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

Edgar Snyder

Edgar Snyder & Associates Turned a Brand Reset into Record Growth

When the founder retires and every competitor looks the same, you don’t change the brand. You reimagine it. Then you measure everything. 

  • +22%

    Lead volume tied to paid digital

  • +24%

    Auto accident leads form digital channels

  • +4%

    Aided awareness

At a Glance

Client
Edgar Snyder & Associates
Campaign
“In a Perfect World”
Channels
TV, OOH, Social
Focus
Brand Reset & Lead Generation

Overview

It’s a low interest category. With advertising that all looks the same — men in suits.

Personal injury law isn’t exactly a category people seek out. The advertising can feel forgettable: men in suits, recycled taglines, nothing that earns a second look. For decades, Edgar Snyder was the face that cut through the sea of sameness.  

Then he retired.
 
That could’ve created a brand crisis. Instead, it was a creative opportunity. A chance to reimagine what an Edgar Snyder & Associates campaign could look and feel like. One that could reach a younger audience that the traditional approach was never built for.
 
“In a Perfect World” was born from that opportunity. Animated, unexpected, and impossible to mistake for anything else in the category. 

The Goal

Edgar Snyder & Associates needed to do two things at once: protect the brand equity built over decades and rebuild it for a new generation. Awareness had to hold. Leads had to grow. And the creative had to earn attention in a category often ignored.

  • Brand Continuity

    Maintain high awareness

  • Lead Generation

    Drive measurable growth in lead volume

  • New Audience

    Shift from traditional media approach to reach a younger demographic

The Challenge

Every personal injury law firm was running the same playbook. Same look, tone, and execution. Breaking through wasn’t just a creative challenge. It was a strategic one. 

Illustration of a car accident. A person is sitting on a guardrail with their head in their hands and another person consoling a child that is holding their arm. Text that says, Find Edgar An illustration of a person holding a hardhat with their arm in a sling and using a crutch. Text that says, Hurt at Work? Find Edgar An illustration of a person falling down a set of damaged stairs. Text that says, Find Edgar An illustration of a motorcycle laying on the ground. Text that says, Find Edgar

And the timing made it harder. Transitioning away from founder-as-face brand risks the equity that made the brand recognizable in the first place. The creative had to feel fresh without feeling foreign.

The Solution

The answer wasn’t to replace the brand’s spokesperson. It was to build a new world entirely. “In a Perfect World” replaced the category’s sea of suits with something no competitor could replicate—highly engaging animation that made Edgar Snyder & Associates unforgettable, relevant, and customer-first. 

  • Animation

    A bold creative departure from category norms, build to earn attention

  • TV & OOH

    Anchor executions that established the new brand world at scale

The campaign ran across TV and OOH, with social amplifying the reach and driving direct lead generation where the younger demographic actually lives. 

Edgar Snyder & Associates

Edgar Snyder & Associates

Illustration of a motorcycle laying down on a road with woods in the background and a billboard that says, Find Edgar

  • Younger Demo

    Cross-channel strategy designed to reach and convert beyond the traditional

  • +213%

    Leads attributed to social media in the first year

The Proof

  • +4%

    Aided Awareness

  • +3%

    Unaided awareness in core market

The reimagined brand held its ground and grew. Awareness metrics moved in both aided and unaided measures, lead volumes climbed across every digital channel, and the “In a Perfect World” creative stood apart in a category that hadn’t see anything like it.

  • 22%

    Lead volume tied to paid digital

  • 24%

    Auto accident leads from digital channels

  • 72%

    Say advertising was unique for the category

I am thrilled with how much we’ve been able to embrace change for the next generation and the next level of success.

Edgar Snyder & Associates

CMO