Vulcan-Hart Cooking Equipment

Leading supplier of cooking equipment to restaurants and institutions

With a track record that dates back 140 years, Vulcan-Hart (Vulcan) is one of the most recognized brands in the commercial kitchen. From celebrity-chef, white-tablecloth restaurants to enormous hospital cafeterias, top dining establishments have come to equate Vulcan with second-to-none reliability and durability. When Vulcan hired Rose Communications, it had not conducted proactive media relations for a number of years. In order to prepare the marketplace for a steady flow of new products, we needed to re-engage the media and cultivate new relationships.

Fresh Perspective

Creating the right context for Vulcan’s news was a critical first step. A review of competitive positioning revealed that many companies seemed to be innovating for the sake of change. Vulcan, on the other hand, had conducted extensive research by spending time with chefs in their kitchens (or inviting them to Vulcan’s test kitchen) to uncover their challenges and unearth their true needs and desires. A new advertising campaign that showcased this understanding was in the works. We decided the public relations strategy would do the same: highlight the work Vulcan did to fully appreciate the professional lives of its end customers and demonstrate how new innovations solved real problems.

Authentic Approach

To set the foundation for the story, we:

  • Revisited company messaging to ensure all product information tied back to research
  • Focused on angles that communicated the commitment to end-users
  • Conducted extensive spokesperson training to prepare executives to speak with journalists
  • Provided hands-on demonstrations and influencer relationship-building opportunities at various trades shows
  • Created a news pipeline to ensure consistency of communication and momentum
  • Offered company executives as expert sources on a variety of industry topics
Meaningful Impact

In our first year of working with Vulcan-Hart, we:

  • Doubled the amount of media coverage the company would have received in top-tier trade publications without a proactive effort (i.e. stories we placed versus those that came over the transom because of the company’s leadership position)
  • Secured positive product and corporate stories in publications trusted by end users, including Food Arts, Nation’s Restaurant News, Foodservice Equipment & Supplies and Chef, among others
  • Garnered exposure for Vulcan’s support of the industry, including a major contribution of equipment to Johnson & Wales University and sponsorship of Le Club de Chefs des Chefs, the individuals who cook for the 40 most powerful heads of state from around the world
  • Introduced Vulcan executives to influential journalists at the National Restaurant Association show and the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant show
  • Set the stage for the successful introduction of new cooking equipment the following year

SHOW AND TELL

Le Club de Chefs des Chefs arrives in MD to experience regional cuisine.

White House Chef Walt Scheib recognizes Vulcan for its sponsorship.

“We get many of our ideas from the hands-on training we offer chefs in our test kitchens in Baltimore, and many product introductions are born out of practical needs. The Vulcan Kleen Screen Filtration System is a good example…Making filtration easier helps extend oil life, improve the taste of food and keep a fryer the most profitable piece of equipment in the kitchen.”

“One wonders whether 23 kings, queens and presidents were dining on canned soup and grilled cheese sandwiches the last week of July, while their chefs feasted on soft shell crabs and grilled buffalo. It was the annual gathering of the Club des Chefs des Chefs, an organization for the chefs of heads of state, held this year in the United States. Vulcan-Hart was the sponsor of this year’s trip.”

“Cooking equipment manufacturer Vulcan-Hart has launched a new advertising campaign to communicate the company’s brand message: ‘Vulcan offers a complete line of reliable, workhorse cooking equipment that works as hard as you do.’ The campaign…portrays a realistic reflection of the high-intensity environment of a commercial kitchen.”