Profile

ICE-O-Matic is a manufacturer of commercial ice machines designed for use by hotels and restaurants. The company has 50 distributors nationwide. The distribution of ICE-O-Matic’s ice machines is a two-step process: The distributors sell to dealers, which then sell to the hotels and restaurants.

Situation

Ed Jennings, director of marketing, needed to increase brand awareness and become the product of choice among dealers that carry numerous brands. He also had to be sure his ice machines were visible to end users, so they in turn would request the ICE-O-Matic brand from dealers.

Solution

On-going communication with dealers and end users ensures ICE-O-Matic remains the top-of-mind brand. To guarantee the communications have a consistent corporate identity, distributor mailings to dealers and dealer communications to end users are handled through the corporate office. Ed put together six different mailing pieces from which the distributors may choose. He purchases infoUSA mailing lists of hotel and restaurant equipment dealers in the respective distributors’ geographic area. Several of the distributors’ campaigns are mailed simultaneously.

Results

Bundling distributor mailings into large-quantity mailings is very cost-effective. Also, Ed is able to narrow his search and reach highly qualified dealers by targeting SIC codes and other criteria, making his campaign as effective as possible.