HY Client Napoleon Named 2018 Marketer of the Year by Hanley Wood
When Canadian fireplace manufacturer Napoleon partnered with Hoffman York to increase distribution and sales in the U.S. market, we’re guessing they didn’t expect they’d also re-invent the entire fireplace category.
HY’s recommendation for Napoleon was to do more than sell fireplaces – to position them as something more meaningful. The now hugely successful Hot Spots campaign and the research that fueled it helped establish Napoleon as an industry thought leader, building credibility and engagement with key decision makers in the hearth space.
The multi-channel, multi-media Hot Spots campaign, which was supported by proprietary research, played a critical role in Napoleon being named 2018 Marketer of the Year by Hanley Wood. The award recognized innovation and excellence through marketing programs that drive sales using modern tactics.
In addition to Marketer of the Year, Napoleon also received the Gold Brand Builder Award for Best Integrated Marketing Campaign, which recognizes brands in residential and commercial design and construction who demonstrate innovative and effective marketing campaigns that generate sales and inspire consumer loyalty.
Hot Spots was the first-of-its-kind campaign that identified and examined the emotional connections with different areas and amenities in the home. By pinpointing the greatest emotional responses, we were then able to draw conclusions and identify which amenities would increase the appeal (and list price) of a home most effectively. This changed the game by taking the guesswork out of what today’s future and current homeowners desire in their next big purchase. One of these amenities? You guessed it, fireplaces.
“As a company, Napoleon’s vision is to inspire and enhance the most memorable experiences people enjoy in their homes,” said Dave Brown, partner and account director at Napoleon’s marketing agency, Hoffman York. “When developing this campaign, we started with the theory that certain areas of the home, and their accompanying products, contributed more to the quality of life than others. The research we conducted proved this theory true, reflecting homeowners’ powerful emotions relating to specific attributes of the home, including fire features. We were able to apply those emotional insights to our marketing campaign, both adding value to Napoleon’s customers and ultimately supporting the company’s vision.”
The success of Hot Spots spread like wildfire, leading to an integrated campaign including trade ads, earned media and a national speaking tour that helped Napoleon increase brand awareness by 32 percent, increase usage by 46 percent and overall preference by more than half among their key market, professional builders and contractors. What’s more, the builders, contractors and designers who incorporated design elements like fireplaces into their projects were shown to have more satisfied customers and in turn sell more homes. The Hot Spots trade marketing campaign led to a staggering 20 percent increase in overall sales for Napoleon.
Hoffman York is a full-service independent advertising and marketing communications agency headquartered in Milwaukee offering a full suite of award-winning services, including advertising, digital strategy and development, research and analytics as well as earned, social and paid media. HY has experience with clients in the home building space including Napoleon Hearth, Kolbe Window and Perlick. View our award-winning work and case studies here.
Photo: From left: Ron McArthur, Napoleon President, Christopher Schroeter, Napoleon Co-CEO , Dave Brown, Partner Hoffman York