Feintool International Holding AG is a global technology group headquartered in Lyss, Switzerland, specializing in fineblanking, forming and electrolamination stamping for the production of high-precision components. The company employs approximately 3,100 people at 18 locations in seven countries on three continents, including Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary), Asia (Japan, China, India) and North America (USA). Feintool’s products are used in particular in the automotive industry for seating, transmissions, clutches, electric motors and hydrogen drives, but also in other industries such as industrial applications, medical technology and renewable energy.
Imagine a motor that quietly comes to life. A seat back that moves with finely tuned perfection. Behind these are invisible heroes: precisely engineered components, manufactured with micrometre-precision expertise.
“In the automotive sector, time, costs and performance are what count,” says Lars Reich, Chief Executive Officer of Feintool. “We specialize in efficiently scaling production processes from prototype to high-volume production and deliver the highest quality components at low cost, which gives us an edge over the competition.”
Joining forces for a strong B2B campaign
Feintool wanted to position itself more distinctly as a leading provider of function-critical seating components. This required not only a well-conceived digital concept, but also partners with deep industry understanding and strong implementation expertise.
John Dobbs, founder of the InnerBark Marketing agency, was an important strategic partner and collaborator for the die firma . experience design team. As a close advisor to Feintool CEO Lars Reich, he was involved with the campaign strategy and formation from the very beginning. Throughout all phases, he contributed valuable perspectives that included insights from his experience in the US and European markets, maintained close, collaborative communication with the team and provided crucial resources.
B2B success starts with strategy
Precision was already required in the strategic groundwork. “Online marketing for B2B companies is not about broad impact; it is about targeting high-quality leads. This is why precise analysis of the market, the competition and, in particular, the buying centres is a basic prerequisite for successful market positioning,” says Marco Fischer, brand strategist at diefirma . experience design. So we started with the elements that characterize all good engineering: analysis, planning, prototyping. First, we popped the hood of the market to look underneath, and conducted a competitive analysis of the eight largest European competitors in terms of positioning, messages, touchpoints and visibility, and identified strengths and weaknesses.
In analysing the target group, we focused on two core groups: technical engineers and purchasing managers in OEM, Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies that design and build car seats. We developed persona profiles for both roles, pinpointing their specific pain points, decision-making logic, expectations and preferred communication channels.
Our detailed analysis revealed that the decision for or against a particular supplier is made at a very early stage of development.
Armed with the insights from our analysis, we developed a campaign strategy that was precisely tailored to the needs of the market for car seat components – delivering relevant content through the right channels at the right time.
A targeted campaign strategy for efficient lead generation
Target group
Technical engineers and purchasing managers in OEM, Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies in the automotive seating industry. Technical engineers require implementation support, while purchasers prioritise efficiency, process reliability and safety and risk minimization.
The key campaign objective
Position Feintool as the leading fineblanking partner – with a clear message about production capacity, quality and efficiency. Generate high-quality leads to provide the sales team with effective support.
Focus on digital touchpoints that are relevant in the early stages of the customer journey.
Precision-engineered messaging with real impact
Content needs to do more than just inform, it must resonate emotionally with people and move them. But how do you communicate technology without sounding overly technical? We found the solution: a campaign concept that combines storytelling with technological precision.
FROM PARTS TO HEARTS became the main slogan, the heart of the story that brings to life the transformation that automotive suppliers experience with Feintool. This isn’t just about technology; it is about achieving goals together as partners. The linguistic device ‘from ... to ...’ visualises this transformation: from individual components to a system. From the initial idea to proven expertise. From inception to full-scale production.
These messages are supported by powerful, symbolic visuals – a heart made of components, a light bulb made of gear wheels, a stopwatch made of precision parts. These metaphors forge an emotional bridge between technology and human beings.
Three powerful messages, brought to life through strong symbols (heart, light bulb, stopwatch) and aesthetically rendered using actual Feintool components.
A sales funnel that fires up the engine
The content was ready for launch – but how would we get it out there? Our objective: to unleash the full power of the content through efficient deployment and build a sales funnel that generates high-quality leads.
