STAR BUILDING SYSTEMS CO-OP ADVERTISING PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Transcription

1 STAR BUILDING SYSTEMS CO-OP ADVERTISING PROGRAM GUIDELINES

2 GUIDELINES How do I enroll in the program? As a Star Builder, you are automatically enrolled for our co-op advertising program. No enrollment forms are necessary, no paperwork to fill out. When does the co-op program start and end? The co-op program year begins July 1st of each year and ends on June 30th of the following year. Do I have to qualify? The simple answer is no; however, you must have a minimum of $100,000 in steel shipments, during the co-op time frame, to be eligible for any reimbursement. How much money am I eligible to receive? Once you achieve $100,000 in shipments, you accrue 1/2 of 1% of ALL your shipments from July 1st through June 30th (including the first $100,000). In short, you can get back 1/2 of 1% of all steel shipments with a maximum reimbursement of $5,000. Accounts must be in good standing to receive reimbursement. What do I send to Star at year end? As you receive invoices, tear sheets, etc., a file should be kept of these items illustrating where and how Star was promoted. At Co-op years end, Star will eblast the Co-op announcement which you will need to fill out and mail back to Star, along with documents supporting how Star was promoted. These documents consist of, but are not limited to, tear-sheets, artwork, the actual ad, a copy of the ad, a photograph when necessary (billboards, job site signs), etc. The most common document submitted to support billing is the actual contract with the month(s) and year(s) for which you are under contract, along with the amount to be paid monthly and / or an invoice or statement from each month. If using radio and/or television, a time sheet of dates and times the ad(s) ran will also need to be sent in along with the script used for the ad. If you advertised using the internet, the Website that you advertised on will need to be on the contract and/or invoice. Does my ad meet the requirements for reimbursement? Submit it to Star s Marketing Department for pre-approval if it is in question. We will look it over, offer advice and our professional opinions to ensure that Star and the builder are receiving maximum exposure. Star Building Systems Co-op Advertising Program Guidelines 2

3 What if I need the Star logo, where can I find it? The Star logo can be found on the company website, or you may call the Marketing Services Administrator at Star. STRUCTURAL SIGN FRAME This structural sign frame is fabricated from three plate material, just as a Star building s frames are, but on a much smaller scale (signage not included). This sign frame can be added to your building or components order. The structural sign frame will receive the same multiplier as the order. The outside dimensions of the frame are 12 wide x 8 high. The structural sign frame is reimbursable at 25%. VINYL ADHESIVE JOBSITE SIGN The vinyl adhesive jobsite signs are 4 high x 8 wide and made from four color vinyl with a peel off back. It is waterproof and designed to attach to a sheet of painted or primed ¾ outdoor plywood. Each sign is custom made for your Buildership. Send pertinent information, such as building owner, architect, consultants, phone numbers, etc. any information you want to appear on your sign, to Star Marketing, along with your company logo and colors. If available, a rendering of the project makes a great addition to the sign. Logos and / or renderings should be submitted as a high quality JPG or EPS file. Upon receiving your information, marketing will design a layout / proof for your approval before printing. Estimated turn around time is 7 10 business days. Vinyl Job Site Signs are reimbursable at 50%. Reimbursement is not limited to a quantity of one. Current price $345.00, plus tax and freight. Star Building Systems Co-op Advertising Program Guidelines 3

4 INTERNET Website advertising can be done on a variety of Websites. The most common form of Website advertising is banner ads. There are two main types of banner ads; traditional, you pay a flat rate for the space and pay-per-click, you pay for every click on your banner ad. Banner ads can create brand recognition by using a similar look for your banner ads that you use for other business-related material. They allow you to track which banner ad placement is getting more exposure by tracking the clicks per ad. Web advertising is reimbursed at 50%. BUILDER WEBSITES Design & production costs for new or redesigned websites promoting Star are reimbursable at 25%. The Star logo must appear on the homepage and as a footer throughout the site or on the homepage along with Star Information on the Products / Services page. Hosting fees are not reimbursable. YELLOW PAGES & DISPLAY ADS As the yellow pages are being used less and less due to internet, it is harder to get the maximum exposure dollar for dollar in the yellow pages. It is important that you research the yellow pages offered in your area and choose the one best suited for your company. It is not necessary to be in every yellow page book offered in your area, as many are overlapping. Potential customers may be looking in several areas of the yellow pages for your ad. Where you place your ad is important. Some of the headings commonly looked under include, Building Contractors, Contractors-General and Buildings-Metal. Display ads are typically larger and are custom designed to meet your company s needs and expectations. For a display ad to be eligible for reimbursement the ad must include the Star logo. The words, STAR BUILDING SYSTEMS, by themselves are not acceptable. The ad must show the actual star that represents Star s logo. Star Building Systems Co-op Advertising Program Guidelines 4

