2020 Promo Campaign Awards
Best Use of Video
✶ Winner: Incentive Concepts (asi/62536)

The video was a bit raw, the steak was just right and the result was a sales and marketing success for Incentive Concepts.

The St. Louis-based promo supplier, which specializes in an array of hard good products that range from barbecue grills and kitchenware to name-brand sunglasses and more, teamed up with its brand partner, Broil King, to create a live video that focused on proper cleaning/prepping of a grill, how to cook the perfect steak and more.

Watch the full Incentive Concepts video here.

Shot in April amid the height of coronavirus-related societal lockdowns, the video was a simple but effective marketing masterstroke. It tapped into both the reviving interest in grilling at what was the start of grill season for many areas and the fact people were preparing their own meals at home more frequently because of the pandemic.

It also, of course, featured Broil King products that Incentive Concepts sells, which led directly to sales.

“The basic idea was just to do a fun cooking show and engage our audience,” says Andy Hudson, director of marketing at Incentive Concepts. “It allowed us to raise awareness about Broil King’s grills and to introduce viewers to our new custom logo program that allows companies to offer full-color, full-panel decoration on specific Broil King and Huntington barbecue grills.”

Hosted by Hudson, the star of the show was Jason Radford, premium accounts manager at Broil King, a brand that manufactures high-quality gas and charcoal grills in the U.S. and Canada.

Recorded to a live audience over Zoom and later posted to Incentive Concepts’ YouTube channel and website for additional viewing, the video featured Radford on his home’s deck showing people how to get their grill ready for spring, how to use a pellet smoker and grill, and how to cook a steak that would make the chefs at Gallaghers Steakhouse jealous.

During the broadcast, there was the odd hiccup and good-natured banter between Hudson and Radford, who showcased an imprinted Broil King pellet smoker & grill and a sample panel for Incentive Concepts full-panel decoration program.

Incentive Concepts teamed up with Broil King for a live video that delivered timely information and crucial interaction, leading to a big sale.

The informal off-the-cuff approach was intentional – and in line with the kind of stripped-down, natural, unpretentious videos that increasingly lead to high view counts as both live content on social media channels and as pre-recorded videos on platforms like YouTube.

“We really like the concept of a video with live interaction and spontaneity – something unproduced with a little bit of the rough feel that happens with live interviews,” says Hudson. “That kind of content is very relatable and seems to resonate more and more with audiences.”

It did for sure with viewers of the Inceptive Concepts video.

During the broadcast, they interacted with Hudson, Radford and each other. What’s more, there were instant, incontestable bottom-line results.

“We had several opportunities immediately from the video, and one turned into a $12,000 sale of decorated grills,” says Kevin Hagan, Incentive Concepts’ vice president of sales.

Encouraged by such wins, Incentive Concepts has taken video marketing and run with it, creating Incentive Concepts LIVE, a weekly live video series. The aim of the series is to help prospects and clients learn more about the supplier’s solutions, brand partners, corporate gifts and incentives. Hudson notes that sales pros from Incentive Concepts feature in the series, which has helped stoke healthy competition among team members.

“We’ve spotlighted brand partners like Bose, Lifeline Fitness and Briggs & Riley luggage,” says Hudson. “Our sales reps from different regions do corporate gifting showcases.”

To date, the videos have collectively garnered thousands of views and impressions and led to more sales opportunities.

“It’s our hope that using videoconferencing and livestream technology will help our partners, customers and internal team connect and engage with one another,” says Hudson. “That will make everyone more successful.”