“At the heart of our approach was an online funnel that works seamlessly with the sales division. While digital activities generate attention and attract and qualify prospects, the sales team takes control in the final step – where personal dialogues make all the difference,” says Jan Lorenz, digital marketing expert at die firma . experience design.
From the landing page to social media to articles and webinars, the entire system is carefully orchestrated – like a precisely engineered drivetrain where every element fits together perfectly in the right place. The campaign used a holistic and integrated approach which covered the entire buyer journey.
Video of experts
Expert interviews in video format reinforce Feintool’s leading role in the field of automotive seat components. These are published on LinkedIn and YouTube and used in sales presentations.
Explanatory video on the development of adjustment mechanisms (Feintool Seating)
Google Ads
Keyword-based Google text ads direct users in the target group to the landing page. The focus centres on topics related to seating technology and supplier expertise in Europe.
Posts and articles on LinkedIn
They increase the awareness of Feintool among relevant target groups and generate interest. Technical articles on LinkedIn and in industry publications provide more in-depth content, position Feintool as a competent partner in the automotive segment and establish it as a solution provider.
Landing Page
The landing page serves as the central point of contact for target groups. With a clear value proposition, product benefits and conversion elements such as CTAs and registration options, it contains all the relevant content for lead generation.
Animated creative video ads
Short, attention-grabbing video ads on LinkedIn address technical decision-makers and direct them to the landing page for further, more in-depth content.
E-book
As a key lead generation tool, the new Fineblanking e-book for seating components offers readers a comprehensive overview of Feintool’s process.
Live-Webinar
A live webinar hosted by Lars Reich (CEO) and Aron Müller (Head of Technical Sales, Fineblanking Europe) highlights risks in supplier partnerships using real-life customer examples. The webinar was advertised on a dedicated landing page, on LinkedIn and in external industry newsletters to generate leads. A webinar replay can be accessed by submitting contact information on the Seating landing page.
Momentum for the sales team
The seating campaign was officially launched at a global sales meeting. Employees also received a structured briefing with specific action recommendations, ranging from sharing the landing page and distributing the e-book to engaging in interactions on LinkedIn. A LinkedIn communication checklist served to additionally boost organic reach, equipping the sales teams to become active brand ambassadors.
Hitting targets with measurable data
To ensure that the campaign not only looked good but also delivered verifiable results, a tracking concept with clearly defined KPIs was established. Google Analytics and a conversion tracking setup enabled centralised collection of relevant data, which was then visualised in Google Looker Studio. Monthly reports provided the foundation for regular campaign performance reviews and fine-tuning of target groups, bidding strategies and keywords.
Picking up the pace with qualified leads
The results are impressive. The campaign produced a strong number of high-profile leads, which the client is well pleased with. Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads also contributed numerous leads and, in addition to several hundred thousand impressions, brought many thousand users to the landing page.
Through continuous organic posts, the LinkedIn channel generated many new followers. Initial discussions about potential series production are also underway.
“We were impressed not only by the clear success of the campaign with a strong number of qualified leads, but above all by the strategic approach behind it. From analysis and creative implementation to the precise execution of online measures – every element was as well-conceived and executed with the same precision that we are accustomed to in our own engineering and manufacturing world.”
Lars Reich, CEO Feintool International Holding AG
The results of the seating campaign at a glance
- Strong number of high-profile leads, which the client is well pleased with
- Thousands of users on the landing page
- More than 1,000 new LinkedIn followers
Conclusion: Online marketing as a driving force in B2B
This example demonstrates that in a challenging market like the automotive supplier market, online marketing has the power to substantially drive demand. Provided, that is, that planning and implementation are precise and tailored to the target group’s needs and behaviour patterns. When strategy, storytelling and digital activities are perfectly aligned, online marketing becomes a genuine driving force for B2B companies – and an integral component of sales.
Like a finely tuned engine, digital communication then unleashes its full force, delivering visibility, generating high-quality leads and giving sales exactly the momentum it needs – at the right time and at the right point in the journey.
