Case Study
Kohler Home Energy Case Study
Headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Home Energy (now Rehlko) is a division of Kohler Energy, a global leader in distributed energy solutions. Kohler Energy is renowned for its innovative designs and impactful energy systems that support communities worldwide.
Relevance
Leveraging SA’s leadership in the home services category and through-channel marketing expertise, Kohler Home Energy and its U.S. and Canada dealer network were provided with a turnkey co-op marketing solution.
Situation
Kohler Home Energy lacked a scalable, effective dealer co-op program that aligned with national marketing KPIs and brand compliance.
Solution
SA’s Metis (now SA Hub) channel marketing platform offered a comprehensive solution for more than 1,500 dealers across the U.S. and Canada. This platform provided expert consultation from SA associates, helping dealers maximize their co-op marketing investments.
Key Features
Platform Integration:
- SA’s Metis proprietary platform consolidated all co-op marketing components, including co-op balances, available marketing tactics, co-op claim submissions, digital asset management, reports/analytics and more.
- Integration with Salesforce (CRM) ensured real-time availability for all Kohler Home Energy dealers.
Budget Flexibility:
- Metis offered prepackaged marketing options at various price points and a la carte media options, allowing dealers to choose their spend level with minimum thresholds for effectiveness.
Creative Execution:
- Dealers could select from multiple brand-compliant creative options within Metis, tailored per marketing tactic and built in real-time during the ordering process or custom-created post-order.
Media Management:
- SA expertly scheduled and administered available media tactics through local media vendors on behalf of the dealers.
Co-op Claim Processing:
- Metis provided a turnkey process for dealers to submit details and invoices for self-administered marketing, pre-approved and reviewed by Kohler Home Energy.
Vendor Relationship Management:
- SA managed external vendor relationships on behalf of the dealers, including media and production vendors.
Continuous Improvement (SA’s A Better Way):
- The Kohler Home Energy co-op marketing program continuously evolved to incorporate new and emerging marketing strategies, ensuring dealers remained successful in an ever-changing consumer landscape.
Results
The impact of the program has been transformative for the Exmark network, significantly reducing the time dealers spend managing their marketing efforts, allowing them to focus on sales while still maintaining brand consistency. The success of the program is largely attributed to the ease of participation and personalized program offerings that allow dealers of all sizes to engage effectively.
30%
increase
Dealership spend on SA-placed targeted digital and media solution orders grew by 30% year over year (YOY) from 2023 to 2024.
39%
YOY growth
Dealerships requesting SA-placed targeted digital and media solution orders grew by 39% YOY from 2023 to 2024.
63%
utilization of funds
Utilization of available 2024 co-op funds reached 63%.
18%
co-op spend growth
Total participating co-op spend grew by more than 18% YOY from 2023 to 2024.
18%
decrease
There was an 18% decrease in dealership channel’s own placed total advertising spend utilizing co-op claims YOY from 2023 to 2024, indicating a shift increase toward SA-placed strategic marketing digital/advertising solution orders, aligning with Kohler Home Energy’s overall KPI goals.
