Client Brief

The Testor Corporation has been manufacturing finishing products for the craft and hobby industries for more than 80 years. Testor paints, adhesives, airbrushes and accessories, marketed under the Testors, Model Master, Aztek and CreateFX brand names, are sold worldwide and still proudly made in the U.S. Testor is a part of the Rust-Oleum Group, which has No. 1 brand recognition and market share in the U.S. and Canada in the rust-preventative, decorative, specialty and professional segments of the small-project paint category.

Opportunity

Testor’s iconic Model Master and Testors brand paints have strong brand recognition among hobbyists, who mainly use the products for scale modeling, model railroading, radio-control products and Pinewood Derby cars. A majority of the demographic engaging in these hobbies is men over 50. Due to the proliferation of computers, cell phones, gaming systems and other electronic gadgets, the traditional hobby category is having a hard time attracting the younger generations, while avid hobbyists are aging and dying off. HMG was asked to help Testors identify and increase brand reach and visibility into new market segments and engage new audiences, while positioning their brands as the “go-to” finishing product for every surface and every project.

Strategy

To satisfy Testors objectives for brand growth, HMG developed an all-inclusive PR program which includes the following elements: Editor Database: Performed a detailed review of all consumer and trade publications within Testors strategic target markets. Secured relevant statistics from each publication, to confirm market reach, audience profile and key PR opportunities. Compiled information into a database and segmented it by market.

Blogger/Influencer Database: Scoured the major social media sites, internet search engines and blogger lists, to identify leading bloggers and influencers within each target market. Secured vital website statistics, focus and PR opportunities of those identified and created a database sorted by market segment and best potential for target audience reach. Database is updated regularly, to monitor the growth, or otherwise, of leading bloggers/influencers, as well as to identify opportunities with smaller blogs and discover new prospective partners. Selected bloggers were contacted and vetted for responsiveness, willingness to partner, resonance with audience and brand fit.

Vlogger Database: Searched YouTube to find leading vloggers within each target market. Secured vlogger’s online statistics and developed database sorted according to best potential opportunities. Database is updated regularly to monitor vlogger engagement and identify new prospective partners. Selected vloggers were contacted and vetted for responsiveness, willingness to partner, resonance with audience and brand fit.

Artists: Identify regional and national artists who are interested in working with Testors to create tutorials for submission to relevant publications, bloggers and vloggers as well as for use on the Testors website and social media outlets. Attend regional and national trade and DIY/craft shows to spot trends and enlist new partner artists, as artist recruitment is a continual process.

Project Tutorials: Work with selected artists to create project tutorials that are on trend and appropriate for each target audience.

News Releases, Articles: Ongoing development of copy and images for pertinent articles and news releases, related to specialty print publications and online outlets.

Results

To date, we have partnered with 9 leading bloggers, 20 key print publications, more than a dozen artists with varying scales of skill and style and created 48 project tutorials. This PR effort has enabled Testors to build brand awareness by engaging new and existing markets with relevant and timely brand messaging. This earned media exposure is building positive relationships with new and existing brand advocates as well as with leading key influencers, who will promote Testors and provide content that can be reposted/repinned. The exposure also leverages social media opportunities, expanding organic and viral reach and ultimately driving sales growth.