We helped a client define and carve out an important thought-leadership position.  Here’s an overview of the strategic approach we took and the results we generated.

Background

Mannington Commercial, a division of Mannington Mills, is a manufacturer of quality commercial flooring products. The company has a rich history spanning more than a century. It is a privately held, fourth-generation family-owned business whose mission is “to be the best in the flooring industry to do business with.”

Challenges

Mannington Commercial products are specified across a variety of commercial interiors. With the company’s strong background in delivering products with exceptional durability, they became a perfect fit for the K-12 education and healthcare sectors where performance is a must-have. Today, Mannington Commercial is a market leader in those segments.

However, like all businesses, the company needed to continue to grow. It identified the workplace market as a new segment to expand sales and capture market share. But to successfully penetrate this market, Mannington Commercial needed to reposition and elevate its brand perception. For the workplace sector, a product’s design and aesthetic is often the leading attribute that can lead to specification. Knowing this, the company desired a PR strategy to showcase its product design expertise, without losing its reputation as a provider of durable, long-lasting flooring solutions.

Strategy & Execution:

Spaulding Communications developed a strategic thought leadership plan that placed Mannington Commercial’s Vice President of Design, Roby Isaac, at the center. The plan’s objective was to leverage Isaac’s deep expertise in product design and his charismatic personality to drive greater visibility for Mannington’s design philosophy and how it “develops products with intent.” Aimed at workplace interior designers, tactics of the plan involved:

• A&D Earned Media Relations – We executed a full-spectrum of media relations, including pitching feature stories, podcast interviews, byline articles and positioning Isaac as a thought leader who could provide editorial commentary
• A&D Award Pursuit – We identified industry awards that would showcase the strong design of Mannington’s products. We also sought awards that would highlight Isaac’s role as a leading product designer. Once identified, the Spaulding Communications team developed the impactful and well-written submissions
• NeoCon Presence – As the most important tradeshow for architects and designers, we used NeoCon to leverage Mannington’s and Isaac’s presence at the show to gain greater visibility and recognition

Results

Through our deep knowledge of the commercial A&D industry and how to execute a thought leadership campaign, we achieved these notable results:

Awards – We secured multiple awards, including two HiP Awards, a Metropolis Likes Award, an AN Best of Product Award, and Interior Design’s Best of Year Award

Features – We secured interviews, a byline article, and a podcast interview with key media outlets to share Mannington’s story in a richer way. Features included:

• Officeinsight magazine: “A Conversation with Mannington’s Roby Isaac on Design”
• Interiors+ sources “I Hear Design Podcast”: “Mannington’s VP of commercial design, Roby Isaac, talks about what to expect in design trends”
• FloorFocus Magazine: “Feature interview with Roby Issac on Design Trends and his HiP Award”
• Canadian Facility Management & Design: “Designing Office for the Human Connection by Roby Issac,” VP of Design at Mannington Commercial

Earned Media – Gained coverage in every targeted A&D publication; coverage included print, email and website

Impact – Generated 1M+ estimated views from media coverage and drove increased traffic to Mannington’s web properties

Engagement & Amplification – Generated 400+ social shares from online media articles

Sales Support – Leveraged results with the Mannington sales for them to use with the A&D community they call on

ROI – Earned media coverage generated 3x the investment

Summary
Spaulding Communications effectively raised the awareness and credibility of Mannington Commercial as a design leader through a robust thought leadership campaign. The strategy is now the foundation for Mannington to gain greater workplace market penetration while targeting architects and designers who place a premium on highly designed and aesthetically pleasing products.