Spartan ERV (Emergency Response Vehicles) (“Spartan” or the “Company”), a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR), debuted its “Forged by Fire” marketing campaign in January of this year to celebrate the firefighter and the many untold stories from the front line. Spartan ERV is honoring those individuals that have influenced their communities by collecting their stories of tradition, generation, sacrifice, bravery and performance. After the initial round of public voting, which wrapped up following the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, April 10-12, the Company is excited to announce Van Johnson as its first recipient to win one of two $5,000 cash prizes.
“Forged by Fire is an interactive social media campaign which tells the many untold stories of those within the ER community,” said Russell Chick, Corporate Director of Marketing, Spartan Motors. “Providing a platform to share them is a role we are honored to play. This campaign and our digital platforms will enable new connections and productive conversations within the firefighting community.”
Spartan ERV has been accepting nominations for individuals who have been Forged by Fire. The Company and its dealer network are connecting with firefighters and industry personnel to encourage them to participate by submitting their stories. The Company looks to honor those that have been Forged by Fire and let the stories be told.
This year, Spartan ERV is celebrating the firefighter and the many untold stories. Spartan is making what it does about the people we serve. Although Spartan plays a critical role in providing safety and capability, it knows that the people who matter most and the ones that make the difference each day are the firefighters. Spartan ERV continues to have a robust product story to tell. That will be achieved through a separate campaign running concurrently.
All stories not selected for the first prize will still be eligible to be selected for the second $5,000 awarded later this year, so individuals are encouraged to keep sharing how they have been Forged by Fire.
Forged by Fire nominations are set to continue until Friday, August 1st. At that time, an internal committee will select the next three finalists and begin public voting on Monday, August 4th. Voting will close on Sunday, August 17th, with the second recipient of the $5,000 cash prize being announced on Monday, August 25th.
As the campaign was developed, the Spartan marketing team was reminded of the remarkable humility found in the fabric of the firefighter. Many of the firefighters interviewed were apprehensive to talk about their stories. The Forged by Fire campaign addresses this by offering two options to submit a Forged by Fire story. They can submit directly on the campaign landing page, or nominate a friend or coworker by visiting http://www.SpartanERV.com/ForgedbyFire. Select nominees may have their story featured in the company’s next print advertisement. The first round of public voting is slated to begin online in March.
