Ambassador Partnership & PR Campaign with Mark “Frosty” Winterbottom

As Brand & Digital Marketing Manager at ActronAir, I led the strategic ambassador partnership with Mark “Frosty” Winterbottom, one of Australia’s most recognised V8 Supercar drivers. The partnership elevated ActronAir’s credibility within the HVAC trade community and strengthened our presence across PR, social media, dealer networks and national events. A major highlight was a filmed interview between Frosty and the Editor of CCN (Climate Control News) — the HVAC industry’s leading publication with 10,000+ LinkedIn followers — filmed live at ARBS, the sector’s biggest trade exhibition.

Objective

Increase brand authority, strengthen engagement with installers and dealers, and use ambassador-led storytelling to drive higher awareness, digital traffic and qualified B2B leads.

Strategy & Execution

1. High-Impact PR: CCN Interview at ARBS

I coordinated the ambassador appearance and secured a high-visibility ARBS interview with the CCN Editor — instantly delivering credibility through a trusted trade voice.

• The interview generated 10,000+ impressions through CCN’s LinkedIn and editorial amplification

• Achieved a 45% average video completion rate on YouTube (well above HVAC sector norms)

• Drove a 22% uptick in referral traffic from CCN channels to ActronAir’s website

• This became one of the most successful PR assets of the year, with long-tail reach across editor posts and trade discussion forums.

2. Ambassador Co-Marketing – Social, Digital & Dealer Activation

We activated Frosty across a coordinated multi-channel campaign:

• A suite of ambassador videos for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube

• Co-branded dealer toolkits including banners, eDMs and point-of-sale

• Behind-the-scenes content tied to product performance and Aussie-made positioning

• This activity delivered:

• +58% uplift in social engagement on ambassador posts

• Up to 3.5× higher view-through rates on paid social vs. standard HVAC content

• 18% increase in website sessions from social during campaign windows

• Strong dealer adoption, with 70+ partners incorporating ambassador content into their local campaigns

3. ARBS + National Trade Nights (Events)

Frosty’s presence significantly elevated ActronAir’s trade visibility:

• Largest stand traffic increase in 3 years, with +40% higher footfall at ARBS

• Strong audience retention at demo sessions and live Q&A

• Dealer and installer networking content achieving 5,000+ social interactions across LinkedIn groups and trade pages

• His involvement created a genuine pull-effect — installers stayed longer, engaged deeper, and shared content organically.

4. Outcomes

• Significantly lifted ActronAir’s trade credibility and brand affinity

• Reinforced Australian Made, performance and heritage storytelling

• Strengthened relationships with key industry editors and media channels

• Enhanced dealer pride and advocacy across the national network

5. Results (Measured Campaign Lift)

• +58% social engagement increase across all Frosty-led content

• 22% increase in website traffic driven by PR, CCN features and social distribution

• 45% video completion rate on the CCN interview (sector norm is 20–25%)

• Steady lift in qualified leads, contributing to broader growth trends

• Top-performing PR content for the year based on impressions and shares