The beverage manufacturing industry is one of the end markets Gates Corporation operates in as a key provider of belts and hoses that literally drive the business. With 55% percent of labor hours being spent on preventive maintenance at some beverage facilities, operators were dealing with excessive costs just to keep inferior roller chain drive systems running. Gates had a better way.
We used the hard numbers these challenging scenarios represented to illustrate the tough conditions beverages facilities faced, and to help Gates position themselves as the partner with proven ideas for eliminating downtime and generating cost savings.
To place Gates top of mind of beverage facility decision makers, an integrated campaign was developed and implemented to soften target, establish awareness and lay groundwork for converting to Gates. More support for the campaign came in the form of a training presentation developed to increase knowledge among the sales force regarding the beverage end market, to better qualify leads and to increase revenue for Gates products and solutions.
A comprehensive approach for targets began with a tube mailer as a personalized warmer outlining beverage challenges. Featuring a Gates branded bottle opener inside, targets were encouraged to open opportunities by engaging with a Gates District Sales Manager. A beverage brochure, conversion guide and infographic helped further build demand for solutions as sales call leave-behinds and content offers online—all reinforcing the cost-saving advantages of converting to Gates synchronous belt drive systems.
Closing the loop, a 3D follow up box mailer engaged highly qualified leads from the tube mailer at a much deeper level, urging facility managers to satisfy their thirst for cutting costly and excessive maintenance. Containing a Gates branded pint glass with the screened-on message “Drink In Success,” the piece reminded our audience of the unrealized savings they could gain from Gates superior products and solutions.
Initial mailer was sent out to 665 maintenance managers at beverage facilities across 465 companies in North America—of which 165 leads were successfully identified as qualified leads. Of the 165 leads, 89 were considered to be highly qualified and received the 3D box mailer. Given that the program is part of a long-term nurture effort launched in Q4 of 2013, Gates continues to follow up on the leads from both efforts.