This may seem obvious, but good branding is one of the most basic needs for a successful company. Everything from a name and logo to the company’s core message to customers is tied up in the idea of “branding,” so it’s imperative that any effort to change or update a brand be approached with care and caution.
When one of our clients decided it was time for a complete rebranding, VantagePoint kicked off the project with a comprehensive research initiative.
The primary goal of the rebranding was to establish a common link among three brands of refrigerated storage equipment — CrownTonka, ThermalRite and ICS — that operated under one company after a series of acquisitions.
The multifaceted research effort solicited input from all stakeholders via internal online surveys and group discussions, in-depth customer interviews, and a competitive audit in order to provide insight into how the brands were perceived in the marketplace and inform company leadership on how best to recast them.
The study revealed strong individual brand devotion for the sub-brands but also confusion in the foodservice and retail spaces about the distinction among the brands. Based on the research results, VantagePoint developed a new brand architecture, positioning and attributes.
Given the walk-in cooler industry’s commoditized state, the company’s new value proposition centered on the customer service experience: Everidge is constantly on the move to offer the best turn-key customer experience, from point of sale through installation.
The new Everidge brand was unveiled at the 2017 National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show with a campaign to increase awareness and promote the new brand identity:
Thanks to the initiatives, Everidge nearly doubled its leads at the NRA Show over the previous year and received significant positive feedback on the new brand. See how the brand came to life at the show in this case study.
“VantagePoint is very thorough and comprehensive in their process and worked closely with our team to develop a new name, logo and tagline that captures what we stand for today and what we strive to be in the future,” said Chris Kahler, Everidge president and CEO.
Whether you’ve reached a commodity status or acquired a new brand with competing business or brand strategies — or the same can be said about the competition — identifying and carving out a distinct, ownable brand position for your company is crucial to standing out from the crowd.