Thank you to all the companies that submitted a campaign for the 2024 BCI Amplify Award! Congratulations to Trojan Battery Company on being named the 2024 Amplify Award winner.
Trojan Battery Company, Winner
“Say Yes to Trojan AES!”
AES stands for Advanced Energy Storage, and that’s precisely what the new Trojan AES deep-cycle batteries offer—a significant upgrade to standard AGM. Trojan continually works to develop the latest deep-cycle technologies, and Trojan AES represents a substantial advancement in VRLA technology. To reach their global target audience, their strategy was to develop a campaign that directly addressed our audience’s specific pain points and explained how Trojan AES would solve their problems. We adopted a question-and-answer approach to the campaign messaging—for example, “Want a battery that lasts up to 3X longer? Yes, with Trojan AES!” And that’s where our tagline was born—”Yes, with Trojan AES!”
The campaign exceeded its defined goals in every way. This was due, in part, to the success of the Trojan AES Media Kit and the global editorial coverage they received.
C&D Technologies
The C&D Technologies ‘Max Change’ campaign introduced the Pure Lead MAX (PLM) VRLA batteries to the target audience. The focus was on educating Data Centre engineers on the differentiators of the batteries and the problems they solve for customers. A laser-focused approach was taken with all digital marketing elements, using key messaging and dynamic graphics and animations. By highlighting key technology benefits that were developed for the PLM VRLA batteries, the campaign reinforces C&D Technologies’ market-leading position. The “Max Change” campaign showed success by a variety of metrics including awareness and engagement.
Club Assist
Club Assist’s strategic approach to delivering turn-key monthly content and distribution through a monthly newsletter, The Battery Crank Up, elevated the AAA and CAA Mobile Battery Service (MBS) message, emphasizing its convenience, value, and quality. Through this comprehensive strategy, The Battery Crank Up not only met the objectives of the marketing campaign but also played a pivotal role in reinforcing the brand’s presence and relevance across diverse platforms and audiences. The AAA and CAA clubs saw remarkable year-over-year growth, experiencing a noteworthy 53% increase with an impressive 90 additional organic posts. The newsletter achieved an overall open rate of 52%, solidifying its position as a successful and impactful tool for maintaining engagement with Mobile Battery Service.
Crown Battery, Honorable Mention
Ask people what the most recycled product in the USA is, and most answer, “an aluminum can.” In 2023, Crown Battery’s “Zero Battery Waste” campaign worked hard to change that. More than 400 news outlets, nationally syndicated TV, and a leading renewable energy trade magazine covered their campaign. They educated companies and the public, media, and government about lead batteries’ low waste, safety, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. Crown Battery’s 2023 on-site waste-reduction included saving 1,140,230 gallons of water… 2,769 trees’ worth of fiber… 684,138 kWh of energy… and 66,785 gallons of fuel. They remain the industry’s only EPA Green Power Partner.
East Penn Manufacturing Co., Honorable Mention
East Penn’s Power2Recycle campaign was launched in response to the widespread perception that the lead battery manufacturing process is more harmful than beneficial to the environment. In an effort to improve public perception, the company executed a campaign designed to position the audience to support sustainable products effectively. The Power2Recycle campaign targeted three key stakeholder groups: the public, the industry’s customers, and its employees. The initiative began by establishing the company website as the central hub for the campaign, utilizing a variety of media such as videos, social media posts, press releases, and other communication platforms to engage these audiences. This campaign successfully strengthened collaborative support for the industry’s efforts.
Factory Motor Parts
Factory Motor Parts often received the question, “What is FVP?” With thousands of installers carrying FVP batteries throughout the US, they aimed to ensure all Vikings and NHRA fans understood that FVP was a leader in automotive batteries. Factory Motor Parts successfully heightened brand awareness around the FVP battery brand through a targeted campaign aimed at MN Vikings and NHRA fans. The campaign included TV commercials for Vikings Game Day ads, in-stadium IPTV and national NHRA events and broadcasts to reinforce the messaging. Survey results in the Twin City market showed results of over 70% claiming to have seen the commercial or heard about it from someone else. At a national level, polling attendees of NHRA events revealed a significant year-over-year increase in brand recognition. Learn more here.
OPTIMA Batteries
OPTIMA® Batteries is a leader in the automotive battery category and, traditionally, have always had a static booth display activation at The SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, the world’s leading automotive trade show. But in 2023, OPTIMA Batteries took their display outside and executed an outdoor activation, called OPTIMA Unleashed, to better engage directly with automotive and powersports enthusiasts. This exciting exhibit presented the power and performance of OPTIMA in drift cars, off-road race trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, street-legal race cars and more. Utilizing a live event to communicate the scale of OPTIMA’s offering was no easy task. Merchandise, collateral, pro partners and vehicle performance all needed to work seamlessly for our audience to understand that OPTIMA engineered the quit out of their batteries, and that they work over a wide range of applications and OPTIMA® received over 5,000 new leads in under three days.
