Honeywell Heating Controls created a heroic campaign theme to highlight its energy efficient products. Gemma Huckle reports
Honeywell Heating Controls supplies domestic heating and combustion controls in the UK. The company launched an integrated campaign designed to promote its wireless, energy-saving heating controls to its core audience of installers and heating engineers. It adopted a novel approach by inviting installers and heating engineers to become ‘heroes’ and help their customers save money on their heating bills.
The Purple Agency was appointed to deliver and design the ‘Be an instant hero’ campaign, which addressed the fact that approximately 8.5 million homes in the UK have no heating controls. The campaign was positioned to encourage installers and suppliers in the plumbing and heating industry to inform homeowners about the financial benefits of having Honeywell’s controls installed.
Four real-life photo stories formed the campaign. Each of the stories focused on different products, e.g. wireless controls, smart heat controls and zoning controls, and incorporated the same core message: “8.5 million homes don’t have a thermostat” with an image illustrating the installer as the hero ready to help customers. A number of slogans featured on point-of-sale materials and the campaign microsite to reinforce the hero concept. Slogans included, ‘Become a high flyer’; ‘You have the power! Be an instant hero!’ and ‘Take control, be an instant hero!’.
Initiating interaction
The ‘Be an instant hero’ campaign launched in the UK in autumn 2011 – the peak period for people turning their central heating back on after the summer, and a time when people start to notice if there are any problems with it. ‘Be an instant hero’ was primarily aimed at two key groups: firstly, plumbing and heating merchants and heating installers – from one-man bands to larger plumbing and heating companies. And secondly, it targeted suppliers – which was more of a challenge for Honeywell’s small marketing team who had more than 500 stores to cover. This obstacle was overcome with Purple’s help.
Honeywell sought to initiate interaction with its target audience by running a number of online competitions that installers could enter via the campaign microsite fitathermostat.com. In addition, smaller incentives such as t-shirts and mugs were sent directly to a selected number of suppliers to build brand awareness.
Plumbing and heating installers and suppliers were targeted with direct mail, sales promotions and point-of-sale materials. In addition, the microsite informed users of the benefits of fitting room thermostats, information on energy efficient products and how to help customers improve their energy efficiency. All major industry trade titles, such as Plumbing and Heating Monthly, were targeted using PR activity and advertising to further push the campaign message. The campaign was also taken to nine regional plumbing and heating shows, spanning across the UK, in the autumn of 2011. Some of these trade shows included: The Renewables Roadshow, an event attended by plumbing and heating professionals. The Plumbing and Heating Exhibition (PHEX) in Manchester and London, and The Bright Homes Show.
Segmented approach
Since the launch, more than 70 per cent of Honeywell’s website visitors have clicked through to the campaign microsite. The company says it has also seen its market share rise, but won’t have final sales figures until the campaign has ended.
‘Be an instant hero’ will continue to run throughout 2012 with a number of new executions. Honeywell revealed it will maintain the same segmented approach, targeting specific messages to its customer groups for campaigns delivered during the course of this year, keeping the successful creative concept the same.
Talking about the success of the campaign, Andrew Mansfield, marketing communications manager at Honeywell Heating Controls, says, “The campaign from Purple helped us get across several critical messages under one simple-to- understand theme. As well as highlighting the benefits of fitting a room thermostat or upgraded controls, the materials also offer advice to installers so they can fit the most appropriate upgrades.”