5 TRADEMARK A trademark ad is a fixed ad. It is listed under the S s for Star in the yellow pages. The bottom of the ad reads, Where to find them; this is where your company information will be located. This ad is generally one column wide and two inches deep. Call Star s Marketing Dept. for the correct format of the ad. Trademark ads are reimbursable at 50% MASTER BUILDER PHOTOGRAPHY If you submit photographs for the Master Builder Competition, your professional photography fees are reimbursable. You must submit the invoice from the professional photographer and the photo release from the photographer must be provided to Star. Master Builder professional photography fees are reimbursed at 50% TRADESHOWS A trade show allows you to meet qualified prospects face-to-face. Holding a drawing for a give-away is a great way to gain business cards and contact information for future use. Trade shows are also a good place to demonstrate your product. For your trade show to be reimbursable, you will need to submit a photo of your complete set-up of the display illustrating your Star promotion efforts. Star has available two standing scrolling banners; one for Agriculture and one for General Use. They are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call Marketing in advance of your show to reserve your banner. Trade show expenses, including booth space, are reimbursed at 50% Star Building Systems Co-op Advertising Program Guidelines 5

6 NEWSPAPER Local newspapers serve as the major form of news and advertising in many smaller communities. The newspaper allows you flexibility; you can choose the size of your ad, color, if any, the dates to run the ad and even the section of the newspaper in which you want the ad to run. It s a very cost-effective form of advertising. On-line newspaper ads are also reimbursable. Both must contain the Star name and logo. Newspaper advertising (hard copy or on-line) is reimbursable at 50% MAGAZINE Advertisements can be run in a variety of magazines of your choice. A few suggestions are; Chamber of Commerce Publications, Local Real Estate & Development Publications and local sales / classified magazines. Magazines are best known for their high quality of presentation and their ability to reach a particular target audience. They also have a long shelf life, longer than any other medium. Magazines offer flexible design options, prestige and a high believability factor. Magazine advertisements in hard copy and on-line/digital are reimbursable at 50% and must include the star logo RADIO Radio advertisements can be aired on a variety of stations of your choice. Radio actively involves people as they listen to their favorite personalities; they may call in to win a prize or enter a contest. Many people listen to the radio daily while commuting to and from work and while at work. Radio allows you the flexibility to choose the station format, length of ad and time of day your ad will air. The commercial must contain at least two sentences relating to Star and its products. Radio commercials will be reimbursed at 50%. Star must receive the ad copy and the invoice showing the times it aired. Star Building Systems Co-op Advertising Program Guidelines 6

7 TELEVISION As television advertising has become more common and cost effective, commercials are now offered in a variety of lengths, from a few seconds up to several minutes. Your commercial can be aired during any program that you feel benefits your company and Star. Television commercials need to promote the Builder s company and Star Building Systems effectively, as well as Star products. The ad must include more than just the Star logo. ALL television ads to be submitted for Co-Op reimbursement MUST be pre-approved by Star. Television commercials must be pre-approved by Star and are reimbursable at 50%. BILLBOARD Expenses for billboard advertising may be reimbursed through Star s Co-Op program. Billboards can be placed in your town, county or state. If the billboard is located outside your approved Star county, the county must be pre-approved by your District Manager. Advertising outdoors offers a large display and features such as light, animation and color. With a billboard you target everyone driving by. Your message is displayed 24 hours a day and it cannot be fast-forwarded, put aside or turned off! The billboard must effectively promote the Builder and Star Building Systems along with the Star logo. Billboard expenses are reimbursed at 50% PROMOTIONAL ITEMS Logos on articles of clothing, are very noticeable to everyone; it s a conversation starter. Other tangible items include pens, ball caps, letter openers, key chains, tumblers, etc. The item must promote your company and Star Building Systems, effectively, with the Star logo. Promotional items will be reimbursed at 25% Star Building Systems Co-op Advertising Program Guidelines 7

8 DIRECT MARKETING Direct marketing allows you to communicate directly with people that you feel are most likely to buy. You can control the circulation, without distractions from competitive ads. It s effective, efficient and an economical medium for sales and business promotion. An increasingly popular form of direct marketing is Direct Marketing. You can now purchase lists and have a mass sent to a specific set of prospects. You have several options for selection of this list such as city, county, state, target audience, etc. Campaigns can be managed by your company through an e-blast program you subscribe to or it may be outsourced. For your direct marketing to be eligible for reimbursement, you must promote Star Building Systems. Reimbursable expenses would include print costs, postage costs and mailing list costs for direct mail. The purchasing of lists and the outsourcing of the , or the monthly fee if maintaining your own s, are also reimbursable. Direct marketing is permitted in any counties which have been assigned to you by Star. Any mailing that you wish to do outside of assigned counties requires pre-approval from your District Manager. Direct marketing is reimbursable at 50% STAR LITERATURE The literature that is purchased by your company is available to you at Star s cost. Star is not profiting from this literature. Therefore, no reimbursements will be made on Star literature. Star Building Systems Co-op Advertising Program Guidelines 8