Hickman Redefines Standard With Customization Campaign Integrated Campaign
CLIENT
Founded in 1945, The W.P. Hickman Company is a leading American manufacturer of metal roof edging for commercial buildings. A family-owned business with over 60 years of experience in the industry, Hickman products offer superior protection against wind and water infiltration and have one of the most impressive warranties in the business. Edge solutions include a wide range of styles and materials including copings, gravel, gutters, downspouts, reglets and trims that are all designed to meet sustainable building standards and the International Building Code.
SITUATION
The company’s process, which engages architects early in the design phase, and its unique manufacturing expertise, allows it to produce roof edgings with almost unlimited design and material possibilities. While Hickman has a broad audience for its standard catalog products, the company wanted to increase awareness of its customization capabilities. Hickman approached Function: to develop a dynamic marketing campaign targeting architects to increase awareness of the company’s abilities for custom projects. Through this campaign, Hickman hoped to reach its target audience of architects who have a design in mind, but don’t know what products are available to help make the vision a reality.
SOLUTION
Using the concept of “redefining standard,” Function: took an angular approach and created a fully integrated campaign for Hickman designed to drive the audience to its microsite for information and resources. In addition to the microsite, Function: developed a series of communications tools that would demonstrate the company’s message to architects through multiple touch points. These included a detailed sales tool, case studies, advertisements and an eBlast. Each piece of collateral and the microsite was designed to be something vibrant and unique for the architectural audience. The design mimicked customized jobs, reiterating the overall concept that W.P. Hickman’s custom capabilities “redefine standard.” The sales tool and advertisements all focused on the idea of infinite possibilities in roof edging. The abstract and imaginative graphics along with step-by-step explanation of Hickman’s process relayed the company’s ability to help bring even the most challenging design ideas to life. Additionally, to further penetrate the architectural audience, Function: developed extended material for Hickman to present at the AIA 2012 National Conference and Design Exposition.
