More than 20,000 readers subscribed to the company’s ARC magazine in its first year

Craig Coffey and his marketing team are playing the long game at Lincoln Electric. 

The Cleveland-based manufacturer of welding equipment is engaged in a pitched battle with Miller Electric Manufacturing, a faceoff of red versus blue that can be tracked all the way back to the very minute a novice has the mere thought that it might be nice to buy a torch.

“In North America, buyers are very brand loyal,” said Coffey, manager of the marketing communications team at Lincoln Electric. Once they choose the red or the blue tool, they tend to stick with it and carry it forward into their professional careers. “It’s hard to convert someone after the fact.”