CAS Influencer Day
The first Influencer Days took place at ROTHENBERGER on 20 and 21 October 2021. The topic of the two action-packed days, which were organised in cooperation with Metabo, was the cross-manufacturer battery platform, Corporate Alliance System (CAS).
Prominent guests at ROTHENBERGER
More than fifty influencers accepted the invitation and travelled from all over Europe to the headquarters in Kelkheim. The first day was held in English for the international guests, the second day belonged to the influencers from all over Germany.
After an exclusive factory tour, the participants were able to playfully try out CAS battery tools and machines at various stations and take part in a couple of games and challenges. How they experienced the day and what is important to them, we found out for you in personal conversations.
Nample - in close exchange with the whole world
Every plumbing craftsman who is on Instagram knows Bruno Friedmann and his channel Nample. He is a real star in the scene, as he has over 125,000 followers and regularly receives thousands of messages from all over the world. But for all his fame, he is still a real craftsman who does his work every day. It's hard to believe how he manages his popular channel on the side. In our interview, he reveals how it all came about and what drives him.
How did your career as an influencer come about and when did it start?
I started the Instagram account Nample in 2012. But I only started the account to save photos of heating systems, as proof. That's why I didn't put much thought into the name. It was also all without a hashtag. In 2013 and 2014, the Americans took notice of me. That's why I started learning real English a year later, because I only had French at school. In 2016 I was in England for the first time through Instagram, and in 2019 I was in the USA.
But you already have the support of a team, or how do you manage to always be up-to-date?
No, I do it all myself. After almost ten years, I simply have a certain routine. It goes fast, but I don't do any bling-bling, except for the music. But that's not a problem either.
Who are your followers?
The majority are from the plumbing and heating sector, i.e. plumbers, but also tool lovers in general. There are also a lot of car workshop or car dealership mechanics, from all over the world.
What is it like to be in exchange with the whole world?
I had a reel a month ago with a Lanz Bulldog, from the 50s, and I uploaded that and then I got photos from Chile and Paraguay. That was brilliant. But the fact is that 70 years ago the Lanz Bulldog was exported there from Mannheim. Some of them are still running in Chile today. So it's not just us who restore old tractors, but they also do it in Chile. I find that fascinating.
Which news do you think about longer?
I experienced something very moving with a follower from India. She wrote to me that she was visiting her father and that her father used to work in Dubai as a plumber. He is very ill and to cheer him up, she showed him my posts. He really perked up because it made him so happy. So these are the moments when I realise that what I am doing is not wrong.
What do you value in your social media activities?
Wherever someone comes from, I have never forgotten to reply. So if someone writes to me, whether it's in Korean or in English or in German, everyone gets an answer. For me, it's not just about the tool, it's also about social media itself, about the exchange with the whole world.
How did you like the CAS Influencer Day?
For me it was two days, because I was also there on the international day. The exchange among each other was simply brilliant. On the first evening, I sat together with colleagues from Italy, Sweden, Spain, England and Scotland until half past two in the evening and we exchanged ideas and stories. A colleague from ROTHENBERGER was also there. So it was a great experience all round, I am very satisfied. Also that Dr. Rothenberger was always there and you could talk to her. That was something special.
What is your favourite ROTHENBERGER product?
Well, I have a very special soft spot for the pipe wrenches. They are made in Spain, but I only found that out here. It's true that as an outsider you don't necessarily know what's behind the name ROTHENBERGER.
Thank you very much for the interview!
Bauforum 24 - with construction machinery through the mud
Anyone who uses and loves construction machinery and tools has subscribed to their channel: Bauforum24.
André Brockschmidt is the man who swings into the cab of trucks and gets behind the wheel to race the huge machines through rough terrain to test them in all kinds of situations. But he also hosts the popular talk shows, test programmes and live events on all topics related to machines, construction sites and tools. We took the opportunity at Influencer Day to ask this jack-of-all-trades a few questions.
