‘Proper Marketing’ to ‘Proper Builders’ wins CMA award for EH Smith
Family-owned Builders Merchants EH Smith has picked up another award for their ‘Proper Builders’ campaign which has delivered a 30% increase in customer visits to their eight branches across the UK and prompted the opening of a ninth in Olton in the West Midlands.
The firm picked up the award for best Strategic Planning and Management of a campaign at the Construction Marketing Awards, beating off competition from Lafarge and Reynaers at Home.
The award, won jointly with their marketing agency MRA Associates, recognised the campaign’s success in positioning EH Smith on the side of small, independent builders and other trades - highlighting the firm’s move to fixed pricing and the lowering of 15,000 prices on their most popular collected products.
The campaign included digital and social media; direct marketing; radio competitions on Free Radio across the West Midlands; stories in all key regional newspapers, television and radio and a week of events during which customers were invited to hog roasts to visit the £400,000 redevelopment of the Shirley, Solihull site.
Run by the prestigious Chartered Institute of Marketing Construction Industry Group (CIMCIG) the CMA Awards recognise and celebrate the best and most innovative marketing campaigns in the construction industry.
Mark Mallinder, Marketing Director of EH Smith said: “After our success at the recent Builders Merchants News Awards, this second award was a great Christmas present and the perfect end to a really cracking year.
“The campaign was designed to embed a genuine cultural change in the way EH Smith interacts with customers by communicating EH Smith’s expanded range, fixed pricing and new facilities - and encourage customers to browse, self-select and collect from site.
We focused our attention on smaller builders and associated trades, positioning ourselves as a ‘proper builders merchant for proper builders’ - and it has been gratifying to see a 38% increase in product range purchased by this target group.”
Mike Rigby, of MRA Marketing added: “A lot of marketing is focused on sales promotion and making a campaign look pretty. That’s why it often disappoints. What impressed me was EH Smith had the vision to ask marketing how to achieve a significant and sustainable increase in small builder’s business and then hold marketing accountable for implementing the plan. Mark and I spent 18 months researching what builders think of their suppliers and what they want; researching best practice, and how much business there was to be had; tracking prices; thinking what would really give EH Smith a competitive edge, and make small builders switch. We used this information to plan a different approach and deliver it by redesigning the branch and changing the product range, merchandising, opening hours and pricing. We used all the marketing tools including social media to reach builders on their smartphones or wherever they were. The improved performance is what we expected and the new approach is being rolled out to other branches. It’s working because it is ‘Proper Marketing’ to ‘Proper Builders’!”
On the back of the rise in customer visits prompted by the campaign, EH Smith’s new branch at Olton Wharf, Solihull opened its doors for collections in November stocking essential building supplies to help meet demand from customers across the West Midlands region.
ENDS
Image shows: Mike Rigby - owner of MRA Marketing and Mark Mallinder – EH Smith Marketing Director being presented with their award.
Deborah Smith
Wordsmith Communication UK ltd
07881 500557
ds@wordsmith-communication.co.uk
EH Smith Builders Merchants is one of the largest independent builders merchants and timber merchants in the UK, stocking a comprehensive range of building supplies and trade products. Traditionally a specialist in heavyside building materials, EH Smith has explored more diverse markets and have expanded their paving & landscaping product ranges as well as the timber merchant side of the business.
The current main trading sectors of the company are:
Bricks & Specialist Masonry
Paving & Landscaping Products
Garden Landscaping Products
Timber
Civil Engineering Solutions
Selfbuild Project Services
Sustainable building products
General Building Supplies
Established in Birmingham in 1922, the company has 8 conveniently located trading locations throughout the Midlands and South East which have been serving local trade professionals and the general public for many years.
EH Smith Builders Merchants believes strongly in the needs of the tradesman. Through the expansion of stock holdings on quality brands, competitive pricing and an unrivalled onsite delivery service, EH Smith have developed their core business in order to meet these needs.
EH Smith Builders Merchants are well known in the construction industry for their ability to source specialist materials and solutions to the customer's requirements. The company values its 450 strong work force, ensuring that staff are employed and trained to provide the very highest levels of customer service in the industry. The wide range of stock and expertise, ranging from bricks and masonry through to timber, civils, tools and landscaping, makes EH Smith the one-stop-shop for the true trade professional.
