At the end of each year, the Owens Corning® Certified Energy Expert® (CEE) Program sends a themed mailing to motivate members to renew. Here’s how The Jakes Group helped the CEE Team create an engaging piece to kick off 2021.
QUESTION
The Owens Corning® Certified Energy Expert® Program is a loyalty program for 110+ independent insulation contractors across the country. Members receive a host of benefits through their membership, including exclusive employee training, marketing support and the backing of an exclusive warranty. At the end of each year, Owens Corning sends a mailing filled with renewal materials to each member. As the end of 2020 approached, the CEE Team turned to The Jakes Group for support on creating the theme, gift and packaging for the annual renewal kit.
CREATE
We have overseen the renewal material deployment on behalf of the CEE Program for several years. Typically, the kit includes a gift for members, along with a brochure and renewal card to return.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was a unique year for the program. The in-person annual meeting had to be canceled, and there weren’t as many opportunities for in-person networking. Yet, the CEE Program continued to find new and innovative ways to support members throughout the year. Thus, it was our aim to promote the CEE Program as a true value add and source of connection for these loyal members. Thus, we recommended focusing on all that the CEE Team was able to accomplish throughout 2020 for its members despite the pandemic’s limitations. From new digital marketing efforts to themed resource kits to employee recruitment tools, the CEE Team offered many tools to help meet member needs. We sought to highlight how these resources directly benefited the members and their businesses. We felt that having a theme of connection worked well for this unique year; during challenging times, these independent insulation contractors had the backing of Owens Corning no matter where they were in the country.
For the annual gift, the CEE Team sought to have something that would keep the Certified Energy Expert® Program top of mind for members. They wanted it to be something that could be displayed in an office or communal space. After exploring many options, we landed on an acrylic piece that positioned the Certified Energy Expert® Program as a connection point. We developed a tagline of “CEE: Your Coast-to-Coast Connection” to remind members that they are part of something bigger than themselves; they have unique support through an elite network of peers who are leaders in their markets.
ACTIVATE
The Jakes Group oversaw the successful deployment of the kits and the collection of annual dues. The Owens Corning CEE Team also sent out a video to give members advanced notice of the kit’s arrival.
During uncertain times, associations and loyalty networks have the opportunity to step up for its constituents and meet their needs. The Owens Corning® Certified Energy Expert® Team successfully did just that in 2020. Due to the hard work of the CEE Team, we were able to successfully position Owens Corning as a source of support, connection and information for its loyal customers. The 2021 Renewal Kits were designed to help evoke a sense of pride in each recipient and remind them of their status as an industry leader. They not only encouraged members to renew, but they also helped to set the tone for the program going into the new year.
Does your association or organization have a marketing project you’d like help tackling? We’re ready to discuss it. Contact us today.