Co-op Advertising | Marketing Resources for West Bend Agents

Boost Your Advertising

This program is designed to provide you with an additional value-added benefit for being a West Bend agent. These co-op program guidelines will explain the benefits of including advertising in your marketing and sales efforts. The guidelines may also help you plan and execute an advertising program throughout the year.

In this kit, you’ll find materials for print, social media, and radio advertising which are eligible for co-op reimbursement. If you have other advertising ideas, please talk to your regional sales manager to obtain approval for use of co-op advertising funds.

Talk to your regional sales manager to learn more about our Co-Op program.

Download Reimbursement Form

What is co-op?

What does co-op reimbursement mean? For eligible agencies, West Bend will match 50% of dollars spent on advertising up to the maximum amount agreed to by your regional sales manager. This includes the social media, print, and radio ads in this kit, as well as other advertising efforts pre-approved by your regional sales manager. The amount of co-op dollars must be established and approved by your regional sales manager. Your regional sales manager must also submit your Co-op Advertising Fund Request to West Bend’s Marketing Department before you become eligible for reimbursement.

Who is eligible?

Based on past and future business, agencies with an established commitment to West Bend are eligible to participate in the program. Please talk to your regional sales manager about the eligibility of, and opportunities for, your agency.

What is eligible?

Examples of co-op advertising include online digital ads, social media ads, print ads, radio ads, some signage, and promotional materials. If you have other advertising ideas, please discuss them with your regional sales manager. All co-op advertising must include the West Bend name or logo to be eligible for reimbursement. Phone directory advertising (yellow or white pages) is not eligible for reimbursement. West Bend does not include shipping charges or tax in reimbursements.

The Details

Rules and Participation

Discuss your advertising plans with your regional sales manager (RSM). Your RSM will also share with you the amount of co-op dollars for which your agency is eligible and submit the Co-op Advertising Fund Request to West Bend’s Marketing Department.
If you wish to use the social media ads, please email socialmedia@wbmi.com.
If you wish to receive the customizable print ads, be sure to complete the bottom half of the Co-op Advertising Fund Request and email or fax it to Mandy Staver at mstaver@wbmi.com or 262-338-5171. The customized, camera-ready ads will be created using the information you provide and will be sent to you on a CD in Adobe InDesign CC format.
If you wish to use the radio scripts below, the scripts are ready for recording by you and/or your local radio station.
Once your advertising is complete, the proper documentation must be submitted to West Bend. Reimbursement will be made in the form of a check to your agency.

ALL MATERIALS ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT MUST INCLUDE WEST BEND'S NAME OR LOGO.

Print

Print ads provide space for your agency information to be added. Eligible uses for these materials include newspapers, magazines, circular and flyer insertions, and program and bulletin advertising. If you wish to use any of these ads, West Bend will provide them to you on a CD. InDesign CC is the format in which the ads will be provided. We can customize the ads with your agency information (name, address, phone number, etc.), as can your publication.

While we ask that the materials be used as provided, space constraints may require that the ads be altered. If you plan to alter these materials in any way, you must receive prior approval from West Bend’s Marketing Department before the ads are published. If the ads provided don’t meet your needs, your local publication may work with you to create an ad for your agency. Please forward all such ads for approval before the ad(s) is published. West Bend’s creative team is also happy to work with you to create an ad. Please talk to your RSM.

Print Add Reimbursement
These documents are required for reimbursement. If the proper documentation is not included with your request, it will be returned to you:

A completed co-op reimbursement request form
A copy of the invoice showing the date(s) your ad ran, ad size, and the net space cost
A full-page tear sheet from the publication. A tear sheet is the actual page from the newspaper/publication showing the ad and the date on which it was published. If you cannot send an original tear sheet, we will accept a copy of the tear sheet. We will not, however, accept a copy of just the ad itself because we require proof the ad was published.
For an ad that’s included on a website, please provide a copy of the printscreen so we can confirm the ad was posted on the website.

Digital

Social media ads will be designed according to the guidelines for each platform. While you may use your co-op dollars toward paid social media ads, you may want to start with a small budget of your own. In many cases you can reach prospects on social media with a very minimal investment. Again, the cost depends on your goals. Remember, you can always increase your budget to meet your needs.

If you wish to use any of West Bend’s social media ads, please contact socialmedia@wbmi.com and our social media specialists will reach out to discuss customized ad copy and to help in placing your ads. If you have questions beforehand, feel free to contact socialmedia@wbmi.com.

West Bend’s creative team is also happy to work with you to create an ad. If you’d like help creating an ad, please talk to your RSM.

Social Media Ad Reimbursement
These documents are required for reimbursement. If the proper documentation is not included with your request, it will be returned to you:

A completed co-op reimbursement request form
A copy of the invoice from the social media platform (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram)
A screen shot of the ad(s) as it appeared on the social media platform

Radio and Streaming

Radio ad scripts provided here complement the print ads. The scripts are ready to be recorded. Each radio script includes time for your agency information to be tagged to the commercial. Your radio station will record the ads for you, or if you prefer and they allow it, you may record the ad at the station. If you plan to alter these materials in any way, you must receive prior approval from West Bend’s Marketing Department before the ads air.

Radio Ad Reimbursement
These documents are required for reimbursement. If the proper documentation is not included with your request, it will be returned to you:

A completed co-op reimbursement request form
A copy of the invoice showing the date(s) and time(s) your commercial aired, as well as the local rate per commercial, or "spot"
An affidavit of performance from the radio station (ask the station to provide you with this information)