|
Case
Study: Steelscape
Brand
Development and Launch
Situation:
Steelscape, Inc., formerly BHP Coated Steel Corp., was having an
identity crisis. The company had just been sold and was given 90
days to develop and launch a new corporate name and identity. Coated
Steel Corp. was a highly-regarded brand with a strong connection
to the brand of its former parent. In addition, Coated Steel Corp.
had established itself as the preferred supplier of coated steel
on the West Coast.
Solution:
Collaborate with an identity consultancy
Landrey & Company partnered with an internationally-recognized
design firm, Ziba Design, to develop the new corporate name and
the brand identity. Ziba and Landrey & Company moved quickly
in collaboration on a process that could meet the tight deadline.
It included:
- extensive
interviews with Coated Steel Corp.'s customers and employees,
as well as executives of its new parent company.
- identifying
the core attributes of the company that would serve as the foundation
for the new name.
- research
into competitors' brands to establish points of differentiation
for the new brand.
A new
corporate name, "Steelscape," emerged as the front-runner.
It was followed by a new corporate identity with a dynamic logo
and a clean typeface that was a fresh departure from the traditional,
product-based steel company.
Launch
the new name
To deliver the message that the new company's commitment to its
customers and the community was unchanged, Steelscape needed a targeted
approach. Landrey & Company developed a launch strategy that
included the following tactics:
- letters
to key customers and community opinion leaders
- press
releases and advertisements in trade and local media
- direct
mail to current and prospective customers
- a
newsletter, corporate and product brochures with a new look
- launch
of the company's first Web site
- an
open house for customers and the community
Outcome:
Six months after the brand launch, Landrey & Company held customer
focus groups in Houston, Los Angeles and Seattle to gain an understanding
of Steelscape's perception in the market. Landrey & Company
learned that customers:
- had
made the transition to the new name
- continued
to associate former brand equity with the new name
- began
to establish expectations for new products and services due to
Steelscape's alliance with the new parent company
|
