About

TAMKO is a large building materials companies, serving as a single source for homeowners’ roofing needs across the country for more than 70 years. A privately held company that is still led by the family that launched it, TAMKO is a major driver of the Joplin, MO, economy and is expected to contribute $4 billion to the state’s economy over the next 25 years.

Challenge

TAMKO CEO David Humphries approached us with a unique task for our business. Mr. Humphries, who had previously worked with our firm on political and policy issues, wanted an advertising campaign to educate the Joplin community on TAMKO’s good jobs and good works. We eagerly seized the opportunity to extend our advertising services beyond our traditional political and public affairs work.

Solution

From 2016 through 2018, we have developed a series of personal and emotional advertisements that captured the essence of a family owned business that has grown into the largest independent roofing and building products business in the United States.

After spending 45 days doing a deep dive on TAMKO’s business operations, history and culture and conducting in-depth conversations with Mr. Humphry’s and his communications team, we settled on a multi-pronged advertising strategy that would focus on the good-paying jobs and career advancement opportunities at TAMKO, and the company’s commitment to the Joplin community through its considerable philanthropic activities.

Family Business Providing Great Jobs

At its core, TAMKO is a family owned business geared towards offering great career opportunities to Joplin families. During our research, we uncovered that generations of Joplin families have worked at TAMKO.

Our first ad in the TAMKO campaign was entitled “Three Generations”. This spot, which aired in 2016, told the story of the Carder family and the role that TAMKO has played in providing economic security to a man, his son and his grandson. We followed up on this theme in 2017 with another ad featuring the story of the Martin family.

In 2018, we continued our efforts to educate the Joplin community on the great jobs TAMKO provides and the pride that TAMKO employees feel in working for the company. The spot “Shara” featured the story of a working mom, who has been promoted numerous times at TAMKO, and is now living the American Dream in Joplin, thanks to her rewarding career.

We also produced a spot featuring the story of Bobbie Hubbell, a production worker who has been with TAMKO for over thirty years. This ad captured the pride that Mr. Hubbell has in working for TAMKO and the story of how he was approached in the grocery store by a thankful citizen of Joplin who recognized him as a TAMKO employee because he was wearing a company hat.

Commitment to Veterans

As a company headquartered in the middle of the Heartland, TAMKO has a strong patriotic tradition. Not only does the company provide good paying manufacturing jobs across the United States, it has a rock-solid commitment to hiring veterans.

We filmed and produced an ad featuring several veterans who have found rewarding careers at TAMKO. This ad entitled “Veterans” ran heavily around the Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day holidays in 2017, and touted the patriotic values of TAMKO and the fact that nearly 10 percent of the company’s workforce previously wore the uniform of the United States military.

Giving Back to Joplin

In 2011, Joplin was struck by the worst tornado in America since 1950. The damage throughout the community was simply devastating as lives, homes and businesses were lost. TAMKO stepped up to help the community and its employees rebuild.

In 2016, we produced two ads “Endured” and “Tornado” that focused on TAMKO’s efforts to help Joplin during this very trying time in the community’s history.

 In 2018, we turned the focus of the campaign to TAMKO’s significant charitable donations to community organizations like the Ronald McDonald House and Lafayette House, a non-profit helping battered women get back on their feet. The ad “Melissa” focused on the positive role that Ronald McDonald House played in helping a young family endure a traumatic health incident with their baby. The ad “Renita” told the story of a woman who had been a client of Lafayette House, but now has a rewarding career at the non-profit helping combat domestic violence and sexual assaults.

Results

The response to the TAMKO image campaign has been overwhelmingly positive. The advertising has had its desired effect of deepening TAMKO’s bond with its employees, the Joplin community and the non-profits that TAMKO supports.

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