3M: Clash of the Grinders
Let the sparks fly! Discover Master Grinder within you
Can grinding combine the spirit of sporting rivalry and fun at the same time? Together with 3M, a company that offers professional and innovative technological solutions, H+K has proven, that the answer is YES! We know how to talk about grinding in an engaging way, and tell an exciting story about the grinder behind the wheel, as H+K had an honour to support three editions of 3M Clash of the Grinders campaign, targeted at professionals from all over Poland!
The aim of the campaign is to build public awareness of the grinding profession, increase its prestige and unite the grinding community. Every year specialists from Poland meet at the competition to fight for the title of the next 3M Master Grinder. All interested participants can join skill-focused challenges and professional lectures on grinding and cutting innovations, and health and safety standards. The competition promotes personal development and safety in day-to-day work, being a unique opportunity to recognize those for whom grinding is a real passion!
Supporting 3M in the campaign execution was a challenge for us – not only we had to reach a narrow group of journalists and encourage their representatives to take part in the event, but also prove to the sceptics that grinding can be a thrilling experience! How did we do it? Meeting the client’s expectations, we established cooperation with industry and mainstream media, by showing how demanding the work of a grinder is – we organized workshops during which journalists themselves could try the grinding tools in the rain of sparks under the guidance of professionals. Thanks to the shared experiences, the articles about the Clash appeared not only in the industry media, such as Gazeta Narzędziowa or Magazyn Przemysłowy, but also in local and mainstream media, like Gazeta Wyborcza and Wprost.
We were also the first to bring the Clash to the social media by creating Facebook events. It has become a unique platform for broadcasting the competition, sharing tips and trivia, and a means to reach potential participants. What is more, we involved the blogger “Dom i Drewno” (Home and Wood) in one of the editions of the contest, who together with us was motivating the contestants of the Clash! Thanks to his presence, we managed to reach a wider audience, showing how engaged Polish grinders and how diverse the products created with the help of the grinder are! Together with the support of “Dom i Drewno” we also organized a Facebook contest, in which participants could win 3M professional grinding products.
Each subsequent edition of “Clash of the Grinders” proves that such initiatives are needed. Recognized as a significant feature in the industry, “The Clash” is a cult event for metalwork specialists, during which they acquire new skills, improve their qualifications at grinding workshops and establish new contacts. “Clash of the Grinders” has also been widely known in the media – during the three editions of the contest, supported by H+K, there were over 230 mentions and articles about the event, generating a total of almost one million views! The competition also became an inspiration for other countries, effectively showing how committed and passionate the grinders are. We as well, thanks to cooperation with 3M, have tried standing behind grinding tools and, to be honest… it was hot!