Floors Magazine Floors Magazine June / July 2014 | Page 13

news share your news email: [email protected] BAL wins prestigious award thanks to fixers The participation of professional tilers in a pioneering marketing campaign has resulted in a prestigious national award for BAL. The groundbreaking “Tilers Demand” campaign to encourage trial of new BAL products, built around fixer interaction, won The Tile Association Award 2014 for “Excellence in marketing.” The campaign exceeded all targets and led to new grouts and adhesives rapidly becoming ‘fixer favourite’ products. BAL has led the UK tiling market for 50 years with a constant focus on innovation, with fixers’ requirements at the heart of all research and development. This continuing relationship with fixers and contractors nationwide was crucial to the creation and delivery of BAL’s “Tilers Demand” campaign. Through regular focus groups, BAL developed three new products for 2013 launch. These were developed by learning from fixers and contractors what they would demand, in key categories, from leading products of the future. This steered development of the new level in grout performance, BAL Micromax2, and development of fibre strand technology (FST) in adhesives for the world’s first fibreenhanced ready-mix, BAL White Star Plus, and ‘use anywhere’ powder, BAL Max-Flex Fibre. The Tilers Demand campaign allowed fixers to see these innovations being launched and, by visiting the web site, to find out all about them and request free samples. Alex Underwood, Head of Marketing, said, “We opened the Tilers Demand campaign in February, launching BAL Micromax2. After developing and testing the product so robustly with fixers and contractors nationwide, we knew that they would love BAL Micromax2, the first grout to truly deliver every benefit possible with a grout. We wanted to reward fixers by letting as many as possible try it for free.” Around 30% of UK fixers visited the Tilers Demand site in the first month for the free trial sign-up and on-going rewards. “Once a fixer trialled the product,” said Alex Underwood, “they could leave their feedback, good or bad, to get a free voucher book for other BAL products. Unsurprisingly, all comments were positive, with an average 4.8 stars from 5.” Fixers returning to the site could also enter a free monthly draw for such prizes as tickets to sporting events, tools and holidays, as well as finding out about the next BAL innovations. Alex Underwood said, “Everyone registered on the site got the latest BAL news as well as some great rewards. They were first to hear about the product technology when BAL White Star Plus and BAL Max-Flex Fibre were launched. Our fixers really engaged with the campaign, helping us to give them the products they want and to make all of our launches so successful.” To reward fixers, BAL crowned the Floors Magazine 13 June/July 2014 campaign with a major prize draw. All purchases of any of the new products could be registered, for the opportunity to win a brand new Ford Transit Connect van, with two runner-up prizes of free fuel for a year. Mark Ellam, of Imperial Tiling, was the lucky winner. As a long-time fan of the market-leading adhesives and grouts, Mark often enters BAL competitions, but this is easily his biggest success. “I won some Costa coffee vouchers a while back,” he said, “but, like most real fixers, I use BAL because I can trust it, not because I expect to win something. Being first out of the hat for such a fabulous prize is unbelievable. Thanks to BAL, and the luck of the draw, I now have a van that looks as professional as my tiling.” The annual TTA Awards are the most prestigious awards in UK tiling industry, recognising excellence throughout the industry. This award is the latest in a long series of TTA successes for BAL, the long-established market leader in professional tile adhesives and grouts. Find out more www.tilers-demand.com