Rinnai Case Study

Tankless Truths Built. Myths Busted Across Channels.

Rinnai needed to cut through stubborn myths about tankless water heaters that were impacting adoption among plumbing professionals. Influencer activations put trusted voices behind tankless truths, educating pros and driving awareness.

  • 6M

    Combined impressions

  • +225%

    Over eblast video start goal

  • 20k

    Landing page views

At a Glance

Client
Rinnai America Corporation
Engagement
Influencer, PR, Traditional Media, Paid Social, SEO, Content Strategy
Channels
Trade Publications, YouTube, Instagram, Website 
Audiences
Industry Experts, Plumbing Contractors, Plumbers, Plumbing Engineers
Focus
Education campaign busting tankless water heater myths

Overview

Media relations, influencer thought leadership and trade partnerships, worked as one system to earn confidence.  

Rinnai needed to prove to pros that tankless water heaters were worth consideration despite long held industry myths.

We built an influencer campaign around education, not flash, so the audience could hear trusted voices explain the real story behind tankless water heaters — and not fall for the myths.

The Goal

Increase quality coverage for Rinnai products, and build awareness and consideration among plumbing professionals by giving them a clearer, more accurate picture of what tankless water heaters can do. 

  • Coverage & Credibility

    Strengthen Rinnai's visibility with industry experts through education-based communications, trade activations and earned editorial presence.

  • Pro Audience Consideration 

    Reach plumbers, contractors, and plumbing engineers with the kind of proof that changes how they think about the brand and the product.

The Challenge

Misconceptions about tankless water heaters were stalling consideration among contractors in the US.

Rinnai needed to connect with plumbers, contractors, and plumbing engineers in a crowded category where those myths could slow understanding and buy-in. The work had to reach a niche audience efficiently and hold attention long enough to change how people thought about the brand. 

Rinnai Tankless water heater
Rinnai Tankless water heater

The Solution

We developed the Tankless Truths campaign, where we partnered with four well-known influencers in the pro-contractor and plumber space to create educational, testimonial videos that tackled common myths about tankless water heaters. We then built an educational content-driven public relations program through the website, YouTube and Instagram that did more than chase mentions. It gave the market a reason to pay attention.

Using second-party data from key trade publications to target the selected regions and distribute the testimonial video, we paired our audience architecture with co-branded eBlasts and personalized copy and creative, to increase resonance.

Targeted outreach and content built to explain the category and correct misconceptions created continuity across every channel, connecting media relations, thought leadership, trade association partnerships, and trade events. 

The Proof

Rinnai came away with 70 assets it owns or licenses for use across different media channels. Contractor skepticism in cold-weather markets gave way to engagement that beat every goal. The message didn’t just reach the right people, it moved them from skepticism to action. 

  • 24

    Earned stories

  • +113%

    Over eblast open rate goal

  • +50%

    Over eblast CTR goal

  • 950k

    Combined video views

  • $0.18

    Cost per view

ZEP Case Study

ZEP Wins Consumer Attention

Leveraging microinfluencers to reintroduce a professional cleaning brand to consumer audiences through real-life settings.

  • 10.8M

    impressions

  • 716K

    video views

  • 46K

    engagements

At a Glance

Client
Zep
Engagement
Influencer & Paid Social Boost
Focus
Introducing B2B product to B2C audience

Overview

Brunner put pros to the test to showcase ZEP’s product portfolio and efficacy across a range of use cases.

ZEP had spent more than 80 years building a reputation among professional cleaners, but consumer awareness of the brand was nearly nonexistent.  

We used microinfluencers across categories such as landscaping, home remodeling, hosting, and cooking to demonstrate product performance in authentic, everyday scenarios to build consumer awareness and consideration.

The Goal

Shift ZEP from a B2B-centric brand into a consumer-facing brand and build awareness and consideration among new consumer segments. 

The Challenge

ZEP products were well known and trusted in professional cleaning circles but had almost no awareness in the consumer market.

A close-up of a sparkling clean oven rack with the Zep logo and the text "NEXT LEVEL CLEAN".

