Hitachi Refrigeration, the cooling division of the Japanese tech giant, launched in the UK to expand its low-carbon, energy-efficient food preservation technologies
Hitachi Refrigeration is the cooling arm of the Japanese technology conglomerate, famous in Asia for leading the shift to low-carbon refrigeration production, low-energy cooling and food life extension technologies in commercial and residential food preservation. With a growing business in Europe, the brand launched refrigeration in the UK, requiring specialist communications to build awareness of its unique technologies, open retail and reseller channels and highlight the benefits to consumers.
Working with the Hitachi Refrigeration European team, QBF developed a two-channel communications strategy. The first part would highlight the engineering technology and benefits of the brand’s unique motors, patented insulation material science, and use of low-pressure / vacuum enclosures to extend food longevity. The target audience would be the UK electrical and appliance industry, with the objective of assisting the sales team in opening effective UK reseller and retail channels.
Using comparative technical data on carbon production, energy consumption, efficiency and food lifespan, the technology’s features were driven into end-user benefits through empirical data rather than marketing fluff. Trade-media news, features, interviews, comments, and by-lined articles on the technology and its benefits were secured across the target electrical, engineering, and retail media over a six-month campaign.
The media coverage created interest and developed thought leadership in food longevity and friendly refrigeration. It soon began to form the backbone of the sales team’s retail channel pitching. With space-constructed retail shops having to eliminate existing refrigeration brands to find space for Hitachi products, the trade media coverage was essential in developing the retail/reseller case.
The next step was to make consumers aware of the brand, the technology and its benefits. See Hitachi Refrigeration (B2C) Case Study.
