THE BRIEF
Sun Chemical wanted to move away from standalone campaigns and ad-hoc activities to a coordinated, year-round communications approach. The challenge was to ensure that every touchpoint – from PR and advertising to events and social media – worked together to tell a consistent brand story and deliver maximum return on investment.
They needed a plan that could flex to accommodate product launches, industry events and sector-specific campaigns across the packaging, advanced materials and colour materials markets. The objective was clear: maintain a constant and compelling presence in the market, strengthen brand positioning and ensure messaging landed with the right audiences, at the right times.
THE STRATEGY
We developed a rolling 12-month integrated communications plan mapped directly to Sun Chemical’s commercial priorities and industry specific calendar.
This rolling plan combines PR, advertising, creative, events, podcasts and webinars into a single schedule; ensuring cross-channel reinforcement. This strategy includes the aligning of advertising and PR themes around key product launches and using event coverage to feed social and digital content.
Quarterly reviews ensure agility, allowing us to adapt to emerging opportunities or challenges while keeping the overall narrative consistent. Each channel plays a clearly defined role, with messaging tailored to specific audiences but united under Sun Chemical’s brand positioning.
This integrated approach not only optimises resources but ensures Sun Chemical’s voice remains present and relevant throughout the year – whether through thought leadership, targeted advertising, or sector-specific event activity.
THE TACTICS
The programme delivers continuous sector-specific media engagement through PR, and through the placement of thought leadership content; product announcements; customer case studies, and corporate news updates, in high-value publications. Targeted advertising campaigns are timed around major announcements and events, with placements in key trade titles to ensure maximum visibility. Creative and video assets – including campaign visuals, infographics and interview-led content – are developed for use across multiple channels, driving greater impact from each piece.
Support at major international exhibitions such as interpack, Metpack and FESPA spans pre-show media outreach, content creation and on-site video capture, ensuring a consistent presence before, during and after key events. Podcasts and webinars are planned and promoted as part of the wider strategy, offering a platform for in-depth, sector relevant discussions that position Sun Chemical as an industry authority. All assets – from PR to event footage – are repurposed for digital and social channels, enabling continuous engagement with key audiences. Every activity is tracked against the communications plan, ensuring consistent output and allowing for data-led optimisation.
THE OUTCOMES
- Continuous brand presence across all priority markets and channels.
- Strong message consistency, supporting lead generation.
- Continuous media coverage across top tier publications within Europe.
AD’s integrated approach has transformed the way we communicate. Their ability to connect PR, advertising, creative and events into a single, coherent plan means every piece of activity works harder for us. The value we’ve had from their media connections and deep industry insight has been invaluable in keeping Sun Chemical visible, relevant and influential year-round.
Vice President
Global Marketing Operations
Sun Chemical