The brand needed to redefine itself for a broader audience while maintaining credibility and proving product effectiveness in a way that felt authentic and relevant.

The Solution

We put pros to the test. Lifestyle and professional creators in landscaping, home remodeling, AirBnB hosting and cooking demonstrated ZEP products in real-life scenarios to highlight their performance and unique formulations. 369 brand assets were created to support awareness and consideration.

  • 369

    brand assets created to support awareness and consideration

The published content was then amplified through paid media to increase reach and visibility.

The Proof

The campaign delivered 10.8 million impressions, 716,000 video views, and 46,000 engagements. These results indicate strong awareness-building performance and meaningful interaction with ZEP’s new consumer-focused messaging. 

Church’s Jortz90 Wanted the smoke

jortz90 Wanted the Smoke

A Church’s Texas Chicken superfan turned troll and a limited-time-offer redemption arc. 

  • 18%

    TikTok engagement rate

  • 100%

    Conversion of long-term brand detractor to super fan

At a Glance

Client
Church’s Texas Chicken
Engagement
Influencer, Social Media, Video Production
Focus
Turn a detractor into a super fan

Overview

Most agencies see a troll; we saw a Superfan with a redemption arc waiting to happen.  

We don’t just manage feeds; we fuel them ― We don’t just “monitor” social; we live in it. That’s how we found jortz90. 

This wasn’t a “standard” campaign. This was a social sprint fueled by pure grit and creative adrenaline. At the finish was a campaign rooted in community that ignited a movement.

Recognition

Atlanta Ad Club American Advertising Awards, 2026

Gold Addy Social Media (Single Execution)

Atlanta Ad Club American Advertising Awards, 2026

Silver Addy Social Media Campaign

The Goal

Engage the community and drive excitement for the rollout of the LTO Smokehouse Chicken sandwich.  All while bringing one negative commentor back into the fold.

The Challenge

Church’s Texas Chicken was bringing back a cult favorite: Smokehouse Chicken. With a following that craves its return, we needed to dial up the exclusivity of this Limited Time Offer (LTO).

Jortz Instagram messages on scraps of paper

For two years, one fan—@jortz90—had been relentlessly trolling the brand, demanding the return of Smokehouse on every single post. Jeremy Ortiz (@jortz90) spent two straight years dragging Church’s Texas Chicken with comments like “Y’all broke my heart”, “Bulls**t. I’ll never eat y’all’s chicken again. Only because you didn’t release the smokehouse this year” and “BOYCOTT CHURCHS for not bringing the smokehouse back.” We didn’t hit “mute.” We hit “record.”

The Solution

Instead of ignoring the “smoke,” we decided to give @jortz90 exactly what he asked for in the most unexpected way possible. We didn’t just bring the Smokehouse back—we brought him into the family.

We surprised jortz90 with a VIP experience fit for a legend, starting with a limo pickup at his front door. Over two days, we immersed him in the brand: he got the very first bite of the returning Smokehouse Chicken, cameoed in the national TV commercial, and even provided the voiceover for the spot.

  • First Bite

    of the returning Smokehouse Chicken

  • Cameoed

    in the national TV commercial

A person dressed in a top hat and white gloves lifts a silver cloche to reveal a box of Church's Chicken to a smiling seated man.
A close-up of an open takeout box filled with Church's Smokehouse Chicken and a biscuit resting on a silver platter.

We gave him the smoke he asked for, and he gave us the most authentic content we’ve ever produced. To celebrate his “dedication,” we rewarded him with Real Rewards loyalty points and printed his most infamous comments on t-shirts worn by the entire production crew.

A smiling man holds up one of the custom printed shirts on a hanger, featuring an all-over pattern of social media comments asking for Church's Smokehouse Chicken.
A man wearing a black cap points to his custom white long-sleeve shirt, which is completely covered in printed social media comments from a fan demanding the return of Church's Smokehouse Chicken.
18%
TikTok engagement rate

The Proof

We proved that when you respect the hustle of your fans, they’ll go ten toes down for the mission.

