Chris Karel
Instructional Designer, Writer and Producer

Increase Manufacturing Sales: A Video-Marketing Case Study

A video did the trick for Diamond Metals Distribution, as the company found an effective alternative to plant tours.

Mike Marrapese, president of Diamond Metals Distribution, offered quite a challenge. He wanted to make a video to promote his company’s competitive advantage, extend the reach of its sales force and authenticate its position in the manufacturing industry.

Located in Cleveland, OH, Diamond Metals is a single-source supplier of tool steels, powdered metals and hot-rolled steel. It specializes in providing tight-tolerance pre-squared blocks, machined on all six sides. Thanks to its state-of-the-art machinery, including cutting, grinding and milling equipment, it has earned a reputation for delivering an entire bill of materials in the time it takes competitors to quote a job, according to company officials. All of this and more had to be conveyed in the marketing video.

Much to Overcome in Delivering Effective Video

Three factors made the goal of realizing Marrapese’s vision especially challenging:

1) Diamond Metals had never worked with a studio to create a video.

2) There was resistance within the organization to spend marketing dollars on a video.

3) The video had to highlight exciting innovations in the metals-supply industry.

Prior to this effort, Diamond Metals marketed its capabilities using paper collateral, print advertising and tradeshows. Each of these methods yielded successful results with many customers, but to grow even more, Marrapese felt that he needed to bring people to Diamond Metals for a tour. Obviously, this was not feasible for each and every current and potential customer, but could video provide a similar payback?

Cinecraft, a Cleveland-based video production company, was charged with delivering this marketing piece. The company suggestion: Create a narrated video to showcase Diamond Metals’ innovative technology, communicate its capabilities and call the viewer to act. Cinecraft also recommended distributing the video online, and creating flash-drive copies for use at tradeshows and on sales calls.