SPECtacular Marketing Campaign Strengthens Steel City^® Floor Box Competitive Positioning

Left to right: Tony Kolznak, Segment Marketing Manager, Dan Michaelis, Product Marketing Manager, Judy Rawles, Marketing Communications Manager and Dan Seidel, plant manager Jonesboro, Ark., stand in front of the Floor Box XPECtacular "GlassWall."




The goal of the counter display was to encourage distributor conversions to Steel City Floor Boxes. The rotating display features floor boxes mounted on tile, carpet and pergola. One side is made of clear acrylic to give customers a view of the display interior where portions of the products are visible that are under the floor in a typical application.

The Steel City brand name is well known and widely respected among electrical contractors as being the best outlet box in the industry. So when T&B decided to expand the Steel City portfolio of floor boxes, it seemed like a good opportunity to raise the awareness through an innovative and targeted marketing program.

"The Floor Box SPECtacular campaign was intended to be an educational blitz for engineers, contractors and distributors designed to get Steel City floor boxes specified into the construction plans for commercial buildings," said Dan Michaelis, product manager for T&B. "And it worked! The integrated approach was the key to reaching our target audiences with multiple touch-points."

The integrated marketing campaign included print advertising, a direct mail and email campaign and a dedicated website. The most prominently featured product was Steel City Poke Through Systems for multi-story commercial construction. Poke through floor boxes are typically installed after the concrete has been poured. After installation, only the cover is visible.

The SPECtacular program components highlighted various attributes of the Steel City Poke Through System, such as the all-brass covers, the installation flexibility ideal for both new construction and retrofit applications, and the service tools provided by Thomas & Betts to aid contractors and distributors.

The theme that tied the program together touted the allbrass covers of the Steel City Poke Through System with the headline, "We Don't Do Anything Half-Brass."

Part of the campaign included a counter display that won TED Magazine's "Best of the Best" marketing award in the Merchandising category. TED (short for 'The Electrical Distributor') is a leading trade publication in the electrical industry.

The Name of the Game is Reliability

When T&B's Utility Products Group took part in the biggest event of the electric utility industry hosted by ComEd in the windy city of Chicago, they took a unique approach to their exhibit. Utilizing a thematic approach, "The Name of the Game is Reliability", the exhibit provided an interactive game enabling the attendee to see all aspects of the exhibit which featured T&B's entire family of products under the brands: Elastimold^®, Homacª, Joslyn Hi- Voltageª, Fisher Pierce^®, Hi-Tech^® and Blackburn^®.

The event is designed to help all T&D professionals improve job performance and is focused exclusively on the transmission and distribution concerns of electric utilities. Over 7,000 industry professionals and 350 exhibiting companies attended the event which is held every two years.

Red•Dot^® Post Sconce Lights Shine On Episode of Take Home Handyman

T&B's Red•Dot^® Post Sconce Light was recently featured on Take Home Handyman, a television program showcasing master handyman Andrew Dan-Jumbo and his techniques for helping ordinary homeowners make easy home repairs.

The Post Sconce Lights were installed as part of an outdoor renovation project at a residence in Edgewater, a city on Maryland's Eastern shore. The family chose the Post Sconce Lights to provide lighting for their backyard deck and add a sense of safety and security to their home.

Post Sconce Lights are made of die-cast aluminum alloy which provide durability while its bronze lacquered finish allows it to blend into a surrounding landscape. Its copper-free aluminum construction increases corrosion resistance, making Post Sconce Lights suitable for both wet and dry locations.

T&B Showcases the latest Energy Industry Innovations in Dubai

Thomas & Betts increased its presence in the Middle East by participating in the Middle East Electricity trade show held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the leading energy event of its kind anywhere in the world. The exhibition had over 900 exhibitors from 55 countries and was attended by all Middle East Countries and global manufacturers.

"We adopted a two tier approach giving us valuable meeting area on the upper deck for privacy and on-site meetings," said Mike Bodington, T&B sales and marketing director EMEA & Asia. "We also incorporated brands such as Kaufel^®, VanLien, Furse^® and Steel City^® which is a strong product in Saudi.

T&B's Canada Facility Earns Top ISO Recertification

T&B Canada has obtained recertification from the International Standards Organization (ISO) for the next three years. The recertification follows an extensive audit by Quality Management Institute (QMI), which conducted a full audit of the facilities in Iberville to ensure compliance with all International Standards and stated procedures.

"Receiving recertification is proof that T&B is truly committed to support our strategic objectives in regards to quality and continuous improvement," said Nathalie Pilon, T&B President - Canada Division. "I would like to thank all of our internal auditors for their efforts during the preparation of the external audit."

ISO, founded in 1947, is an international agency that promotes the development of international standards and facilitates the exchange of goods and services worldwide.

Certification is based on several quality management principles and requirements to help improve organizational performance including customer focus, leadership, and involvement of people, process approach and system approach to management. ISO believes that certifying management systems offers proof of the company's commitment to quality, environment, health and safety.

ISO assures that products are produced by meeting well-defined standards of quality and consistency and contributes to the quality of life in general by ensuring that the transport, machinery and tools T&B use are safe.