Vanco International: Breathing New Life into a B2B Brand

Campaign Highlights

• Caster successfully relaunched the Beale Street Audio brand when Vanco International acquired the company in 2017. Coverage of the acquisition was tremendous across 22 top-tier industry and audio enthusiast outlets with a reach of nearly 717k.
• Caster developed an effective and aggressive PR strategy that took the Vanco name from the quiet underdog to a staple in the residential AV industry.
• Media have specifically noted that they never paid much attention to Vanco and now they are seeing their name, brands, and products everywhere they look in the AV space.
• Since signing on with Caster in 2017, Vanco has had its most successful CEDIA Expos and InfoComm shows in the company’s 60+ year history and sales for all of Vanco International’s brands, including Beale Street Audio, have seen continuous growth year-over-year.

The Challenge

Having been in the AV industry for 60 years, Vanco International was an established manufacturer of products and technology solutions made specifically for AV installers. In 2017, President, Brad Corbin, was ready to pass the torch onto his son Mark and take a step back in the strategic direction of the business. During the transition, Mark and the rest of the executive team did a deep analysis of the company’s SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) and realized that brand recognition was surprisingly low.

Despite having a solid customer base of US distributors, they had for the most part flown under the radar with the media and even with dealers and integrators. Most people in the industry didn’t know much about who Vanco International was, let alone the various brands under its umbrella. One of Mark’s first big moves as President was the acquisition of the industry-renowned audio brand, Beale Street Audio. As the acquisition date approached and after much discussion about their brand identity issue, Mark’s team decided that in order to maximize Vanco’s exposure as they got ready to relaunch the Beale Street Audio brand, they were going to need a strong PR strategy – something they had never considered in the past.

The Result

With Caster’s assistance in 2017, not only did Vanco have its most successful CEDIA Expo in the company’s history, but they have since beat that record with the most press, award wins, foot traffic, and qualified leads at CEDIA Expo 2018 and yet again at CEDIA Expo 2019. In 2018, Vanco also decided to refocus its efforts to include the commercial AV market and exhibited at the industry’s largest tradeshow in the US, InfoComm, after years of being MIA in the space. Vanco was over the moon with how well their brands were received, as well as the high-quality foot traffic and press received. As a result, they have continued to exhibit at InfoComm ever year since.

Sales for all of Vanco International’s brands, including Beale Street Audio, continue to grow and with Caster leading their PR strategy, the company also continues to have a steady cadence of press coverage – and the industry has noticed. “Caster Communications has taken a company that has always had great products and technology solutions but lacked the exposure, and showed them off to the world,” said Joe Whitaker, founder of The Thoughtful Home and contributing writer for CE Pro. “I have personally worked with Vanco for years and seeing the growth and industry recognition of their brands first hand due to Caster’s hard work is amazing. Now Vanco has a defined story and exposure that is as spectacular as its products.”

Not only has the industry noticed Vanco’s increased exposure, so too has Vanco’s internal team. “Caster Communications has been a vital asset to our continued growth,” said Lindsey Corbin, Director of Marketing for Vanco International. “Everyone is a pleasure to work with and we truly feel like they are just as much a part of our team as our direct employees. They have relationships with all the right people and a great understanding of our industry. They always take the time to understand our goals, strategize with us, and continually deliver for us.”

Through the implementation of an effective PR strategy, industry expertise, and a constantly-evolving program, Caster helped a 60+-year-old company finally achieve the recognition that it deserved.