Mediagistic Interview with ACHR News: Partnering with the Right Marketing Firm

Mediagistic’s Director of Corporate Marketing, Eddie Childs, was recently interviewed by ACHR News on the importance of selecting the right marketing firm for HVAC contractors.

In their discussion with business development editor Hannah Belloli, Eddie emphasized that contractors should consider partnering with marketing agencies once they operate a minimum of two to three service trucks, typically around the time they approach a million dollars in revenue and aim to scale their business. He also highlighted the significance of choosing a firm that understands the HVAC industry, noting that HVAC purchases are often made in distressed situations. Therefore, marketing strategies should be designed to activate consumer intent at the time of need. Eddie advocates for multi-channel marketing strategies that not only generate leads but also build brand awareness and foster consumer relationships, ultimately driving customer lifetime value.

Here are a few excerpts:

• ‘When, exactly, is that point [when an HVAC contractor should consider working with an agency]? Eddie Childs, director of corporate marketing at Mediagistic, says when a contractor is working with a minimum of two trucks. While three trucks are ideal. That’s around the time a contractor likely is breaking into a million in revenue and is looking to scale their business. However, OEMs often have agencies managing ad club programs to help contractors use their co-op dollars.“In that scenario, it really doesn’t matter what size of a contractor you are, you’re probably going to work with an agency as a means of using those co-op dollars productively,” Childs said.’
• ‘According to Childs, it’s also important that the marketing agency understands the industry because HVAC purchases are made in a distressed state of mind. Homeowners are usually in need of HVACR service when something breaks. “The marketing channels that you’re going to value as an HVAC business are going to be built around activating that intent right at that time of need,” Childs said. “A firm that doesn’t specialize in home services is going to have a hard time creating a high-performing marketing campaign because they don’t understand how the channels behave in that consumer mindset.”
• ‘The right firm will likely, right off the bat, take a consultative approach with a contractor in order to realize goals and ensure the two mesh. “We always start with trying to get a good sense of what their business growth goals actually are … and where their pain points are,” Childs said. For it to really be the right fit, contractors also have to understand what it means to partner with a marketing firm, and what services they provide.’
• ‘Childs said what’s next depends on the company a contractor is working with. He tends to advocate for multi-channel marketing strategies. Why is that important? Because if a contractor is just investing in lead generation and not the brand, they’re going to hit a ceiling pretty quickly.’
• “I recommend that you invest in these areas so that you’re not only just generating leads, you’re building your brand,” Childs said. “You’re building awareness of your brand, you’re engaging consumers, you’re creating a relationship with consumers — and they go beyond just the transactional — and you’re driving total lifetime value from that customer. Because if you can create a customer for life, they’re going to buy from you not once, they’re going to buy from you possibly a half dozen times throughout their lifetime.”

Read the full article on ACHR News.

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