The High Holiday season concluded last weekend for our Jewish audience community, and the event reminded us of a highly relevant marketing lesson to consider. It’s a story about how a well-known legacy brand launched a seamless, strategic marketing campaign this year. Manischewitz – a staple on kosher food shelves since 1888 – embraced a bold rebrand to reach a wider audience.
And grow sales.
Originally founded in Cincinnati, the iconic brand cultivated a loyal following among those celebrating Jewish holidays. Now some 140 years later, Manischewitz is looking to expand beyond its traditional base… by offering its beloved foods, such as matzo ball soup, to the mass market.
The rebranding campaign features a bold orange logo. Custom typography. And highly visual, colorful packaging with illustrated characters developed to capture renewed attention at point-of-purchase. This fresh visual identity – the first in decades – was unveiled just in time for Passover… a traditional peak sales season for the brand.
Since being acquired in 2019, Manischewitz has sought to become more visible to a wider array of contemporary shoppers while preserving a deep connection to its heritage audience.
Kosher foods may seem a long way from builder products. But understanding when it’s time to update a brand – especially in the B2B channel – is crucial for expanding strong relationships with professional audiences.
Recognizing When it’s Time for an Update
Several indicators suggest a brand might need an update. When thinking about a rebrand in the context of building materials marketing, shifts in customer expectations, technological advancements and changes in the competitive landscape serve as significant triggers.
Outdated Visual Identity Building products must undergo constant innovation. And as such, each brand’s equity must maintain a promise of modernity and relevance. When a company’s logo, color scheme or typography feels antiquated… potential prospects may assume the features (and benefits) will share that outdated quality. For instance, in 2019, Valspar – the well-known paint brand – redesigned its logo and brand identity to convey a more contemporary and vibrant appeal to professional audiences. This move demonstrated the company’s alignment with current trends… and reflected its dedication to innovation.
Shifts in Company Values or Offerings Many building product brands evolve over time – either by expanding their offerings – or refining their corporate values. Consider the case study of Owens Corning, recognized for its insulation products. The company’s brand was updated to communicate a stronger commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency… aligning with their audience’s growing demand for environmentally conscious building solutions.
Changes in Target Audience The building products channel often experiences demographic shifts within various key customer segments. An influx of younger architects and contractors entering the field, for example, may better align with a construction brand that adjusts its messaging language.
Or seeking to appeal to tech-savvy professionals… a brand promise might shift to better communicate a dedication to innovation.
A refreshed brand – allows businesses to speak even more directly to these evolving audiences — while staying true to existing (and hard earned) core values.
Lagging Behind If competitors have updated their brands and marketing approaches to reflect modern trends, a company risks being perceived as “behind the times” when it yields authority. A well-executed rebrand can provide the momentum needed to regain industry relevance. While asserting its leadership within the marketplace.
Where a Brand Update Belongs… in a Marketing Plan
A brand refresh requires thoughtful integration into a broader marketing plan. The goal always is to ensure consistency… from advertising campaigns to customer and prospect engagements. A well-timed brand update launch program can elevate an entire marketing strategy – and align new promise for the company’s objectives – to drive building material sales growth.
- Revisiting the Brand Promise: Successful brand updates begin with analyzing existing brand equity. We call that process a “Right Start” gap analysis. The building product industry relies on trust – and maintaining long-term partnerships – with existing customers. As such, the brand update should reflect not only the company’s core values… but also a commitment to delivering on promises. The rebrand should enhance the perception of reliability, innovation as well as professionalism. And assure that the updated image mirrors the growth trajectory, anticipated by audiences and stakeholders.
- Aligning Marketing Elements: A brand update affects every element of a marketing plan… from digital content to printed collateral. This ensures that every touchpoint conveys a message that resonates. In 2018, Boral – the global supplier of building materials – executed a brand refresh to emphasize its focus on sustainable building solutions. The company rolled out its updated branding across all digital channels… ensuring cohesive messaging that aligned with its environmentally focused narrative.
- Engaging Audiences Soon and Often: Building products must continue to celebrate essential relationships with distributors, architects and contractors. As such, it’s vital to determine strategies for communicating brand changes to these audiences… so that they understand fully the refresh. By engaging stakeholders early in the rebranding process, manufacturers can leverage the pivot into an opportunity for even deeper engagement.
Four Best Practices for Updating a Brand
- Conduct a Brand Audit: Begin with an in-depth analysis. Assess how a current brand is performing with key audiences. And identify specific areas where brand equity may fail to resonate with the company’s new direction. Insights from customers, influencers and channel partners – as well as leadership teams – will help to better guide the process.
- Maintain Core Brand Equity: It’s essential to retain all elements of a promise that aligns well with existing customers. And communicates trust to the community. Major overhauls may not be warranted. Instead, in many cases, a brand refresh can leverage established equity… rather than building upon a new foundation.
- Stay True to Company Values: An updated brand must remain authentic to established core values. Any changes made, should enhance with what the company represents. Transparency is key – customers and prospects alike value consistency – in product quality. And in brand messaging.
- Focus on Long-Term Growth: A successful rebrand must be forward-looking. Especially when charting a new “north star”. Consider how an updated brand will support the company’s long-term goals. And how it can remain relevant in a rapidly evolving market. Think of the update as an investment in the company’s future growth. And in market leadership.
Updating a brand in the building product industry represents both a challenge… and a unique opportunity. By recognizing when it’s time to refresh a brand – and strategically integrating the update into a broader marketing plan – companies can enhance their competitive edge.
While building stronger customer relationships.
And ensuring long-term growth.
If you’re thinking about a rebrand, or even merely a fresh way of looking at opportunities in the new year, we’re here to help. Send an email to Steve at sk@kleberandassociates.com to get the conversation started.
