Marketing firm wins gold award in “Brand and Reputation” category on behalf of Kapro Tools and bronze award in “Media Relations: Trade” category on behalf of Weldcote.
CLEVELAND – December 2019 – Sonnhalter, a communications firm marketing to the professional tradesman in the construction, industrial and MRO markets, received a gold award in the “Brand and Reputation” category and bronze award in the “Media Relations: Trade” category at the 17th Annual Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Cleveland Rocks Awards competition.
Sonnhalter received the gold award in “Brand and Reputation Management” for the U.S. influencer program it launched for Kapro Tools, a manufacturer of spirit levels, laser levels, and layout tools, marking and measuring tools. Sonnhalter worked strategically in finding and pitching woodworking, DIY and contractor influencers in the U.S. and Canada who would be willing to use Kapro products on upcoming builds and give honest opinions on the product’s features. Sonnhalter drafted personalized letters to accompany each package of Kapro product samples.
Within the first year of Sonnhalter fully implementing Kapro’s influencer program, the number of Kapro’s Instagram followers has more than tripled. Without ever paying more than the costs of shipping free products, Kapro has greatly increased its presence and credibility across many crucial online communities.
Sonnhalter received the bronze award in the “Media Relations: Trade” for its trade industry media presentation at FABTECH 2018 for Weldcote, a welding products manufacturer. Weldcote was exhibiting for the first time at FABTECH, a large, industry trade show, so Sonnhalter developed a plan four months before FABTECH 2018, identifying the tactics, messaging and budget and presented it to Weldcote. Sonnhalter invited trade media attending the show that cover the welding/fabricating industry to a media event arranged at Weldcote’s booth after show hours. Weldcote received immediate product coverage in industry trade publications that were showcasing highlights from FABTECH and the company became a source for several feature articles based on the connections made with media members at the show.
“We are honored to see the work we do get recognized by some of our city’s best and brightest public relations professionals,” said Matt Sonnhalter, vision architect at Sonnhalter. “Kapro Tools and Weldcote are two companies whose reputations in the U.S. continue to grow thanks to their innovative product lines, and it was an exciting opportunity for Sonnhalter to find different tactics to further help these brands establish themselves in the market.”
Annually, the PRSA-Cleveland Rocks Awards acknowledge Northeast Ohio’s outstanding PR programs, which incorporate research, planning, execution and evaluation. PRSA Cleveland Rocks Award winners demonstrate leadership in public relations and contribute to advancing the profession locally.
About Kapro Tools
Kapro Tools Inc. is a leading manufacturer and developer of innovative hand tools for the professional market. For more than 30 years, Kapro has made the finest quality spirit levels, laser levels, layout tools, marking and measuring tools in the industry. Kapro Industries is headquartered in Kadarim, Israel. The company’s U.S. subsidiary, Kapro Tools Inc., is located in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. All of Kapro’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are certified compliant with ISO standards 9001:2015, 14001 and SA8000 and all of Kapro’s professional products are certified by VPA, the leading German certification organization. To learn more, visit Kapro.com.
About Weldcote
Headquartered in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Weldcote is a manufacturer and wholesaler of high-quality welding supplies distributed through welding distributors in the U.S. and various parts of the world. Weldcote’s product line consists of a wide range of production alloys for MIG, TIG, electrodes, brazing and welding accessories, including lenses, helmets, chemical aids and gloves. Weldcote has six locations throughout the U.S. www.weldcotemetals.com
About Sonnhalter
Established in 1976, Sonnhalter is the leading B2T marketing communications firm to companies that target professional tradesmen in construction, industrial and MRO markets. Sonnhalter is located in the historic Brownell Building in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Sonnhalter’s brand identity highlights its expertise in marketing to the professional tradesmen. Its tagline, “Not Afraid To Get Our Hands Dirty,” promotes the employees’ willingness to roll up their sleeves and dig deep into clients’ businesses, also, it refers to the market it targets: the tradesmen who work with – and dirty – their hands every day. Sonnhalter developed the acronym “B2T,” which stands for “business-to-tradesmen” to capture the essence of its specialty. For more information, visit the company website at Sonnhalter.com.
About PRSA
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members, and more than 100 Chapters nationwide. Serving nearly 300 members, the PRSA Greater Cleveland Chapter brings together public relations, communications and marketing practitioners throughout Northeast Ohio. Among the Chapter’s most important activities and duties is coordinating networking events and activities, developing and hosting professional development activities for members, serving as a resource for public relations students and providing recognition of excellence and best practices in all facets of the field of public relations. www.prsacleveland.org
