What we learned was the purchasing agents were actually the decision makers in who gets the contract. We realized that these were blue-collar workers handling white-collar tasks. They were usually overworked and unappreciated.
They had no sense of loyalty as to who would supply the next contract. That insight changed everything.
We stopped talking about marketing and started talking about poeple
Strategic Insight
Continental Steel had a strong reputation as a regional steel supplier. They needed greater visibility among national contractors responsible for larger commercial projects.
The challenge was not capability. It was reaching the right decision-makers.
The Situation
Continental Steel had difficulty donnecting with purchasing agents
We created a program called Purchasing Appreciation Points.
For every $100 of steel purchased, the company would earn points. Not cash. Not discounts. Not rebates. Points. Those points could be redeemed through a professionally designed catalog, filled with tangible, personal rewards:
-
Jackets and apparel
-
Sporty, practical items
-
Everyday products people actually wanted
Think Sharper Image, but purpose-built for this audience. The real leverage was subtle. On the final page of the catalog was a simple option:
If none of the items appealed to them, points could be redeemed for a Visa gift card.
The Idea
How do you incentivise the purchaser directly,without crossing any legal lines?
marketing strategy in motion
Study Summary
Problem: Hit a wall penetrating new national accounts.
Need: Bypass gatekeepers.
Insight: This was not a visibility challenge, it was a cultural one.
Solution: Incentivised FedEx campaign to purchasing agents
Result: $5,000,000 order within 24 hours, a 25% increase in annual business.
B2B Marketing Strategy & Campaign Execution
How a precision direct campaign helped reposition a regional steel supplier for national defense contracts.
Steel Fabrication Strategic Media Placement
How Sniper Marketing Put a Boutique Steel Broker in Front of Major Defense Contractors
How Sniper Marketing Put a Boutique Steel Broker in Front of Major Defense Contractors
Steel Fabrication Strategic Media Placement
Continental Steel had difficulty donnecting with purchasing agents
The Situation
Continental Steel had a strong reputation as a regional steel supplier. They needed greater visibility among national contractors responsible for larger commercial projects.
The challenge was not capability. It was reaching the right decision-makers.
Continental Steel had difficulty donnecting with purchasing agents
The Situation
Continental Steel had a strong reputation as a regional steel supplier. They needed greater visibility among national contractors responsible for larger commercial projects.
The challenge was not capability. It was reaching the right decision-makers.
We created a program called Purchasing Appreciation Points.
For every $100 of steel purchased, the company would earn points. Not cash. Not discounts. Not rebates. Points. Those points could be redeemed through a professionally designed catalog, filled with tangible, personal rewards:
-
Jackets and apparel
-
Sporty, practical items
-
Everyday products people actually wanted
Think Sharper Image, but purpose-built for this audience. The real leverage was subtle. On the final page of the catalog was a simple option:
If none of the items appealed to them, points could be redeemed for a Visa gift card.
How do you incentivise the purchaser directly,without crossing any legal lines?
The Idea
The Execution
We printed 1,000 catalogs, but we didn’t mail them. We FedExed the first 100 overnight. That decision wasn’t about speed. It was about certainty. FedEx ensured the package would be opened.
The overnight delivery signaled importance. And the catalog's physical weight made it feel real. No email could have done that.
The Result
The very next day, less than 24 hours after the first packages landed, Continental Steel received a $5 million steel order.
That single order represented a 25% increase in annual business, almost overnight. Not from a new client. From someone who finally felt seen.
The Takeaway
This wasn’t a creative campaign. It was a clarity-driven one. We didn’t ask, “What should this look like?” We asked, “Who actually needs to feel something, and what do they care about?”
The answer wasn’t branding.
It wasn’t messaging.
It wasn’t awareness.
It was appreciation.
And once that was clear, everything else followed.
