WEATHERSKIN CORPORATION...Tradeshows / Marketing materials Social Media Optional/Longterm Off-Page...

W E A T H E R S K I N C O R P O R A T I O NA C O M P R E H E N S I V E G U I D E T O M A R K E T I N G

SECTION 01

SECTION 03

SECTION 02

Introduction and Goals

04 - 08

03

09

C O N T E N T S

Current Collateral

The Audience

“Your brand is what

other people say

about you when

you are not in the

room “

- Jeff Bezos

SECTION 04

SECTION 04

SECTION 04

Suggested Approach

11

10

12 - 15Search Engine Marketing

Landing Pages

SECTION 04

SECTION 04

SECTION 04

Objective / Subjective Data

17

16

18Face to Face

Email Marketing

SECTION 04

Social Media 19

SECTION 05

Staggered Approach20

SECTION 01INTRODUCTION

WEATHERSKIN CORPORATIONMARKETING GUIDELINE 3

I N T R O D U C T I O N A N D G O A L S

Weatherskin is the premiere provider of elastometric protective coatings and

waterproofing for industrial, commercial, and residential uses. The business is relentless

in their pursuit of high quality, eco-friendly products for all aspects of the construction

and energy industry. The Weatherskin product line is leading the industry with smart

construction materials that outperform similar products on the market.

The business is looking to increase their digital presence to expand brand recognition

and to better communicate the Weatherskin value proposition with potential clients and

territory holders through a detailed and targeted marketing campaign. The updated

strategy will capitalize on building digital word-of-mouth and direct marketing strategies

that relay the strength of the Weatherskin membrane and epoxy product lines.

We have developed a marketing framework that leverages the businesses strengths

and puts a focus on developing a multi-pronged marketing approach. You have to learn

to walk before you can run, which means we have developed a strategic roll out to this

campaign. Through this strategy we will generate brand awareness and buzz with both

the primary and secondary audiences.

The Goals Simplified

• Develop brand awareness with target market

• Generate buzz

• Increase retail product sales

• Increase Territory purchases

• Getting spec’d into projects

SECTION 02THE AUDIENCE


T H E A U D I E N C E

While the Weatherskin marketing strategy is technically a B2B model, the mantra for all

marketing efforts moving forward should be: behind every brand is a real person with

real-world goals and struggles. You are always marketing to a person, understanding that

person is going to be the key to your success.

PRIMARY DEMOGRAPHIC: SECONDARY DEMOGRAPHIC:

Construction Buyer

Construction Manager

Coatings Companies

Architects

Engineers

Property Managers



P R I M A R Y A U D I E N C E

The people in this group are incredibly busy people with cyclical work patterns. Contrary

to your typical office employee, their busiest and most hectic season is in the summer.

Often times, this demographic can be found working in their trucks, on job sites, and

‘putting out fires’ on their phones. Even the least technologically inclined contractor has

their smartphone within arm’s reach and are available by both phone and email night and

day.

To perform a quality job for their client that gets them noticed, in the least amount of time

possible and with the lowest overhead possible. Happy clients tell others about the quality

work – word-of-mouth marketing at work.

AT THE CORE

GOALS

CHALLENGES

BUYING PROCESS

Of course, the biggest hurdle facing any construction buyer (and anyone really) is time

and money. Being able to show value in cost, labour, and quality is imperative.

In larger companies, getting buy-in from the higher ups can be a hurdle in the buying

timeline, especially on a bigger scale.

A hurdle for many businesses in this industry is training. They may be interested in

innovative new products, but they can be hesistant about having to train themselves /

their staff on any new materials.

While larger companies will have a dedicated purchaser, in independent organizations,

most product purchasing decisions are quite often left up to management (in whatever

form that takes.)

The majority of purchasing decisions in the construction industry happen in under a

month, from identifying the need to making the purchase.



