MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Market and Consumer Analysis

Lakota Fischer

Full Sail University

MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Abstract

Driver Industrial is a globally known manufacturer of safety equipment. The company is

looking to grow and expand its digital footprint. Over the course of 6 months, the company

hopes to see a 25% increase of followers across all their social media profiles. In order to achieve

optimum results, extensive research will be conducted to achieve these goals.

MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Capstone Thesis Project

Introduction

Although Driver Industrial does business around the world and is internationally trusted,

the company’s digital footprint is lacking. The development of a social media campaign could

prove essential in the company’s mission to boost their digital footprint and brand awareness. In

an effort to achieve their goals, the company developed a plan for obtaining optimum reach.

Thesis Statement

For Driver Industrial, a social media campaign will be created with a focus on brand

awareness across digital platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. This

campaign will boost brand awareness and generate new followers within the target of 30–40-

year-old tradesmen by 25% by March 2022.

Situation Analysis

Company Overview and Current State

Driver Industrial was founded on May 11, 2004, in Phoenix, Arizona, by Chantal Berkowitz.

The company sold in August 2021, and the current CEO is David Kasnic. Driver is a safety equipment

manufacturer for the mining and construction industries and currently has 30 employees. The company

has 1200 skus and does business globally wherever mining operations are located. Clients the

company serves are of various decent and geographic location, primarily middle-class men aged 30 to

60. Since its foundation, Driver Industrial has seen 150,000 times its original revenue. (Berkowitz,

2021

The former owner, Chantal Berkowitz hoped to see continued winning against the competition

with quality products and service as well as expansion of product lines to include other industries.

(Berkowitz, 2021) The client’s main goal for the campaign developed in this Capstone is to boost
MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

brand awareness. The new CEO, David Kasnic has the same vision for continued growth and

development of new product lines. The new CEO also sees how valuable brand awareness is on the

digital front and looks forward to the strides the campaign makes in the efforts to boost it. (Kasnic,

2021)

The current state of the industry Driver Industrial falls into is positive across the board, with

continued growth, as the mining industry has shown little to no signs of slowing down. (Markets 2021)

The company is unique in that few companies make the products that they do and the quality products

they provide are highly respected. Their current relationship with consumers in their target market is

good. However, there is room for improvement as their reach could be boosted. There are no known

historical Public Relations issues for this client.

Driver Industrial currently uses the following streams for communicating with their

audience and customers: email blasts, social media posts, and word of mouth from customers and

walk-ins. Driver launched ‘Rewards for Reviews’ at the end of 2020. This was a promotional

effort to encourage both employees and customers to leave reviews on the various social media

platforms as well as Google Reviews. Gift cards were distributed to the participants with the

best/most reviews on the various sites (Myers, 2021). The company currently uses Facebook,

LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram as their communication channels. There is also a company

catalog that is distributed to customers who come into the facility as well as sent out with

product orders. Currently the social media channels are being utilized to promote product lines,

stay connected with customers, and share content with their followers. Driver has received

minimal feedback on each of their social media sites and a few reviews on Google. The

company’s current reputation is good, but their digital footprint could be even better.
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The ‘Driver Industrial: Integrity’ campaign’s focus will be building brand awareness and

solidifying consumer faith in the brand. With the consistency that the brand’s followers and

consumers have come to expect, we will be creating updated content to build the company’s

digital footprint and generate new connections. Weekly posts will be created, on various

platforms, to keep followers up to date and encourage new followers to check out the brand. The

client is committed to the efforts proposed above and has been assisting greatly in ensuring brand

consistency. This campaign will be taking the company in a new direction by aiding it in

becoming more present on the digital front. With the help of the client the following SMART

goals have been established: Boost brand awareness by at least 25% after 6 months, gather a

minimum of 5 followers per month over the course of the campaign, obtain and maintain 10 new

professional connections after 6 months. The effectiveness of the campaign in reaching these

goals will be measured by the following KPIs: Average Engagement Rate, Click-through rate,

Social Share of Voice, Audience Growth Rate, Reach, Amplification Rate, Number of Qualified

Leads, Net Promoter Score, and Conversion Rate.