Stryten Energy
Stryten Energy hosted an event to drive awareness and provide education on the significance of sustainable domestic energy storage, particularly its capabilities with vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) technology. They invited federal and state legislators and other key decision-makers in the utility sector. To ensure comprehensive media coverage, they developed a detailed outreach plan encompassing media advisories, press releases, informational materials, and multimedia content. The event itself attracted 82 attendees, including notable figures like U.S. Representative Mike Collins and representatives from Senator Jon Ossoff’s office. Additional promotional materials were produced post-event to further amplify their message.
Past Innovation Award Submissions
C&D Technologies, Winner
Discover the remarkable impact of C&D Technologies’ campaign, featuring the “Power of the Plus.” Designed to educate and engage data centre engineers, this transformative campaign highlights the innovative Pure Lead Plus (PLP) Battery. With captivating visuals, engineers gain insights into PLP’s unrivaled reliability, performance, and sustainability benefits. The integrated campaign surpassed sales goals, delivering exceptional results. Unleash the potential to reduce costs and optimize data centre efficiency with C&D Technologies’ “Power of the Plus” campaign. Learn more here.
Clarios
Clarios’ revolutionary campaign introduces a new approach to car care education. Say goodbye to influencers and hello to their relatable hero, Luis Thunder. Through captivating content and an independent online presence, their charismatic guide empowers everyday drivers to confidently navigate car-related challenges. Learn more about their innovative campaign and join them on the transformative journey here.
Club Assist
Club Assist executed a dynamic marketing campaign in collaboration with the CAA Manager of National Program and Strategies and five Clubs to elevate the CAA Mobile Battery Service (MBS) message of convenience, value, and quality. Through the development of branded content and creative assets, Club Assist ensured a cohesive and uniform message across the country. The campaign’s evergreen assets were designed to increase awareness of MBS among members and non-members, with customization to fit each Club’s branding. Engaging the Battery Working Group and conducting seasonal photoshoots, Club Assist successfully delivered consistent and tailored visuals, resulting in an enhanced profile and engagement for CAA MBS. Check out one of Club Assist’s marketing campaign pieces from Amplifying CAA Mobile Battery Service Nationwide here.
East Penn Manufacturing Co.
East Penn understands that different power needs require diverse battery technologies. At the 2022 Battery Show, they showcased the essential role of both lead and lithium batteries in powering our evolving world. Their booth displayed a robust lineup of lead and lithium products side-by-side, highlighting the significance of a diverse energy landscape. By educating attendees and promoting the benefits of both battery technologies, East Penn solidified lead as a viable and powerful energy solution for today and the future. Their presence generated visibility, attracted potential partners, and paved the way for increased representation of lead batteries in the industry. East Penn is committed to sharing the compelling story of lead and lithium batteries, providing reliable energy solutions for today and tomorrow. Watch this video for more.
Enovix
Enovix took on the challenge of revolutionizing battery architecture to create a high-energy density battery that prioritizes safety. With the introduction of BrakeFlow, an intra-cell system enhancing thermal runaway tolerance, Enovix addresses the growing concerns of Li-ion battery fires. By employing a strategic three-phased rollout plan, they successfully built awareness among technical peers, investors, and broader audiences, showcasing the advantages of BrakeFlow through press releases, media relations, dedicated webpages, informative videos, and white papers. Enovix’s commitment to innovation ensures safer and more efficient battery cells for various industries, pushing the boundaries of lithium-ion technology. Learn more here.
Stryten Energy
Stryten Energy is driving the clean energy transition with its advanced battery technologies. By combining lead, lithium, and vanadium battery solutions, they address the urgent need for a diverse energy storage landscape. Through thought leadership articles, media coverage, and engagements with policymakers, Stryten Energy advocates for domestic manufacturing and the role of the lead battery industry in achieving energy security and independence. Their comprehensive approach positions them as leaders in the pursuit of sustainable, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Read this for more information.
Trojan Battery Company
Trojan Battery’s “Release the Beast” Campaign: Unleash Your Power
Experience the extraordinary “Release the Beast” campaign by Trojan Battery. Elevating their premium brand and showcasing the new lithium-ion golf battery, this captivating campaign resonates with confidence, strength, and power. Educating the target audience about the benefits of lithium-ion technology, the goal included to empower customers to choose the right battery for their needs. From golf cars to floorcare machines and more, unleash the hidden potential and elevate your equipment to legendary status with Trojan Battery. The campaign included dealer support and a variety of tactics designed to reach their end users. Learn more here.
Advanced Battery Concepts
Advanced Battery Concepts developed a marketing plan around their first product, Home Emergency Energy Storage that used their revolutionary bi-polar lead technology. They launched the product at the Battery Show in Novi, Michigan to show it off to as many people as possible. There were brochures advertising the new product, a partial redesign of their trade show booth and a networking function at the booth. Advanced Battery Concepts exceeded their goal of getting a Michigan beta program in place and started taking orders for systems outside of that beta program.
Autel Automotive Intelligence NA
Autel launched a marketing campaign around a new line of battery testers to prove that they are on the leading edge of technology and that their automotive diagnostics experience and BCI affiliation gives them credibility. They utilized social media and print ads in aftermarket professional installers, parts outlets and tolls and equipment resellers. They also took advantage of their technical sales people to develop YouTube videos, from unboxing videos to full-on trainings. Over 8,000 of the new battery/system testers were sold in its first full year of sales and the device is in use at every US Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus and Hibdon Tires Plus location.
