Blog Post

Fire-Dex: Award Winning Social Media

Fire-Dex: Award Winning Social Media

Since signing with MJ2, Fire-Dex’s social media platforms have experienced explosive growth, going from 490 followers to over 85,000. MJ2 continues to create consistent engaging content on social media pages which drive website referral traffic and engagement.

The Client:

Fire-Dex is a leading manufacturer of head-to-toe protection for first responders, including turnout gear, boots, hoods, gloves and helmets. The company is well-known in the industry for their excellent customer service and innovative manufacturing processes, as well as an unprecedented focus on health and safety.

The Challenge:

Fire-Dex doesn’t sell directly to firefighters, they sell through a dealer network. When they first approached MJ2 in 2011, they were looking for a way to connect with firefighters, the ultimate end user of their products. And in 2016, Fire-Dex made a commitment to speak out on new industry data that showed the long-term effects of exposure to carcinogens. They vowed to spend money on research and development of products that addressed the No. 1 and No. 2 causes of death for firefighters: heat stress, cardiac fatigue and cancer from repeated exposure to carcinogens. They sought MJ2’s help in moving from a product-focused marketing approach to a messaging campaign designed to change the conversation.

The MJ2 Effect:

Initially, MJ2 helped Fire-Dex implement a content blueprint and strategy, took over management of social communities, and added creative and trade show support. Without direct sales numbers to work from, we focused on building audience numbers. We quickly found an engaged audience on social, and helped grow Fire-Dex’s Facebook following from 278 people to 80,000, and expanded their Instagram following to almost 3,000 and LinkedIn audience to nearly 1,000. We launched a successful online fire apparel giveaway generating up to 3,000 entries a month, created a strategy around user-generated content to reach firefighters and influencers, built up the Fire-Dex blog with robust and colorful content, and created a secret Facebook group for distributors. And in 2016, when Fire-Dex turned its focus to safety, MJ2 rolled out a new campaign for that year’s FDIC trade show booth helping the company pivot its messaging to “You take care of them. We take care of you.” MJ2 has won three Ohio Interactive and AMA awards, and Fire-Dex has won prestigious industry awards as well (not to mention, boasting some of the highest digital numbers in the industry).
Where We Started:

  • 278 Facebook likes
  • 12 LinkedIn followers
  • 200 Twitter followers
  • No Instagram
  • No Youtube
  • No Pinterest
  • No Blog
  • No end-user email campaign
  • No organized campaigns or promotions
  • Digital and traditional marketing efforts were completely separate and not integrated

Where we are now:

  • 77,961 Facebook likes
  • 954 LinkedIn followers
  • 2,529 Twitter followers
  • 3,300 Instagram followers
  • 123 Youtube subscribers
  • 609 Pinterest followers
  • Robust email campaign sent to 17,000 end-users monthly
  • Active private group on Facebook for distributor network
  • Established protocols and methodology for campaigns and events, including a pre/during/post strategy
  • Annual end-of-year firefighter appreciation campaign with virtual giveaway
  • Digital marketing strategy is fully integrated with traditional marketing