SWOT Analysis
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Strengths

Driver Industrial has several strengths. The company boasts 5 product lines with a

wide range of applications within the mining and industrial industries. The company also

has a formidable team of dedicated employees working to serve their customers

domestically and internationally. (Driver, 2021) The Driver Industrial Integrity campaign

will showcase the company’s strengths by providing multimedia content showing their

products out in the field keeping people safe.

Weaknesses

Driver Industrial’s weaknesses include their current digital footprint and a lack of

brand awareness. This impacts the campaign as the company has a low engagement rate

on each of its social media profiles, currently. The individuals aiding in the campaign will

really have to look at reach and interactions to ensure growth. All content needs to be

engaging and help to generate responses from viewers.

Opportunities

Many projects that were postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic will be

proceeding this year. This gives Driver Industrial the opportunity to fulfil the need for

proper safety equipment on these new sites. (Govreau, 2021) This campaign will help the

company to reach the companies managing those projects and potentially generate lasting

relationships with them. The company also has a major opportunity when connecting on

social media. Growing its network on a digital front could generate new leads and

eventually mean sales boosts and new customers.

Threats
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Competitors with comparable products to Driver will be their biggest threat.

While Driver Industrial is constantly innovating and looking to expand their product

lines- so are their competitors. Checkers-Safety, Advanced Fleet, and REDFLEET are

three of the company’s biggest competitors for their various product lines. (Checkers,

2021) (C., 2020) (REDFLEET, 2021) With the pandemic still in full swing and new

variants emerging, the business world is still struggling. The manufacturing industry has

seen a delay in delivery times, rises in the cost of production materials, as well as

uncertainty when it comes to when things will return to normal. Companies have also

seen a fluctuation in demand for products during this time. (S., 2020) Driver Industrial

will use this campaign to showcase their product’s quality and that their innovation is

leaps beyond their competition. The campaign will also help to show that Driver

Industrial is still building and ready to fulfill the needs of their customers, because they

know that the need to work safely did not stop when the pandemic began.

Competitive Analysis

Driver Industrial has 5 diverse product lines for safety whips, wheel chocks, LED warning

lights, vehicle identification displays, and industrial decals. (Driver, 2021) There are very few

industrial safety equipment manufacturers in the market for the company’s specific niche. The

three main competitors in their industry are Checker-Safety, Advanced Fleet, and REDFLEET.

Each of these companies has comparable product lines. However, they may be lacking in the

quality that customers have come to expect from Driver.

The main competitors offer comparable products to that of Driver Industrial. Checkers-

safety of Canada is the main competitor for the company’s wheel chock and safety whip product

lines. The company offers wheel chocks, and various safety whips, as well as cable protectors
MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

and ground protecting mats. (Checkers, 2021) Advanced Fleet of Australia is the company’s

main competitor for vehicle identification displays and industrial decals. The company offers

several diverse kinds of signs including triangles and 4-sided VIDs. Their line of decals is quite

broad and includes everything from car wraps to wall graphics. (C., 2020) Finally, the

company’s main competitor for warning beacons is REDFLEET. This company has 3 warning

lights lines including their ‘Spark’ series light that has daytime visibility and comes in 3 sizes;

much like Driver Industrial’s Helios line. (REDFLEET, 2021)

This campaign will highlight all the reasons why Driver Industrial has been an industry

leader for the past 18 years. The content created over the course of this campaign will showcase

each of the company’s product lines, including images from the field. New releases will also be

announced on all social media as well as an all-new company website. Engaging and connecting

with current and new followers will be a big part of this campaign as well.

Problem Statement

As of August 2021, Driver Industrial’s level of brand awareness does not meet the

optimum level ideal for continued growth.

Target Market and Buyer Persona

Target Market

Driver Industrial’s target market is primarily middle-class tradesmen. Their age range is

between 30-40 years old. These men reside in the Phoenix Metropolitan area and work on mine sites

across the state.

