Case Study
Turning Consumer Education Into Category Visibility
A multipronged media and influencer strategy helped JMATEK educate consumers, differentiate Honeywell cooling products and strengthen the brand’s position in a competitive market.
Independent product reviews helped consumers understand and compare Honeywell cooling solutions.
Client Overview
JMATEK
JMATEK was the exclusive North American distributor of Honeywell air conditioners and evaporative air coolers.
The company was operating in a highly competitive category, but many consumers did not clearly understand the difference between evaporative cooling and traditional air conditioning.
JMATEK needed a communications program that could explain the technology in simple terms, build trust in the products and expand Honeywell’s visibility with homeowners, renters and other consumers making cooling decisions.
The Challenge
A Strong Product in a Confusing Category
The central challenge was not simply generating attention. Consumers first needed to understand what the products were, how they worked and when each type of cooling solution was appropriate.
Evaporative coolers were often confused with traditional air conditioners, even though their performance, cost, energy use and ideal climate conditions differed.
JMATEK also needed to compete for attention in a market filled with established brands and familiar product categories.
The communications strategy needed to:
- Explain the difference between evaporative cooling and traditional air conditioning
- Show where each product could provide the most value
- Build consumer confidence in an unfamiliar category
- Position Honeywell as a credible cooling-solutions brand
- Reach new audiences and markets
- Generate product visibility that could support purchasing decisions
The Strategy
A Multipronged Consumer-Education Campaign
Mackasey developed a strategic campaign combining media relations, product storytelling, reviews, buying guides and influencer partnerships.
The program was designed to make the products understandable, relevant and useful to consumers—not simply visible.
The campaign included:
- Targeted outreach to national consumer and lifestyle media
- Product reviews and editor testing opportunities
- Gift-guide and buying-guide placements
- Product roundups and listicles
- Giveaways and seasonal coverage
- Home, lifestyle and design storytelling
- Energy-efficiency and affordability messaging
- Influencer and blogger partnerships
- Product education for journalists and content creators
Each media angle was developed around a specific consumer need, such as cooling a home efficiently, managing summer heat, finding alternatives for dry climates or selecting an appropriate cooling product for a particular living space.
Product Positioning
Making the Difference Clear
A major part of the work involved helping consumers understand that evaporative coolers and air conditioners are not interchangeable products.
The messaging emphasized the practical advantages of evaporative cooling, including:
- Energy efficiency
- Affordability
- Suitability for dry climates
- Portability and flexibility
- Everyday household use
At the same time, the campaign helped consumers understand when a traditional air conditioner would be the better solution.
This educational approach made the coverage more useful and credible. Rather than relying on broad promotional claims, the campaign helped media outlets explain how the products worked and which consumers they were best suited to serve.
Media Relations
Visibility in Trusted Consumer Publications
Mackasey prioritized media outlets that consumers relied on for product recommendations, home advice and purchasing guidance.
Coverage included features, reviews, gift guides, giveaways and product roundups in publications such as:
- Forbes
- The New York Times
- Reader’s Digest
- Apartment Therapy
- Better Homes & Gardens
The campaign generated hundreds of placements across top-tier publications and digital platforms.
Influencer Partnerships
Products Shown in Real Homes
Influencer partnerships extended the campaign beyond traditional media.
Mackasey worked with lifestyle bloggers, home-improvement voices and environmentally conscious content creators who could demonstrate Honeywell products in real settings.
This gave consumers a clearer picture of how the products looked, worked and fit into everyday life.
The resulting content was practical and relatable, helping potential buyers understand how the products could solve real cooling challenges in homes and apartments.
Business Impact
Education That Supported Brand Trust
The campaign did more than generate product mentions.
It helped JMATEK address consumer misconceptions, differentiate Honeywell products and strengthen the brand’s credibility in the cooling-solutions market.
By combining trusted third-party media coverage with real-world influencer content, the program helped consumers move from basic awareness to a clearer understanding of the products and their benefits.
The campaign also gave Honeywell a sustained presence across home, lifestyle, consumer, design and product-recommendation media.
The Results
Large-Scale Consumer Visibility
- Hundreds of placements across national publications and digital platforms
- More than 600 million reported impressions
- Coverage in Forbes, The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, Apartment Therapy and Better Homes & Gardens
- Product reviews, buying guides, gift guides, giveaways and listicles
- Influencer content demonstrating the products in real-life settings
- Stronger differentiation between evaporative coolers and traditional air conditioners
- Greater consumer understanding of energy efficiency, affordability and climate suitability
- Reinforced positioning for Honeywell in the cooling-solutions category
Featured Result
Hundreds of media placements and more than 600 million reported impressions helped JMATEK educate consumers and strengthen Honeywell’s visibility in a highly competitive product category.
Why the Campaign Worked
The Story Was Education, Not Promotion
The campaign succeeded because it addressed the real barrier to purchase: consumer confusion.
Instead of simply telling audiences that the products were innovative, the work explained:
- How the products functioned
- How evaporative cooling differed from air conditioning
- Which climates and living situations were best suited to each product
- How energy use, affordability and portability affected the buying decision
That educational foundation gave journalists, influencers and consumers useful information and a credible reason to engage with the products.
Start with the Objective
Need to Build Understanding Around a Product or Category?
Mackasey develops media and thought-leadership programs that help audiences understand what makes a product different, why it matters and where it fits.