P R I M A R Y A U D I E N C E

HABITS

When people in this industry hit a road block or a technical problem they are going to

get on their phone and research work-arounds and products that will make their life

easier. This group is less likely to leave work at work, they will research and strategize

online at home even after a long day at work. Time is money for this market, during their

busy season(s) they are always on.

When a general contractor or construction manager has a need, word-of-mouth

marketing reigns supreme, with Google being a solid secondary source for information.

Larger commercial construction businesses will have a centralized purchasing

department. These companies work with targets and a solid understanding of future

needs. These departments are more likely to have thoroughly researched and committed

purchasing patterns. Hitting these buyers at industry trade shows, backed up with a

strong online presence is what will make the sale.

Company size and industry experience of the buyer plays a large role in their purchasing

habits. Buyers with eight or more years of experience rank word-of-mouth marketing as

the most important source of information to get a business / product on their radar.

Buyers with eight or fewer years are going to turn to the internet to learn information

quickly, particularly looking at online reviews and how-to-videos.

The second most popular driver for buying product – and most common in smaller

businesses – is on an ad hoc (or as needed) basis. This can create a vital sense of urgency

and is where almost impulse purchases arise. This is a strong avenue for online sales,

the management / contractor identifies their need, sees product online, looks at online

information and reviews, heads to the nearest dealer, makes the purchase.

Most Important Factors When Sourcing a Vendor Online

Company Responsiveness

Reputation

Brand Name

Website



S E C O N D A R Y A U D I E N C E

Architects, engineers, and property managers are responsible for finding building

products that check off a number of boxes. They are on the lookout for a high-quality

product that fits the project scope and is easy to install. There is a distinct old school vs.

new school mentality that goes on in these firms.

AT THE CORE

GOALS

CHALLENGES

BUYING PROCESS

They need to convince multiple people in the project chain to spec a Weatherskin product

over another one. These individuals need to have all the information at their disposal to

become a brand champion and defend their decision to use your products to senior staff

members, contractors, and their clients.

Within these industries, the buying process tends to be longer and more complex that

with the primary demographic. There are more stakeholders in the project chain, that

require the signoff from multiple levels. These projects often are often planned farther

out and have a higher degree of complexity. The spec process at this level can be

months out.

The ultimate goal of this demographic is to achieve recognition within their filed and grow

confidence and respect within their company. They tend to be loyal to any vendor that will

help them achieve these goals.



S E C O N D A R Y A U D I E N C E

HABITS

While the older generation is attached to tried and true products, they are willing to

discover new products when seeing the value proposition at work, usually on a project

that is spearheaded by respected co-workers in junior or mid-level positions. These junior

and mid-level employees are the most likely to be on the lookout for innovative producs,

and will be the most interested in the Weatherskin value proposition.

Those architects, engineers, and property managers in junior and mid-level positions are

millennials who are not only used to the online atmosphere, but it fits them like a second

skin.

Cellphones, websites, Wikipedia and Google are second nature to this group. That means

that this demographic is less likely to read print journals and are looking to expand their

knowledge base online.

They are the demographic that will engage with the Weatherskin brand through the

website and read various white papers. This demographic expects to find answers to

90% their biggest questions and be more than halfway to a decision on your product

before they engage with your sales team.

Individuals from the secondary audience, like their more experienced counterparts, are

analytical, numbers driven people. They rely less on intuition and put a lot of stock into

outcomes, which is where white papers with a mix of both objective and subjective

information paired with reviews and / or testimonials will help tip the scales.

Most Important Factors When Sourcing a Vendor Online

Website

Case Studies / Numbers

Reputation / Testimonials

Brand

SECTION 03CURRENT POSITION


C U R R E N T M A R K E T I N G C O L L A T E R A L

WEBSITE

www.weatherskin.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook - facebook.com/weatherskin/

Instagram - @weatherskincorporation

Twitter - @weatherskinyyc

FB/Twitter/Insta - various territories

PRINT MARKETING Various handsouts for parts of product line

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES

One of the unique advantages available for marketing the Weatherskin brand are the territory holders. Being able to harness

the entrepreneurial energy of the territory holders and backing them up with necessary marketing materials and guides will

ensure they are successful and increase sales for Weatherskin.

