Connector and engineered wood product specialist Simpson Strong-Tie is home to people who are totally obsessed with bits of bent metal. This could be a real problem when your living depends on selling millions of these products to others who don’t necessarily share an insatiable appetite for connectors.
To most people in the trade this piece of metal is just a joist hanger – the same as any of the others they have used for years and, at minimum cost, why would they waste time even thinking about it?
At Simpson, of course, we see things differently – from the Safety Fast Joist Hanger to the ITB-Backer Free Hanger, we believe these are revolutionary products designed to deliver safer and more economical solutions in response to rapidly changing Building Regulations.
We believe the increase in demand for these products is proof they bring real benefits to the construction trade. But Simpson’s challenge is not only to get people to look at them in the first place, but to appreciate why they are worth buying. This is where innovative marketing techniques that reflect the dynamic nature of a fast-growing product range come in.
Simpson has never been one to opt for traditional solutions and this is reflected in its marketing approach. Writing a letter to inform potential customers of a new product or simply updating a website would never cut it. Instead, Simpson – working closely with creative agency Cravens – supports the launch of all new products to potential end users, specifiers and re-sellers through direct mail and e-marketing. Uniquely creative and imaginative, the ideas are designed to get noticed, remarked on and responded to, with our various themed promotions including Puzzles, High Speed Hold Ups, Whoopee Cushions and Time Capsules, Ferraris, Gravestones, a Wee Dram and a pile of Money in your Offcuts.
Early campaigns included a Weakest Link spoof which challenged customers to use the Simpson NPD Team to solve their biggest current connector puzzle and, to customers who bought the fastest-to-install hanger ever made, Simpson awarded them Ferrari “drive aways”.
A Time Capsule launched a new lightweight timber strap which delivered the same strength as much heavier versions – consigning heavyweight competitors to the history museum.
The new Safety Fast System was developed to provide both faster, fuss-free building and compliance to new Part L and Part E regulations. So it got the red carpet treatment when Simpson produced a Hollywood-style campaign with a book, movie and poster promoting the product as the “High Speed Hold up”.
Whoopee !
The Safety Fast End Cap, designed to solve the embarrassing problem of air leakage (in buildings, of course), was launched with some typical British humour when whoopee cushions were distributed to specifiers across the UK as part of a direct mail campaign.
A recent series of mailshots also showed there is money in I-joist off-cuts, literally. Again the aim was to bring the real value and benefits of Simpson’s products and services to life.
But does it work? The mailers – which are fun, light-hearted and, most importantly, engaging – not only win attention, they bring an essentially dull product to life. They position Simpson Strong-Tie as an innovative, creative organisation and there are facts and figures to prove it.
Sales for the Safety Fast System in its first year reached £600k – the first Simpson Strong-Tie product to ever achieve this – and, to date, they have exceeeded £1.5m. Safety Fast is also specified by eight out of the top ten national housebuilders. And, proving that Simpson products are as good as their word, not a single floor has collapsed using the product.
The launch of Simpson Strong-Tie’s new website – www.strongtie.co.uk – is also turning heads with its state-of-the-art 3D animations. Not only does the site provide instant access to clear product information, it guides users through a hi-tech cinematic sequence demonstrating precisely how each connector should be used to ensure accurate installation and to maximise its effectiveness.
To keep the industry up to speed on its latest technological venture, Simpson mailed out special 3D glasses inviting people to indulge in a new product experience.
As Simpson continues to break new ground with a constant stream of products being introduced each year, it has never been more vital to drive creativity and innovation across all its communications.