Mining and industrial workers know how dangerous their worksites can be and all have

the same goal of making it home safe after every shift. The Arizona Bureau of Land
MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Management has many laws and regulations regarding safety on work sites. Depending on the

jobsite they enter, mining and industrial workers need certain types of equipment to be up to

code. (BLM, 2021) Driver Industrial has extensive product lines that can aid in meeting industry

requirements and adhering to the law.

For most men, especially those aged 30-40, price can be a particularly crucial factor they

consider when making purchases. Followed by quality and availability of the product. It has also

been shown, in recent studies, that men consider deals and long-term loyalty over an instant

discount. Many respondents in this study stated that they would shop with a retailer again if they

were rewarded for their purchases. (Lesonsky, 2021) Driver should absolutely keep this in mind

when working with frequent customers and those who have been referred/the companies

providing said referrals.

Driver Industrial provides industry leading safety equipment to mining and industrial

companies across Arizona. Customers of the company know that they can depend on Driver’s

product lines to help them maintain industry regulations and keep them safe. Driver Industrial is

18 years strong in their efforts to safeguard assets AND lives, with no signs of slowing down

soon.

Buyer Persona

Tommy Thompson is a 35-year-old mine worker from Phoenix, AZ. Tommy works for

AZ total mining and makes between 50-60k per year. Tommy loves off-roading on mountain and

desert trails. He is all about safety and shares advice on how to be safe off-roading as well as on

mine sites. Tommy’s goal every day is to make it home safe after working on dangerous work

sites. He makes sure to use all the required safety equipment to move from various jobsites

properly, adhere to regulations, and fulfill his goal of making it home every day. For Tommy
MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Thompson, Driver Industrial is the number one safety equipment manufacturer that provides

product lines that safeguard assets AND lives because only Driver Industrial is field tested and

proven for over 18 years.

Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/wRR7mKBSMiHdyQpx6

Secondary Research

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a survey on employed persons by detailed

industry, sex, race, and ethnicity and found interesting results. Of the 147,795 participants, 684

were employed in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry. These employees

were majority white at 87.2%. This study showed this industry to be majority men, as only

14.5% of participants were women. (BLS, 2021)

The total population of Arizona is about 7.2 million. (PopulationU, 2021) Phoenix,

Arizona has a total population of 1.62 million people. The sex ratio for Phoenix is 99.2, at 49.8%

Males and 50.2 % Female. (PopulationU ,2021) The average male salary in Arizona is $64,750,

while the average female salary is $49,881. In Phoenix, the median household income is about

$61k. (Ferguson, 2021)

MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

The global mining industry is expected to grow by 12.4 % during 2021. This growth will

be accredited to companies recovering from the impact of COVID-19 and rearranging their

operations. By 2025, the market is expected to reach nearly $25 billion at a compound annual

growth rate of 7%. North America accounts for 9% of the global mining market, while Asia

Pacific accounts for 71%. (Markets, 2021)

Social media habits vary across all platforms. For Twitter, the largest age group of users

is 30-49 years old, at about 44%. Roughly 64% of Twitter users are male, with female users at

32%. Facebook’s largest age group consists of 25-34 year olds, with female users making up

44% and male users at 56%. Instagram’s users are 57% female and 43% male. The site’s largest

age group is also 25-34 year olds. For LinkedIn, the age of users jumps quite a bit with the

largest age group of 46-55 year olds. 51% of these users are male and 49% are female. (Barnhart,

2021)

Consumer marketing and industrial marketing are quite different. Industrial marketing

deals with factor markets, or highly specialized products and services for select consumers (like

labor, machinery, or unfinished goods). The buyers for the industrial market are professionals.

