Co-Op Marketing Program Guidelines
Purpose:
To assist our valued distributors with the promotion of the complete family of Vinylmax products, to their customer and prospect base, through a variety of marketing, advertising, and promotional functions. These annually available funds may be used towards a wide range of materials and functions to help you not only grow your window sales totals but also build brand awareness for both your organization and the Vinylmax brand.
Distributor Eligibility Requirements:
The FlexFuel Co-op Marketing Program is available to all eligible Vinylmax distributors who meet the following eligibility requirements:
• Have a minimum of $15,000 invoiced sales totals during the previous calendar year
• Organization is in good credit standing and is not past due
How the FlexFuel Program Works:
FlexFuel Funds Accrual:
Based upon your organization’s previous year’s sales (excluding taxes, shipping and any other applicable fees), we will accrue 0.75% of that total amount to your FlexFuel account. Whenever you request marketing, advertising or promotional products, or in-person assistance with customer and public events, available funds from your account will be applied to help offset these actions. Any remaining costs or fees not covered with available funds will be invoiced to your standard account. In instances where requests are made and no funds are available, claims will be denied.
Current year FlexFuel funds are calculated by taking 0.75% of the total invoiced sales finalized between Jan. 1st and Dec. 31st of the previous year. These funds are available for use until they are exhausted, at any point between January 1st and November 15th of the current year. All claims are due to Vinylmax by December 31st.
Example: 2024 FlexFuel Funds are calculated based on invoiced sales between Jan. 1st and Dec. 31st, 2023. They will be available for use from Jan. 1st – Nov. 15th of 2024.
2023 Invoiced Sales from 1/1/2023-12/31/2023 = $50,000
¾% of Invoiced Sales = $375 added to your FlexFuel Account for use in 2024
Qualifying FlexFuel Fund Use:
Available FlexFuel funds may be utilized towards a variety of marketing, advertising, and promotional functions, including but not limited to:
- Window Samples
- Showroom Displays
- Product Literature
- Closer & Pitch Bags
- Corner Cuts
- Authorized Dealer Banners
- VinylMax Logo’d Apparel
- Color Keys
- Vehicle Wraps & Signage
- Events, Trade/Home Show Participation
- Print Advertising Incl. Direct Mail
- Digital Advertising & E-Blasts
FlexFuel funds may be used on additional marketing and advertising functions not listed above, on a case-by-case basis as approved by the Vinylmax Marketing Manager. All items and functions must be pre-approved by the Vinylmax Marketing Manager prior to ordering, placement, or reservation by your organization. Please submit all applicable campaign, event, or promotional item information, along with the amount requested for reimbursement, to the Vinylmax Marketing, at marketing@vinylmax.com. Files that may be required for pre-approval include, but are not limited to, print quotes, sponsorship fees and benefits, program and event run dates, and art drafts; contact your Sales Rep or marketing@vinylmax.com for more information. Please allow 3-5 business days for review and/or approval.
FlexFuel Fund Payouts:
Vinylmax realizes the importance of marketing and promoting the brand and the costs associated with doing so. So, in order to help our distributors, Vinylmax agrees to participate in co-op funding on various forms of marketing and advertising, at varying rates:
• Window Samples & Showroom Displays: 100% participation
• Corner cuts, color keys, closer & Pitch bags: 100% participation
• Product Literature: Vinylmax designed: 100% participation FlexFuel Program 6/2022
• Product Literature: Distributor designed: Case by case; contact your sales rep for more information
• Authorized Dealer Banners: 100% participation
• Vinylmax Logo’d Apparel: 100% participation
• Vinylmax co-branded apparel: Prorated case by case; contact your sales rep for more information
• Vinylmax branded promotional & giveaway items: 75% participation
• Trade/Home Shows: $200 per live event (or 50%, whichever is lower) up to $500 of total booth cost; travel, lodging and meal costs are not covered. A Vinylmax representative must attend the event and pre-approval by the Director of Sales is required. Contact your sales rep for more information
• Customer Events, including but not limited to Golf Outings, Cookouts, etc.: Case by case; a Vinylmax representative must attend the event and pre-approval by the Director of Sales is required. Contact your sales rep for more information
• Vehicle Wraps & Signage: Case by case; contact your sales rep for more information
• Print Advertisements (including magazines, newspapers, etc.): 35% participation
• Direct Mail Campaigns: 50% participation
• Radio & Television Advertisements: 50% participation
• Digital Marketing including e-blasts, social media boosting, Pay-per-click, and banner ads: 35% Participation
• Other options & payouts on a case-by-case instance; contact your sales rep to discuss
• Note: Gift Certificates of any kind can NOT be reimbursed with FlexFuel funds.
For any advertisements where the Vinylmax brand is sharing space with another, non-competing manufacturer, a prorated amount of credit will be applied. In contrast, in any advertisement where products from a direct competitor of Vinylmax is included, co-op claims will be denied. Example: The advertisement may not include both the mention of Vinylmax windows and XYZ Windows in the same space, nor make a reference to other competing products of the Vinylmax brand. However, a siding or gutter manufacturer and their products may be promoted within the same marketing piece.
Items that are ordered directly through Vinylmax, such as window samples and showroom displays, will have their amounts deducted directly from your FlexFuel account at the time of order acknowledgment. Any overages may be invoiced to you and the amount due under your normal term agreement.
For those items where costs will be accrued by the customer directly and a reimbursement is needed, pre-approval is required. The signed pre-approval agreement and final proof of performance (paid invoice, a final printed copy, photograph of the event, etc.) must be submitted within 30 days of invoice/event date for reimbursement. Please send this information to the Vinylmax Marketing (marketing@vinylmax.com). Reimbursements will be paid out in the form of account credits and cannot be used towards any past due amounts. Please allow up to 30 days to credit your account.
FlexFuel Program Guidelines:
Your organization must be an active distributor of the Vinylmax brand, with a minimum of $15,000 in invoiced sales in the previous calendar year. You must not be past due by any amount (if at any point during the year your account falls past due, FlexFuel funds will not be paid out until your account is returned to good standing). Funds may not be rolled over to the next corresponding year; after December 31st, all unused funds will be forfeited. All marketing and/or advertising campaigns must have started by December 31st to qualify. Those campaigns, even if booked prior to the December 31st deadline, but not running until after January 1st, will not be eligible for repayment until the following year, pending available FlexFuel funds.
VinylMax Logo, Tagline & Graphic Usage Requirements:
All use of the Vinylmax logo and tagline must follow the Brand Guidelines. To obtain this document, please access the Vinylmax Marketing Portal or contact your sales rep. Improper use of the Vinylmax logo and/or tagline, including, but not limited to appropriate logo spacing, colors, and fonts, will lead to your claim being denied. Pre-approval for all FlexFuel co-op claims is required.
When in doubt, contact your Sales Rep:
Vinylmax is always open to supporting our distributors and helping them to promote the brand. At any time, if you have an idea on how to increase the awareness and sales of both your brand and the Vinylmax family of products, please reach out to your sales rep or directly to the Vinylmax Marketing (marketing@vinylmax.com). We would be happy to discuss the opportunity and how we can support the program.