NEWS
AFL Honored with Two IABC Silver Quill Awards of Excellence
17/10/2016
Spartanburg, SC – AFL, an international manufacturer of fiber optic cable and accessories, received two awards at the 2016 International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Southern Region conference. AFL’s Marketing Communications Department received two Silver Quill Awards of Excellence, the highest ranking award, for Communication Management in the divisions of Marketing Advertising for its fusion splicer ad campaign and Brand Communication and Employee Engagement for its 2016 United Way campaign.
Prompted by a new, low-cost competitor in the industry that was making false claims, AFL’s fusion splicer ad campaign comprised two different ads. In the “fish” ad, the fisherman’s tale was used as an example of not believing everything you hear and issued a challenge to readers to request a demonstration and decide for themselves. In the “oops” ad, attention was drawn to another false claim about dropping a fusion splicer. Used in rough environments, fusion splicers can be dropped yet will still operate. In this ad, another challenge was issued for readers to schedule a demo where they can drop it and see for themselves.
Both ads performed exceptionally well, exceeding statistics generated from other product ads that ran earlier in the year. More than 40 requests for demonstrations were received via this campaign. Several online banner ads tripled engagement as compared to former product banner ads. Social media interaction also increased substantially.
AFL’s annual United Way campaign is a five-month endeavor that is implemented within a two-week timeframe. The campaign begins by brainstorming a theme for the campaign—this year’s theme was based on the recently released Star Wars movie. The Marketing Communication Department created artwork used in email blasts, posters and a video which consisted of interviews with associates who support United Way as well as B-roll footage from a local nonprofit. Several events were planned onsite to educate and engage associates. The results of these efforts was a 2016 campaign that netted $208,000 for United Way, a 15 percent increase over 2015, a 15 percent increase in the number of donors and 16 percent increase in employee donations.
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves members in more than 70 countries for networking, career development and personal growth.
To see additional AFL awards and recognition, visit www.AFLglobal.com.
About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise and industrial markets as well several emerging markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless, and outside plant applications.
Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com.
Contact
Corie Culp
Public Relations Manager
AFL
864.433.5409
Corie.Culp@AFLglobal.com
NEWS
AFL Honored with Two IABC Silver Quill Awards of Excellence
10/17/2016
Spartanburg, SC – AFL, an international manufacturer of fiber optic cable and accessories, received two awards at the 2016 International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Southern Region conference. AFL’s Marketing Communications Department received two Silver Quill Awards of Excellence, the highest ranking award, for Communication Management in the divisions of Marketing Advertising for its fusion splicer ad campaign and Brand Communication and Employee Engagement for its 2016 United Way campaign.
Prompted by a new, low-cost competitor in the industry that was making false claims, AFL’s fusion splicer ad campaign comprised two different ads. In the “fish” ad, the fisherman’s tale was used as an example of not believing everything you hear and issued a challenge to readers to request a demonstration and decide for themselves. In the “oops” ad, attention was drawn to another false claim about dropping a fusion splicer. Used in rough environments, fusion splicers can be dropped yet will still operate. In this ad, another challenge was issued for readers to schedule a demo where they can drop it and see for themselves.
Both ads performed exceptionally well, exceeding statistics generated from other product ads that ran earlier in the year. More than 40 requests for demonstrations were received via this campaign. Several online banner ads tripled engagement as compared to former product banner ads. Social media interaction also increased substantially.
AFL’s annual United Way campaign is a five-month endeavor that is implemented within a two-week timeframe. The campaign begins by brainstorming a theme for the campaign—this year’s theme was based on the recently released Star Wars movie. The Marketing Communication Department created artwork used in email blasts, posters and a video which consisted of interviews with associates who support United Way as well as B-roll footage from a local nonprofit. Several events were planned onsite to educate and engage associates. The results of these efforts was a 2016 campaign that netted $208,000 for United Way, a 15 percent increase over 2015, a 15 percent increase in the number of donors and 16 percent increase in employee donations.
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. Established in 1970, IABC serves members in more than 70 countries for networking, career development and personal growth.
To see additional AFL awards and recognition, visit www.AFLglobal.com.
About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise and industrial markets as well several emerging markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless, and outside plant applications.
Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com.
Contact
Corie Culp
Public Relations Manager
AFL
864.433.5409
Corie.Culp@AFLglobal.com