These individuals know exactly what they want and are often part of a team of buyers. These

buyers are looking for hard ROIs and want to know their purchases will help them meet their

goals. They utilize case studies, white papers as well as other factual content marketing

materials. Industrial companies, such as industrial safety equipment manufacturers, will need to

differentiate themselves and provide reliable information that industrial buyers seek when

making purchasing decisions. (Jacobs, 2021)

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MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Primary Research Design

In researching how effective online surveys were for men aged 30-40, a 2017 study

showed that the average response rate for online surveys was about 29%. This is quite low in

comparison to the average of 57% seen with in-person surveys. (Lindemann, 2021) Another

study, conducted in 2019, shows that the response rate for survey invites with incentive for post-

service clients, post-service candidates, and general client satisfaction surveys are roughly 5-10%

more effective than surveys with no incentive. Additionally, surveys of shorter length (up to 12

questions) prove between 20-30% more effective than surveys of medium length (12-25

questions). (W. 2019) One survey conducted in 2019, during national safety month, showed a

rise in workplace safety concerns. There were 1,069 individuals surveyed, and of these 39% of

all respondents were more concerned with on-the-job safety than they were the year prior. 25%

of those surveyed reported they were worried on a daily basis about getting injured because of

their job. Additionally, the survey found that construction workers are 27% more likely than

those in other industries to worry about getting injured because of their job on a daily basis.

Frontline employees, such as those who identified as workers and handlers, were found to be

117% more likely to worry about losing their life and were 70% more likely to worry about

getting injured on the job on a daily basis than those in other positions. (360 Training, 2020)

Driver Industrial’s products could assist in alleviating these concerns.

Based on this research, the client should consider short in-person surveys. Additionally,

as some of the client’s customers are out of state, short email surveys could be conducted as well

for post-service customers. The short email surveys may prove most effective as internet surveys

are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional survey modes. (Millar 2011)

The client could use a 5-question survey for in-person visitors, such as will call
MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

customers. The following 5 questions could be asked: How long have you been in the

mining/industrial industry? Which safety equipment is mandatory on your jobsites? When it

comes to your work, what do you think is more important-safety or efficiency? On a scale of 1-

10, 10 being extremely satisfied, how satisfied are you with our products?

For the short email surveys the client could ask the same above questions adding 5

additional questions such as: Which safety products do you believe are the most reliable? Do you

have any improvements you would like to see in our products? On a scale of 1-10, 10 being

extremely likely, how likely are you to recommend Driver Industrial to others? Do you believe

that industry laws and regulations are sufficient to keep you safe at work? Are there any

improvements or additional equipment you believe would better ensure your safety? The

company could also consider asking if they feel safer when able to utilize the products provided

by Driver Industrial.

Primary Research Findings

Please refer to the Case Study in week 2 as a sample of how PR professionals publish findings.

Introduction

Studying the effectiveness of online and in-person surveys, as well as developing a

strategy to implement those surveys, will assist in obtaining valuable information from

consumers about the effectiveness of the company’s products and marketing campaigns.

Evaluating the social media behaviors of their target market will prove useful when working to

understand online habits. Additionally, understanding the demographics of the company’s

city/state of origin will provide information on how substantial their target market is their direct

vicinity.
MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Method

In the 2019 study conducted by 360 Training, members of the industrial/construction

workforce who work within industries that are impacted by environmental health and safety

concerns were surveyed. This survey was conducted to learn about their top safety concerns

and explore their views on environmental health and safety issues. The survey was conducted

in honor of National Safety Month, and participants were selected by their career field. The

confidence level of this survey is 95% (360 Training, 2020)

Primary research was conducted by asking members of the workforce how concerned they

were about workplace safety in 2019 vs. the year prior. These individuals were also asked if

as workers they were concerned for their safety on a daily basis, as well as which hazards

they were most concerned about. 1,069 individuals were surveyed for this study. They found

that 25% of respondents were worried about sustaining injury because of their job on a daily

basis and 39% were more concerned about workplace safety in 2019 than they were the

previous year. The majority of respondents, 36 %, stated that “slip, trip, or fall” hazards were

their top workplace safety concern. (360 Training, 2020)

These results were gathered and evaluated after the closing of an online survey conducted

in May 2019. This information is statistically significant as it gives a better understanding of

the safety concerns of workers in these industries. Additionally, this data can be used to help

address these concerns and potentially lower these percentages should the survey be

conducted again. The make-up of the respondents was construction and industrial workers

including frontline workers, as well as those in the oil and gas industries. (360 Training,