VALUE PROPOSTION

Cutting edge

Tested

Cost effective

Green certified

Weatherproof

Works in any environment

Easy to use

Durable

Long-Lasting

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK

WEATHERSKIN CORPORATION MARKETING GUIDELINE 10

M A R K E T I N G S T R A T E G Y

SUGGESTED MARKETING APPROACH

We have listed our suggested marketing avenues in order of importance. We have listed what we believe to be your most

valuable streams first and they follow in order of relevance.

Demographic Specific Landing Pages

Google Ads

Reviews

Case studies

Newsletter

Licensees

Tradeshows / Marketing materials

Social Media

Optional/Longterm

Off-Page SEO

YouTube Ads

Trade Publication Ads

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK


W E B S I T E T W E A K S

DEMOGRAPHIC SPECIFIC LANDING PAGES

When trying to market industry specific products, having landing pages designed just for both Weatherskin target

demographics will help streamline communication and directly engage your market. Tailoring the copy and calls to action

using industry terms, strategically prioritizing information, and streamlining the UI will build credibility, cement the brand for

the viewer, and encourage conversions.

With the secondary demographic especially, there is an expectation to have 90% of their questions answered through the

website before reaching out to a company representative. This is a demographic that expects to have a landing page

dedicated to them.

The calculator tool that is already on the Weatherskin website should be tweaked for each demographic specific landing

page, ensuring that the calculated cost will be correct for “wholesale” type pricing.

The creation of the demographic specific landing pages will be paired to work with Google Ads to convert potential

customers into happy clients.

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK


S E A R C H E N G I N E M A R K E T I N G

GOOGLE

When your audience is searching for an item on Google, they are going there with an interest and an intention. Both the

primary and secondary audiences are going to use Google as a jumping off point to discover solutions to their product needs

and develop their knowledge base.

80% of people do not go past the second page on Google, while another 60% of people do not go past the first page. Getting

your brand on page one is imperative to generate interest and develop a lead pipeline.

This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes into play. SEO is all about achieving “findability” online. As a well-

known form of internet marketing, it’s a smart strategy for businesses to promote themselves to an online community in a

manner that is relatively non-intrusive and completely audience driven. With 93% of all online experiences beginning with a

search engine it’s no wonder we rely on Google for most any curiosity.

Organic SEO is incredibly valuable; however, it can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor. In order to achieve instant find-

ability, the first part of our strategy is to leverage GoogleAds to achieve immediate findability.

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK



GOOGLE ADS

Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) are a marketer’s best friend. They are on online advertising service that displays brief

and unobtrusive ads to viewers at the top of the search page. Remember, 60% of viewers don’t scroll past the first search

results page, if you aren’t showing up first, you may as well not be showing up at all.

Both the primary and secondary Weatherskin demographic are incredibly busy people with nearly constant demands on their

attention. Even with intention of doing a deep dive into product research, they will click on an ad that catches their eye and

speaks directy to them.

The service works on keywords. When a viewer inputs their query, Google matches the users keywords, with the advertisers

keywords in order to show the correct ads to the right target audience. It is an effective way to get your brand, and essentially

your elevator pitch, in front of interested parties.

Google Ads operate on a pay-per-click approach, which means that you only pay for the ad when a viewer clicks on it. The

cost per click can run anywhere from $1 to $100, depending on the popularity of the keyword.

Each Google Ad group will be segmented by audience and work hand-in-hand with the demographic specific landing pages

to engage the target market.

