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Carlsen Fritzøe is a Norwegian independent building supply (do-it-yourself) chain with 13 modern warehouses. Stores are located in five counties in Norway, stretching from Kristiansand in the south to Drammen, located just south of Oslo.

Until January 2013, the company was part of a larger DIY chain, Byggmakker, and all its stores were marketed under the Byggmakker brand. After leaving Byggmakker, the company had to establish itself under the name Carlsen Fritzøe with a totally new brand platform. 

In the first quarter of 2013, Carlsen Fritzøe had a total unaided awareness score of 5% and an aided awareness of 27%.

Carlsen Fritzøe wanted to establish itself as “your local building supply expert,” organising activities in the second quarter of 2013 aimed to position and support this new identity.

Important goals were increasing awareness of the brand, positively increasing the overall impression of the chain, and increasing the lasting impression as the local building supply expert.

As Carlsen Fritzøe is a local player with the desire for a local identity, it was important to connect marketing efforts with something that is close to us in our daily local lives: our own children. What if we could make a positive contribution to children in the local community with a relevant activity?

Thus, the “Carpenter Champions” campaign — a competition for kindergarten and nursery schools — was born. The “Carpenter Champions” competition was hosted by RED Media Consulting, Amedia local newspapers, and Carlsen Fritzøe.

Kindergartens and nursery schools in each of the local areas where Carlsen Fritzøe stores were located competed to build a boat or a birdhouse. The competition was announced in the local media in each area and the newspapers Drammen Tidende, Telemarksavisa, Sandefjords Blad, Agderposten, Kragerø Blad, Laagendalsposten, Telen, Østlandsposten, and Fædrelandsvennen.

In addition, a personally addressed invitation to join the competition was sent out to the kindergartens and nursery schools in local areas. Those who joined the campaign received a “Carpenter Champions package” with materials, tools, and instructions.

The schools had a two-week construction period before the uploaded photos of the process and the results were presented on the campaign’s Web page.

The ranking of the winners per local area was done in collaboration with the general managers in Carlsen Fritzøe stores and the local newspaper editors. Winners were announced in their respective local newspapers, and rewarded with a gift certificate of building supplies in the amount of almost US$1,600 to each winning kindergarten/nursery school.

The results were good:

• 25% of all invited kindergarten/nursery schools participated, totaling almost 200.
  
  
• The campaign saw editorial coverage in eight local newspapers.
  
  
• Total unaided awareness of Carlsen Fritzøe increased from 5% to 20%, and aided awareness increased from 27% to 46% in the second quarter.
  
  
• In the same period, evaluation and preference increased significantly. Surviving impression of the brand Carlsen Fritzøe as local building supply expert has increased from 24% to 28% .

For further information, contact Ben Christensen, vice president/digital and classified media at Amedia, at ben.christensen@amedia.no.

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