Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association

Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA)

Growing Strategically

Challenge

The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) tasked Kellen with introducing the “BHMA Certified” mark to multiple groups of hardware professionals – each with different priorities – and to drive a wider awareness and adoption of its certification program. In particular, BHMA wanted to increase its reputation in the industry and educate members and nonmembers about the benefits of specifying certified products.

Solution

Kellen launched a marketing plan designed to educate BHMA members, architects, specifiers, and building-owners about the certification process. We developed webinars and in-person learning units that provided education on the benefits of certification and the inherent quality and performance of certified products. Kellen’s tactics also included attendance at industry tradeshows and conferences, pitching and placing articles on certification in trade and consumer publications, advertorial inserts and by-line articles in key publications, creation of take-away marketing tools for members’ sales representatives, and media training to BHMA board members to become go-to spokespeople for the industry and media. Kellen also migrated the certified products directory online, creating the go-to site for locating specified products and their manufacturers, and providing summaries and scopes of BHMA’s standards.

Results

Certification program revenue from listings increased 62% from 2007 to 2017
95% of industry executives are familiar with BHMA standards
66% of industry executives are familiar with the BHMA Certified Products Directory
Certified Products Directory currently includes more than 250 listings from 60 member companies and 22 non-member companies
The total number of Certified Companies doubled over the last ten years