Anixter Components
The challenge
Anixter Components is a distributor of a comprehensive range of plastic components throughout the UK and Europe. The company's product range consists of more than 10,000 items including fasteners, cable accessories, liquid tight fittings, strain relief bushes and security seals which it sells across a wide range of industries.
Anixter Components' own market analysis identified that the company was known by customers mainly for a small subset of its full range of components. It wanted to take the opportunity to increase sales by ensuring that all its active customers were aware of the entire product range and also seeking out new customers in targeted markets. To help it meet these objectives, Anixter Components enlisted the help of Freshwater Technology.
Our approach
As the fastening market is highly competitive, Freshwater Technology helped the company position itself against its competitors by developing key messages focused on Anixter Components main strengths, namely the breadth of its extensive product range, its flexibility, its experienced sales team and high levels of customer service. These key messages were present in all PR material as a means of reinforcing the brand image.
Freshwater Technology worked to raise Anixter Components' profile beyond the fasteners and fixing press to reach the design engineering community where the widest range of specifiers and buyers are found. News releases and technical articles were used to demonstrate Anixter Components' innovative products providing neat solutions to engineering challenges.
The results
The PR programme has been successful in raising awareness of Anixter through significant press coverage in the technical design press. The programme has also delivered a clear return on investment in the form of sales leads.
In two years Anixter Components received more than 120 press cuttings with an advertising value equivalent (AVE) of nearly £50,000.
Anixter Components has been covered regularly in OEM and engineering titles such as Design, Products & Applications (DPA), Design Solutions, Engineering, Eureka, Industrial Technology and What's new in Industry? This has been supported by consistent exposure in fastening industry journals Fastener & Fixing Europe and FAST, as well as vertical sector publications including, Panel & System Builder, Electrical Products, Cargo Security International, ACR Today and Electronics.
"Freshwater Technology is successful in achieving significant coverage for us in the technical design press and delivering return on investment. The team's creativity and proactive approach is extremely valuable."
Andrew Fletcher, Technical Director, Anixter Components
Case studies
Perpetuum
Launching a new major new enabling technology
Morgan Technical Ceramics
Building profile for a specialist design and fabrication capability across vertical markets
Anixter Components
Raising profile for a components distributor in engineering publications