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK



GOOGLE / FACEBOOK REVIEWS

In the digital age, reviews are the online version of word-of-mouth marketing. When a viewer searches for a brand online,

Google and Facebook reviews will show up on the top half of the first page. 85% of people say that their purchasing deci-

sions are influenced by online reviews. Customer reviews lend credibility to a product and provides the social proof that the

audience needs to validate their interest. For someone on the fence, it can often be the deciding factor between making the

purchase or not.

The reputation of a business and the testimonials weigh heavy for both the primary and secondary Weatherskin audience.

Showing testimonials and positive reviews that directly relate to the demographic will go a long way towards developing

credibility in the mind of the target market.

When a business allows or encourages reviews, it shows openness, transparency, and above all a genuine belief in their prod-

uct. Weatherskin currently has six Google reviews and three Facebook reviews, all positive. That is a good number to start, but

increasing that number is important to lend credibility.

Implementing the Google Review widget will allow your happy clients to leave a Google review for Weatherskin directly on

the website. This widget is handy in more ways than one, by increasing your number of direct reviews, it will also increase the

Weatherskin organic SEO rating.

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK


R E S P O N D I N G T O R E V I E W S

Review and Comment Strategy

All reviews and comments should be responded to as soon as possible. Do not wait longer

than four business days. Designate a review lead who will both post and respond to

messages/comments. Designate a review backup who can help out and take over when

necessary.

FOR POSITIVE REVIEWS:

Part of the Weatherskin strength lies in having an innovative product that can stand up to

anything mother nature can throw at it. Building a reputation for excellence means that

reviews and testimonials are a big part of the brand marketing strategy.

With the introduction of licensees, this could get complicated, but having a variation of

a standard (or template) response agreed upon by all terriorty holders will help simplify

matters.

“Thanks for taking the time out of your day to let us know how the membrane (or

epoxy line) worked for your project! We are always happy to hear that we are helping

weatherproof jobs around North America! Thanks again for reaching out! “

-The Weatherskin Team

FOR NEGATIVE REVIEWS:

- Respond publicly. Acknowledge the client’s anger, ask for contact info to be messaged so

that staff may personally respond and get the issue sorted, turn a negative into a positive

with the response.

- The key is always to find out which territory the review is coming from and who the

licensee is. Talk to the licensee directly to find out what happened and how to resolve it.

“We are sorry your experience with our product hasn’t been exceptional and we can

assure you that it is not the norm. Please send us your preferred contact method and we

will have a manager get in touch. “ - The Weatherskin Team

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK


O B J E C T I V E / S U B J E C T I V E D A T A

CASE STUDIES

Along a similar vein as reviews, having readily available case studies is diplaying corporate transparency and defending the

product line.

A solid case study from each industry Weatherskin works with should feature every voice, role, and the numbers involved in a

project from the building owner to the architect to distributor, seller, contractor. Giving the complete picture shows how your

product benefits everyone, not just one party over another and helps to convert both the primary and secondary demo-

graphics.

With the second target market, it is often said you don’t want to try to ‘sell’ them on a brand or product, but educate them on

it instead. This is where white papers (or case studies) are going to come in handy. The architects and engineers are going to

get the most mileage out of the case studies, as they are the most analytical and will often times have to defend their decision

to spec Weatherskin over another product line. The secondary demographic is well aware that they will have to defend their

choice by backing it up with hard data and case studies.

Once the case studies are created, we will get them added to the Weatherskin main page as well as the demographic-specific

landing pages in a downloadable format to ensure they are seen and read.

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK


E M A I L M A R K E T I N G

NEWSLETTER

Email marketing can be an incredibly effective tool, especially when trying to reach busy construction buyers. The primary

demographic often stores proposals, product orders, and other information on their email for easy access and shareability on

their smartphone. This means that even during their peak season, this market checks their email up to dozens of times a day.

Spare moments in their truck or office can be taken up with learning about new products that will save them time, energy,

and money.

Remarketing with a monthly or semimonthly newsletter will help keep the Weatherskin brand fresh in their memory and be a

direct line of communication with your market.