We captured every moment of this fan-first activation, turning his journey from troll to VIP into high-energy social content designed to light up the feed. We didn’t just “post content” — we ignited a movement. The results speak for themselves:

  1. Launch

    Successful LTO launch that leveraged authentic community interaction over traditional advertising. 

  2. Social Sentiment

    High-volume social sentiment shift as fans rallied around the "jortz90" narrative.

  3. Engagement

    In a world of "skip ad," the fans stayed for the whole story with an 18% TikTok engagement rate that outpaces industry benchmarks.

Brunner Wins 8 PRSA Renaissance Awards, Including 2 Best in Show

Brunner Wins 8 PRSA Renaissance Awards, Including 2 Best in Show

Two Brunner entries received a perfect score, both earning the night's highest honor

Brunner made a clean sweep at the 2025 PRSA Pittsburgh Renaissance Awards, taking home Best in Show—twice—plus five Renaissance Awards and an Award of Merit for our work with Church’s Texas Chicken, WesBanco, and Dairyland. Our Church’s Texas Chicken campaigns stood out among more than 100 entries, earning two perfect scores and securing both Best in Show honors!

By Brunner Marketing Team

5 Min Read

Best in Show Winners:

Friends Sharing Church's Texas Chicken Around A Car
Church’s Texas Chicken – "Get Spicy" Integrated Campaign (Campaign, New Products & Services Communications)
Man And Woman Eating Church's Chicken
Church’s Texas Chicken – "Get Spicy" Block Party Social Videos (Tactics, Multimedia Content / Social Videos)

Renaissance Award Winners:

  • Church’s Texas Chicken – “Get Spicy” Block Party (Campaign, Social Media)
  • Church’s Texas Chicken – “Get Spicy” Integrated Campaign (Campaign, New Products & Services Communications)
  • Church’s Texas Chicken – “Get Spicy” Block Party Social Videos (Multimedia Content / Social Videos)
  • Dairyland – “We Get Riders” (Campaign, Influencer Relations)
  • WesBanco – Empowering Small Businesses to Take Control of Their Financial Futures: WesBanco Business Banking Blogs (Written Content / Blog)

Award of Merit Winner:

  • WesBanco – Strategic Financial Empowerment for Small Businesses (Audience-Centric Content Campaign)

About the Winning Campaigns

Church’s Texas Chicken

Church’s Texas Chicken launched its “Get Spicy” campaign to reignite excitement around spicy new menu items. By tapping into local block parties and social media buzz, the campaign fostered community connection and celebrated the joy of flavor, driving engagement across all channels. The campaign spotlighted real customers and authentic reactions, amplifying engagement through user-generated content and influencer partnerships.

VIEW MORE FROM THIS CAMPAIGN

WesBanco

WesBanco’s commitment to empowering small businesses drove a content strategy focused on financial education. We created 12 targeted blog posts covering cash flow, financial literacy, and growth funding, positioning WesBanco as a trusted financial partner. Supported by paid social and audience-specific messaging on Meta, LinkedIn, and Display, the campaign reinforced WesBanco’s dedication to helping businesses thrive.

WesBanco Business Banking Graphic
WesBanco while staying connected

Dairyland

To expand Dairyland’s reach nationwide, we launched an influencer campaign that connected with motorcycle riders. Partnering with key influencers, we positioned Dairyland as the go-to insurance provider by creating content that highlighted the brand’s affordable, reliable coverage and resonated with the riding community’s values.

VIEW MORE FROM THIS CAMPAIGN

The 2025 PRSA Pittsburgh Renaissance Awards celebrated the region’s top communicators and creative campaigns, highlighting the most innovative marketing, communications, and public relations work from the past year. We’re honored by this recognition and excited to keep pushing boundaries in 2025!

Group Posing With PRSA Awards At Event
Brunner Communications team with 2025 PRSA Awards in Pittsburgh.
Brunner Logo

Brunner Marketing Team

Brunner team members from across the agency contribute to blog content through their storytelling expertise, from writing and editing to visual design, illustration, and video.

 Visit Brunner Marketing Team on LinkedIn 

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