer service than Hoffmann Group USA.

CHALLENGE

“In our training, we want the best tools available to prepare for our efficient manufacturing processes,” said Andrew Farris, Apprenticeship Coordinator at Mubea Inc. “From assembly files to drills bits, we cover it all in our apprenticeship program.” In training hundreds of employees, Farris expressed the challenge of providing an all-encompassing training environment for these employees. “Even before we train our team members on necessary manufacturing techniques for their job, we have to assemble the entire suite of tools necessary for their job,” added Farris. “To meet the demands of our customers, and in turn, our employees, we need the most innovative manufacturing tools with an efficient ordering and reordering process.”

SOLUTION

That’s why Mubea turned to Hoffmann Group USA. “Hoffmann Group USA tools are the best in the automobile manufacturing industry, but they also provide the best service I have ever seen in our industry,” said Farris. The Mubea apprenticeship program relies on Hoffmann Group USA for hand tools, workstations, and many other tools. Most importantly, Farris and the Mubea team rely on Hoffmann Group USA’s eShop to easily reorder new tools. “No one has a better combination of quality tools and customer service than Hoffmann Group USA. Our training environment at Mubea has never been more advanced, and I am grateful to the Hoffmann Group USA team for helping us achieve this new standard of excellence at Mubea”, said Farris.

Hahn Automation Hahn Automation designs, manufactures, and installs custom machinery for manufacturing companies. Founded in Nannhausen, Germany in the early 1990s, this technology creator now operates in 10 countries across the world.

We need a broad range of reliable products to build cutting-edge automation for our customers.

SITUATION

“We build custom machines so manufacturing companies stay competitive and maintain quality,” explained Hans Liesenfeld, Manufacturing Manager at Hahn Automation. The Hebron, KY USA office is …where over 80 employees work to create complex machinery. A full service supplier who provides the complete design, manufacturing, installation and full customer support. Serving the automotive, medical and consumer product manufacturers.”

CHALLENGE

“Our tools are an integral part of our craftsmanship,” added Liesenfeld. “We have close to 70 toolkits for our technicians and a large variety of cutting tools in the machine shop. We need a broad range of tools because of the highly complex design requirement of our customers.” The design parameters are quite complex due to the broad range of industries that Hahn Automation supports. From material handling robots to drilling tools, the company requires an extremely diverse toolkit of manufacturing tools as part of their day-today operations. We need a broad range of reliable products to build cutting edge automation for our customers.”

SOLUTION

Liesenfeld and the team at Hahn Automation utilize a broad set of tools from Hoffman Group USA, from a simple set of pliers over tool storage solutions, up to high performance solid carbide drills. “We build entire assembly lines for customers, so you can understand why each of our employees use every drawer in their toolbox,” said Liesenfeld. “I have been using Hoffmann Group products for over two decades, and I know they represent the best quality in manufacturing tools, at a reasonable price. Both Holex and Garant brands are dependable; I never have to question the reliability of the products.”

Siemens Turbine-Generator Service Center For more than 40 years, this Charlotte, NC technology center has provided quality turbine and generator service to multiple industries. This hub of over 1 million square feet was built in 2011 to develop power generation solutions for its customers.

SITUATION

The Siemens service center is a collaborative technology hub for multiple product lines to become an innovation hub for the Siemens Energy organization. The Charlotte Center offers a single-source solution for power plants throughout the Americas. Serving Siemens and non-Siemens system needs, the Center provides a full array of repair services for steam turbines, steam valves and electric generators – for both planned and unplanned equipment outages. Additionally, it is one of the few facilities in the U.S.A. that services nuclear-contaminated

CHALLENGE

The facility in Charlotte also includes three high-speed balancing facilities where customers can watch the turbine and generator engineers test, and perform maintenance on, their products. Over 500 customers each year visit the facility for hands-on input regarding new technology. To keep up with the demands of lean manufacturing, Siemens requires a broad range of storage and tooling products.

SOLUTION

“I can say without a doubt that the customer support we receive from the Hoffmann Group USA team is second to none.”

“Efficiency and reliability is key,” said Dennis McKaskey, Lean Manufacturing Sensei at Siemens. “Hoffmann Group USA provides a broad range of products that we love. We use their store cabinets, workbenches, and machine tooling in a variety of applications throughout the service center.” Although products are just the right fit for the Siemens team, “I can say without a doubt that the customer support we receive from the Hoffmann Group USA team is second to none. I have worked with many tooling suppliers across the world, and the attention to detail and speed of response from the Hoffmann Group USA support team is what sets them apart.”

YOU CAN‘T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE WAYS HOFFMANN GROUP USA IS CHANGING THE FACE OF MANUFACTURING. SO WE ALSO INCORPORATED A BLOG TO OUR ARSENAL.

GETTING CUSTOMERS IS ONE THING, KEEPING THEM IS ANOTHER.

One of our goals for the year was to introduce our broader portfolio to loyal customers. We also needed to reach prospects in select markets for the first time. Our direct marketing campaign included 100 key prospects. Sales and marketing teams were able to execute a direct mail, email, and outbound phone campaign that led to new business in targeted markets.

THE AVERAGE PERSON SEES 5,000 ADVERTISEMENTS A DAY. WE MAKE SURE OURS STAND OUT. Our digital ad campaign leveraged Google and Facebook to reach automotive manufacturing audiences in 32 cities. These animated ads brought our brand to life by illustrating our GARANT line of products and their alignment with the “power of nature”.

IMPACT: Direct Website Visits: 98% increase

New Vistitors: 73% increase

Search Engine Visits: 5% increase

Click-Through Rate: >2%

Keyword Marketing: 210% increase

Returning Visitors: 26% increase

SOCIAL MEDIA IS AN EVOLVING FIELD. BUT WE‘RE EVOLVING FASTER. We launched a new social media strategy to focus on our American customers. The #HoffmannBetter campaign was launched to establish a larger and more impactful online following. Through Facebook alone, we were able to target potential new customers, and add them to our mailing list.

IMPACT: Twitter Reach: 57% increase Facebook Reach: 41% increase

CONFERENCES CAN BE BORING. OR SO WE‘VE HEARD. It was important for Hoffmann Group USA to be a dominate force at industry trade shows. To accomplish this, we created an exhibition presence that was sleek and informative.

IMPACT: 300 new business prospects $750K sales pipeline

STORYTELLING IS IMPORTANT FOR BRANDS AND PEOPLE. SO, WE CREATED THIS STORY TO SHARE WITH THE ENTIRE AMERICAN TOOLING INDUSTRY.

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

MARKET SPECIFIC DOMINATION. JUST AS COOL AS IT SOUNDS. In addition to our national campaign, we targeted a small group of cities to apply localized marketing tactics that would reinforce local sales teams. In each of these select markets, we implemented micro-campaigns including: Networking events Digital advertising Media relations Direct mail Outbound phone Email marketing

WE ARE PROUD TO SAY OUR COMBINED HARD WORK PAID OFF. HOFFMANN GROUP USA RECEIVED A PLATINUM MARKETING AWARD.

IN 2017, WE GOT STARTED. IN 2018, WE‘RE READY TO REALLY GET GOING.