SAIT Abrasives manufactures a comprehensive collection of bonded and coated abrasive solutions for businesses in the metal and wood working industries for a variety of applications, from welding, to car bodies to furniture.
SAIT is acknowledged as a prestigious brand within the industry and amongst its target audience, however it is still relatively unknown more widely. The abrasives manufacturer approached Refresh following a recommendation from our client FEIN, looking for a PR agency that could lead a four month sprint campaign to raise brand awareness, particularly amongst the metal industry, and build relationships within its target audience, showcasing why it is different.
With SAITs business goals in mind and following an in-depth strategy session, the core objectives for the campaign were agreed as:
- Build brand awareness amongst key target audiences via brand mentions in the right places
- Help SAIT Abrasives reach key buyers and start direct conversations with the target audience to influence purchasing decisions
16
pieces of coverage
94%
backlink inclusion
5
key industry contacts
The campaign
Before devising a campaign for SAIT we undertook a thorough competitor audit in the media. Our findings revealed that while some of SAIT’s competitors do have a media presence, it’s usually heavily product focused. This meant that there was a real opportunity for SAIT Abrasives to take ownership of the space and share news stories and thought leadership that would resonate with its target audience, with industry insights that are useful to them.
To achieve this, we generated SAIT-owned research delving into decision-making metalworkers thoughts on key topics that both matter to the target audience and are of interest to the media. The topics included training, supply chain collaboration and productivity.
This positioned SAIT as an expert in the abrasives sector and showcased the business’ deeper understanding of its customers and their needs, as well as highlight the support it can offer to overcome challenges raised by the research.
We then used the data to develop multiple pieces of content for a variety of channels, including blogs, infographics, social posts and press releases.
We also worked closely with some of SAITs key customers to deliver third-party commentary that not only showcased the business’ ability to build strong relationships with customers but also gave the content produced extra authority in the industry.
The research was also used to build relationships with new potential customers. We took the research to Surface World Live, which is well-attended by its target audience, and used it as a conversation starter to introduce SAIT.
The results
Over the duration of the campaign, we achieved:
- 16 pieces of coverage
- 94% backlink inclusion within the coverage
- 100% key message inclusion within the coverage
- A reach of 230,409 through the media activity
- A 144% increase in users to the blog
- 105 engagements on LinkedIn
- 5 introductions to key industry contacts
Services delivered include:
- Strategy and planning
- Market research
- Content development
- Press releases
- Social media
- Asset design
- Lead generation
- Trade press office
- Media relations
- Thought-leadership
- Measurement and evaluation
It was a pleasure working with the Refresh team – they brought a vibrant energy to play, were very proactive and maintained great communication throughout the project. As a stand-alone marketing manager, you need the right agencies behind you, and these experts know their craft inside out. Elizabeth, Danielle and the team were very approachable and respectful and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Refresh to other companies who are looking to start out on their PR journey. Marketing Manager, SAIT Abrasives