The secondary demographic is a little harder to engage through email and should be contacted through this method less

frequently. This is the group that will be looking for new case studies, product innovations, and compelling financial appeal

through their email. This group can be sent newsletters, however, it should only happen during new product launches etc.

Weatherskin has already been working on developing lists of potential clients that can be put on an email marketing list. This

is a valuable use of time and should be a priority for the Weatherskin team moving forward.

We recommend using MailChimp as it is free (up to a point), user-friendly, customizable, and has excellent segmentation

capabilities. MailChimp has the ability to build and segment lists, which means that like the demographic specific landing

pages, the newsletter can speak directly to an industry specific market.

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK


F A C E T O F A C E

TRADESHOWS

Face to face interaction with your clients is the best way to inform potential clients and licensees,

get the word out, and solidify the Weatherskin brand with your audience. Considering that the

Weatherskin product line is incredibly diverse and touches on many sectors of the construction

industry, tradeshows are the perfect opportunity to reach a diverse audience.

From our research, we believe the BuildEx tradeshow would provide the most value to

Weatherskin. The BuildEx attendees are the core group that could easily become Weatherskin

brand champions as it is created for construction, renovations, architecture, interior design, and

property management industry. BuildEx runs tradeshows in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.

Buildex Calgary: November 7+8 / 3,500 attendees/per show

Buildex Edmonton: March 20+21 / 2,500 attendees/per show

Buildex Vancouver: February 13+14 / 14,000 attendees /per show

Licensees often use tradeshows in their territories to promote their business and the Weatherskin

brand. Having uniform print martketing collateral available to the territory holders will help to

promote brand cohesion across boundaries and provide marketing support from the umbrella

Weatherskin Corporation. Yet another incentive to become a territory holder.

Tradeshow marketing materials could include: Booth design, postcard handouts, flyers, digital

graphics and more.

SECTION 04FRAMEWORK


S O C I A L M E D I A

Neither your primary or secondary demographic are going to be actively searching for new

products using social media. That being said, when searching for Weatherskin online, the

corporate Facebook account shows up fourth in the organic search results.

Our recommendation for social media at this point in time, is to cut down your social

presence to the two most effective – Instagram and Facebook.

Primary Platform: Facebook

Secondary Platform: Instagram

Remove Focus From: Twitter

TWITTER

Twitter does not pop up in a priority spot on a search.

It is significantly less likely to have either current or

potential stakeholders wind up there.

Twitter is harder to control than Facebook or Instagram

and unless you are in the food or news industries,

it has a significantly lower engagement rates. The

engagement rates for the industry as a whole make

Twitter not particularly worth the time and energy

necessary to cultivate a successful timeline.

FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM

Facebook does also have a review and

recommendation system. While it doesn’t carry quite

as much weight as a Google review does, it is still

readily viewable and will still help build credibility.

What this means for Weatherskin is that having a

Facebook presence is recommended. Essentially,

for now, keep using it mostly how you already

are, updating 2-4 times a month. Not only will this

help keep your content fresh, but it will also give

your licensees content to share on their territory

Weatherskin pages. Almost anything you post on

Facebook can be easily transferable to Instagram, so

keeping both presences active will not be taking extra

time and resources.

Speaking of Weatherskin licensees...

Having a standardized social media graphics package for them, with concise and easy to

follow visual guidelines will help keep your brand and messaging cohesive, while effectively

providing marketing support to your territory holders.

SECTION 03CURRENT POSITION


S T A G G E R E D A P P R O A C H

You must walk before you can run. A well-run marketing campaign happens in stages with a strategic roll-out, from

research and strategy development, to sign off and planning, before execution. Once each stage is complete, there will be

room for more planning to make sure each phase is executed strategically.

1120-B 44 AVE SE

CALGARY AB T2G 4W6

[email protected]

WWW.WEATHERSKIN.COM

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