
Propane Planner
Publisher:
Hanley Wood Marketing
Client:
Propane Education & Research Council
Circulation:
Print, social media, website and email content strategy
Audience:
Construction Professionals in the U.S.
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), which promotes the safe, efficient use of propane as a preferred energy source, wanted to strengthen its market position with construction professionals and home builders. The goal: increase propane sales through the delivery of qualified leads to propane marketers and retailers.
DISTRIBUTION METHODS:
Print, social media, website and email
CLIENT OBJECTIVES:
The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) is an incubator of new propane-fueled technologies and the world leader in propane safety and training programs and products. PERC needed to:
- Secure a positive positioning for propane-fueled systems within the matrix of energy and appliance options available to construction professionals.
- Locate and influence professional segments that determine a home or building’s energy sources.
- Identify and celebrate projects and business success achieved through the incorporation of propane solutions.
CHALLENGES:
Residential and commercial construction professionals were unsure how propane systems could help them meet increasingly stringent building performance and environmental standards. Manufacturers depicted propane as a single-application solution and overlooked the benefits of a whole-building approach to energy selection.
EXECUTION:
Solutions:
A content-rich communications platform
- With frequently updated articles, videos, and interactive content, the Build with Propane content network of website, e-newsletter, and social media channels position PERC as the authoritative resource for information on building with propane.
- An audience-specific editorial approach results in pro-only education and training content backed by third-party research and peer-to-peer business intelligence, all approached with a journalistic sensibility.
A smarter way to acquire and keep audience
- Supplement paid and organic methods of growing audience with Hanley Wood’s proprietary construction and remodeling data, significantly sharpening geographic and psychographic targeting filters.
- Develop the Interactive Training Module, an embeddable widget that feeds content from buildwithpropane.com into the site of any participating industry partner, greatly extending content reach.
- Bring new audience members onboard with a smart, automated nurture program that progressively profiles and converts leads.
RESULTS:
The comprehensive program has given PERC the ability to directly reach and influence segments of the construction industry that make decisions about what energy source is used in homes and buildings. Research shows those who had recently engaged with Build with Propane content were more favorable toward and likely to consider propane solutions for construction projects. The program currently comprises:
- A network of online properties generating 60,000 monthly visits.
- A client-owned communications database of more than 45,000 qualified audience records.