2020)

Results
MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Individuals in the construction and industrial industries are concerned about their

workplace safety. Studies show that out of 1,069 respondents, 25% are worried about

workplace injuries on a daily basis. “Slip, trip, and fall” hazards are of the top concern for

these workers according to 36% of respondents. Proper training and safety equipment is

essential in alleviating risks and providing peace of mind to these employees. (360 Training,

2020)
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Conclusion

This information will help Driver to implement its own surveys, better understand its

target market, and develop content to properly connect with their audience. The results of the

surveys will be used to make improvements to current products. These results can also be

used to understand the need for new product releases to fulfil the needs of the customers

across the various work sites.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is imperative in this day and age that a company make efforts to ensure

that not only have a digital footprint, but maintain those digital relationships as well as the in-

person ones. For Driver Industrial, creating a social media campaign with a focus on brand

awareness across several digital platforms could prove quite useful. This campaign could boost

brand awareness and generate new followers within the target market by 25% in the first 6

months of 2022. Ultimately, this campaign could lead to an increase in sales as well as generate

new leads into other markets. Some smaller companies may not see the importance of building

and maintaining a digital image, but for those looking for continued growth the digital market is

the way of the future. Join companies like the 97% of Fortune 500 companies that rely on social

media as part of their marketing strategy. (Porteous, 2021) It could be just what the company

needs to take it to the next level and reach growth goals.

MARKET AND CONSUMER ANALYSIS

References

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https://www.360training.com/blog/new-survey-reveals-rise-workplace-safety-concerns

Barnhart, B. (2021, July 27). Social media demographics to inform your brand’s strategy in

2021. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/

C. (2020, September 4). Services. AF-Signs. https://www.afsigns.com.au/services/

CEO (as of August 2021): David Kasnic

Checkers Safety. (n.d.). Industrial Safety Products & Commercial Equipment | Checkers-

Safety. Retrieved September 16, 2021, from https://www.checkers-safety.com/

Driver Industrial. (n.d.). Driver Industrial: Safeguarding Assets and Lives.

https://www.driverindustrial.com

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https://datausa.io/profile/geo/phoenix-az/#about

Govreau, J. F. (2021, January). 2021 Global Mining Investment Outlook | E & MJ.

Engineering and Mining Journal. https://www.e-mj.com/features/2021-global-mining-

investment-outlook/
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Intellectual Property/Brand Manager: Nicole Myers, July 2021

Jacobs, A. (n.d.). Industrial Marketing vs. Consumer Marketing: What’s the Difference?

Diggles Creative. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from

https://www.digglescreative.com/blog/industrial-marketing-vs-consumer-marketing-what-s-the-

difference.html

Lesonsky, R. (2021, August 2). What Male Customers Want — Analyzing Their Shopping

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want.html

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%20the%20mines.

Millar, M. (2011, May 18). Improving Response to Web and Mixed-Mode Surveys.

Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/poq/article/75/2/249/1860211

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Owner (former): Chantal Berkowitz, July 2021- Company sold August 2021, new CEO

has the same plan for growth and is continuing to work with me on this project.

PopulationU. (n.d.-a). Arizona Population 2020/2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from

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%20in%202021%20is,sq%20km)%20ranks%206th%20largest.

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from https://www.populationu.com/cities/phoenix-population

Porteous, C. (2021, March 17). 97% of Fortune 500 Companies Rely on Social Media.

Here's How You Should Use It for Maximum Impact. Entrepreneur.

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REDFLEET. (n.d.). Beacon Lights For Sale | Flashing, Amber & Code 3 LED Beacon

Lights. Retrieved September 16, 2021, from https://www.redfleetsafety.com.au/page/vehicle-

amber-beacon-warning-lights/

S, L. (2020, October 6). How is the Coronavirus Impacting Manufacturing? Advanced

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impacting-manufacturing/
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, July 30). 2020 Annual Averages - Employed

persons by detailed industry, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.

https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat18.htm

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minerals/about/arizona

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