How did your Bauforum24 channel come about?
Well, Bauforum24 already existed when YouTube didn't exist and the term "social media" didn't exist yet. That was in 2004. I started producing videos in 2005 and hosted them on YouTube around 2008. In 2015, we started making videos with me in front of the camera, which we hadn't done before. We then created new formats especially for YouTube, regularly brought videos every week, and also expanded the tools section very well.
Who is behind Bauforum24?
We are a company with employees and everything. There is a real business behind it, which means that it has developed over time. We started in 2004 with Bauforum24 as a community portal on the subject of construction and construction machinery. We are still identified with construction machinery. But we don't just run this channel, we also offer consulting and productions for associations or companies that want to do more in the direction of social media.
Which topics are particularly well received?
We did a lot on construction machinery, which went down really well, and then we were asked again and again; why don't you do something with tool testing? So that's how it started, with the tool area. But we still make videos with construction machinery. I drive trucks through the mud, I test SUVs and so on. And now many trade fairs have been cancelled because of Corona. That's why we're currently doing a live programme every month, some of which go on for four hours and the viewers stay tuned. That's really cool.
How did you like the CAS Influencer Day today?
The topic of ROTHENBERGER in particular had not been such a broad topic for me before, although our viewers come from all sectors and we have already done something about it. I have to say, I am very impressed when you see it like this, here. To see the tools in action in this way is something I would not have expected.
Thank you very much for the interview!
Meister_shk: Professional exchange at eye level
Tradesmen know that anyone who works on the construction site or in customer service every day needs quick answers to specific technical questions from time to time.
Social media contact points close this gap, they show current best practices and provide quick and uncomplicated answers. Like Kevin Unterberg with his Instagram channel meister_shk. His followers grow from year to year. We talked about his recipe for success and what interests him as a SHK professional at the CAS Influencer Day.
How and why did you start your channel?
To be honest, I started it for fun, because I actually wanted to look for new products on Instagram. I was looking for new products, that's how it came about.
What is your motivation for your channel?
Well, somehow also pride. If you have built a beautiful layout, you want to show it. And of course tips on how to best build layouts. I also see how colleagues have built something. Sometimes I say to myself, oh, that could be done quite differently, perhaps more simply. That's more or less how it works. The professional exchange is simply important for us craftsmen: I can learn something, the others can learn something. And it's a good way to keep up to date, for example about new products.
And of course also tools...?
Yes, that's right, tools always have to be there somehow (laughs).
What does your normal professional life look like?
I am a master craftsman in sanitation, heating and air conditioning and work in my parents' family business. Heinz & Carmen Unterberg GmbH, Duisburg-Rumeln.
Isn't it difficult to look after something like that on the side?
No, actually it's not a problem for me. I usually do it during the lunch break or I sometimes let the apprentices drive, then I do it during the drive. And after work, of course.
What are you often asked, are there wishes from your fans, what else you should do?
I often get the wish that I should show myself. But I don't do that. I prefer to concentrate on the matter at hand, on the craft, that's what interests me the most.
Why did you decide to take part in the ROTHENBERGER Influencer Day?
The greatest thing about something like this is that you also meet the others, that you meet some new people and meet others again. And: I love factory tours! That was definitely one of the decisive factors for me that I definitely wanted to be part of ROTHENBERGER. So I love factory tours more than anything.
What excited you the most on this day?
Of course the factory tour - and the openness of Dr. Rothenberger. I thought it was great that she was there the whole day, right in the middle of the action, and answered questions the whole time. That was a real highlight. In general, I really enjoyed the day.
What surprised you, what did you not know?
The size! For me, Rothenberger was really just Rothenberger Germany, maybe a bit abroad, but I didn't expect that there was so much behind it.
What is your favourite ROTHENBERGER tool and what do you particularly like about it?
Definitely: the ROMAX Compact TT! It is handy, so you can reach everywhere, in all niches, on the wall, that is very, very advantageous.
Thank you very much for the interview!