The electrical solutions provider set out at the start of the year to create an online community among customers and end users on both a professional and personal level.
The multi-purpose channel uses the hashtag #HagerGang to recognise its ‘members’, and so far has been used for technical support, lifestyle chat, monthly quizzes, and generating product awareness.
At the start of the year, Hager UK capitalised on the hashtag and had t-shirts printed with ‘#HagerGang’, posting them out to the first members. The t-shirts became sought after by wholesalers and end users wanting to know how to win one.
In April, #HagerGang became more than just a hashtag when one member had tools stolen from his van. The #HagerGang turned vigilante and solved the crime by finding the culprit re-selling the stolen goods on eBay. Hager UK responded by sending the #HagerGang member a Tile app – an innovative phone app gadget designed to find lost items. It also led to the team at Hager UK’s head office in Telford taking part in the ALS #IceBucketChallenge craze in the summer, inviting other #HagerGang members to take part and donate.
Kris Shortland is an electrician from Northamptonshire and #HagerGang member who helped form the Twitter group. He commented: ‘Social media is used for businesses in all sectors these days, but Hager UK has done something really innovative for the electrical industry. They have built a community that wasn’t there before and enables end-users, like me, to be heard by a manufacturer.’
Ian Smith, marketing manager at Hager UK said, ‘We wanted to do something a little bit different for the people who actually use our products, but are usually one step removed from us. We’re extremely proud of our #HagerGang and look forward to developing the idea even further in 2015 – watch this space!’
To follow Hager UK on Twitter, visit: www.twitter.com/hageruk
