There’s a quiet revolution happening in how tool and equipment brands communicate with tradespeople. And it’s not coming from the marketing department.

When Anthony from Rothenberger UK joined us on Episode 137 of the Trade Legends Podcast, the conversation kept circling back to one thing: authenticity. Not as a buzzword, but as a genuine business strategy that he’s seen work.

Here’s what the trades industry can learn from it.

The Problem With Corporate Brand Videos

For years, the standard playbook for tool manufacturers was simple: produce high-gloss product videos, push them out on social media, job done.

Anthony has seen both sides of this. He spent years in field sales before transitioning into his current social media-focused role at Rothenberger, a move that came largely off the back of the work he started doing during Covid, when lockdown forced almost everyone to get creative with content.

His take? Polished video means nothing if there’s no person behind it.

You can produce as many high-quality videos as you like, but if there’s nobody accessible behind the brand — nobody a tradesperson can actually reach when something goes wrong, it counts for very little in the long run.

Customer Service Breeds Sales — Not the Other Way Around

Anthony was clear about his personal philosophy, and it applies just as much to sole traders as to major manufacturers.

He recalled dealing with a plumber who had an issue with a product. Rather than waiting for a formal complaints process, Anthony found him on Facebook and sorted it directly. No fanfare, no post about it, just getting it done.

His reasoning: the customer would never go online and publicly praise the resolution. But he wasn’t going to go online and criticise either. And the next time he needed a press tool, he knew who looked after him.

For tradespeople running their own businesses, this is as relevant as it gets. Your reputation on Google, Checkatrade, or word of mouth on local Facebook groups is built on exactly this. The jobs where things went wrong and you sorted them out are the ones people remember and recommend you for.

The Trade Background That Makes the Difference

One of the most interesting threads in the conversation was Anthony’s background. He started out as a field engineer in 1997 — a proper trade background before moving into technical sales and eventually brand marketing.

That hands-on history shapes everything about his approach to the role. He understands the frustration of a tool failing mid-job. He knows what’s at stake when something doesn’t work in a customer’s home. And that understanding changes how he handles product feedback and complaints.

It’s a template more brands should follow: put people who’ve been in the trade into customer-facing roles, and your communication immediately becomes more credible.

Building a Brand That Tradespeople Trust

Rothenberger’s social media approach under Anthony focuses on making the brand feel accessible — not just through one central account, but by involving the whole team. He’s encouraged everyone from the internal sales team to customer service staff to be present and visible on LinkedIn and Instagram

You can see the brand’s full product range at rothenberger.com.

The idea is that if someone can’t get hold of Anthony directly, they can reach someone else who’s equally invested in helping them. Not to answer questions at 10 pm, but to make the brand feel human.

For smaller trade businesses, the lesson is the same. Hiding behind a logo doesn’t build trust. Showing up, consistently, helpfully, in your own voice does.

What This Means for Tradespeople on Social Media

If you’re a plumber, electrician, or any kind of tradesperson thinking about your own social media presence, Episode 137 offers a useful reference point.

Anthony’s journey — from field engineer to the public face of a major European tool brand’s UK social presence- didn’t happen because he had a media strategy. It happened because he was willing to show up, say yes to things, and be genuinely useful to people.

The brands that win long-term in this space aren’t the ones with the biggest production budgets. They’re the ones where a real person is behind the account, someone who actually knows the trade, cares about the product, and picks up the phone when something goes wrong.

Listen to the full conversation on the Trade Legends Podcast — Episode 137 with Anthony from Rothenberger UK.

Trade Legends is the UK podcast for tradespeople across plumbing, electrical, carpentry and construction. New episodes every week.