Club Assist
Club Assist launched a marketing campaign to advance the message of the AAA Automotive Battery as a product, paired with a service, as opposed to a service-first message. The campaign ran for a year with the help of 15 AAA clubs across the US and included pre and post surveys, social media, targeting emails, video and print ads. The campaign resulted in over 6.2 million Facebook impressions and over 19,000 clicks to battery pages.
Crown Battery
Crown Battery started a “Sustainability Campaign” in 2021 to ensure that when people think about sustainable energy, they think about lead batteries. The campaign positioned lead batteries as the green, high-tech, and proven choice for energy storage by utilizing direct response marketing, public relations, social media, technical writing, legislative outreach and partnerships. Their Sustainability Fact Book condensed six years of studies and 100+ hours of interviews into an engaging, easy-to-follow guide with clear messaging and calls to action. In response, Crown Battery was the first US battery company accepted into the EPA Green Power partnership and got battery greenwashing placed on the cover of North American Clean Energy and the nightly news of an ABC affiliate..
Daramic
Daramic launched the “DuraLife Technology Installed Campaign” in order to improve sales of DuraLife and the lead battery by supporting partner sales channels and market strategy. They utilized brochures, videos, givaways, product trainings and branded merchandise in order to share with people the use of DuraLife. The campaign drove support for DuraLife and as a result it has a sizeable share among many battery manufacturers across all major global regions.
The Doe Run Company
The Doe Run Company launched a campaign to raise awareness in their home state to the prospering lead battery industry in Missouri. The campaign, “We Are Doe Run,” included an in-person Doe Run Day at the state capital to talk to legislators about the impact of the battery industry in the state and the industry’s sustainability efforts. It was such a success that the day concluded with a team visit to the Governor’s office when the governor mentioned that the impact one-sheet was one of the best he had ever seen. Doe Run also placed highway billboards on major roads leading up to the state capital. The billboard was viewed more than 261,000 times a week and brought in a lot of internet traffic; there were 179% more Missouri-based visitors to Doe Run’s website and 225% more page views
East Penn Manufacturing Co.
East Penn Manufacturing Co. developed a marketing campaign to show battery decision makers and users in critical data center applications the advantages of lead battery technology by increasing awareness of their product, Deka Fahrenheit, by driving traffic to their website and reinforcing key messaging on sustainability and durability. East Penn started with listening sessions and then implemented both a digital and traditional marketing plan to enforce the core messaging they came to after the listening sessions. The campaign worked; their Google Ads campaign resulted in over 455,000 impressions and 10,600 clicks to their website; and their emails generated a 15.5% average open rate and a 12.4% unique visitor rate to the site.
Hammond Group
The Hammond Group started a marketing campaign to introduce and drive the adaptation of Gravity Guard (Lead Mono-silicate) for the advanced battery manufacturing industry. The campaign made use of Hammond’s extensive research, development and benefits of Gravity Guard by publishing white papers and industry papers, sending direct mail, social media and releasing targeting industry advertising. The product research let to a feature article on the cover of the Batteries International Summer 2021 Issue. Due to the success of the campaign, more than 10 customers in six countries are in production-line verification of the product. The product was also awarded BCI’s Innovation Award in 2021, which contributed to the products success.
OPTIMA Batteries
OPTIMA Batteries created a marketing plan to push against disinformation surrounding their products and manufacturing plant in Monterey, Mexico. They instead wanted to showcase what makes them the ultimate power source with the “We Engineered the Quit Out of It” quality campaign, which used print, video, digital, social media and event marketing. Over the past two years, the campaign has been a success allowing OPTIMA to lead the industry with its branding campaign and activations. Their social platforms have continued to grow in followers and generate buzz across the automotive industry.
Stryten Energy
Stryten Energy decided to rebrand their company name after a year in business to position themselves as more than a battery manufacturer by elevating their brand positioning and brand awareness. Their campaign had two phases. In the first phase, they launched a new website and social media channels, along with two new videos that featured plant employees talking about their experiences with Stryten’s leadership and the opportunities and benefits of working at Stryten. The first phase brought in a substantial rise in followers on their social media; their followers increase by 7%, unique visitors increased by 40%, page views increased by 45% and shares increased by 634%. The second phase was to introduce the company to the industry and they placed an ad in the Batteries International Yearbook, a debut at AAPEX and the release of four new videos called “Mighty Stryten.” This launch led to a 9% increase in followers, a 53% increase in unique visitors, a 31% increase in page views and a 17% increase in shares.
Zeus Battery Products
Zues Battery Products launched a campaign targeting people who need to buy batteries and golf pro shop distributors to increase brand awareness and generate website traffic to show visitors the varied products offered. They were able to effectively use social media, with the help of an outside marketing agency, which is already seeing results. Since the beginning of 2022, social media has brought in over 70 users to the website and LinkedIn traffic for the year accounted for over 400 users who stayed on the site for longer than two minutes.
It absolutely makes economic sense to create a sustainable product with a circular life cycle…