Solutions That Drive Results

Strategic Brand Repositioning to Move From Local to Global Markets

Innovative Parts & Solutions (IPS) has served Rail and Industry sectors with parts, tools, precision machining, general and customized fabrication and heavy equipment service since 1975.  Their knowledgeable team is known for its continual innovation and expertise, which has been instrumental to the company’s growth. From designing specialty tools for laying and maintaining track to the parts that keep locomotives and freight cars moving, IPS’s ingenuity and commitment to service has been the foundation of their success.  

Under the previous ownership, this small, successful railway parts company had developed within a niche market. Never having intentionally crafted their brand, nor developed any marketing strategies, the company relied on a small, high-touch sales team to move their products within Canada. This model proved to be a huge barrier to company growth.

The new owner-operator of IPS had a vision to shift this local manufacturing firm’s products and presence from a Canadian focus to an international reach.

It was a big goal, that required not only strategic brand repositioning and visual identity rebrand, but also a complete marketing strategy and creation of accompanying materials. This needed to happen while building a relationship between staff and the new owner.

PROBLEMS & CHALLENGES:

  • Employee engagement and trust was speculative at best, given a recent takeover and new leadership of the company

  • The need to involve the core team in the brand development process to build trust with the new leadership

  • Flat sales due to focus on only Canadian prospects

  • The need for memorable visual brand identity to launch into international markets

  • An unknown brand in the international market

  • The lack of brand, marketing and sales touchpoints

  • No sales tools, website or catalogue existed

PROJECT SCOPE:

  • Brand positioning & strategy

  • Building trust and engagement with staff via involvement in the strategic brand positioning process

  • Logo & visual identity development

  • Website design

  • Stationary package design

  • Product catalogue, marketing materials and hang-tag design

  • Content development assistance

  • Creation of sales and marketing tools needed to grow market share

Approach & Solution:

The challenge here was two-fold: create excitement and buy-in with the staff and attract the attention of new customers without alienating long-standing, loyal customers who had been purchasing from IPS for decades.

Working in collaboration with a majority of IPS’ staff we focused on developing trust and engagement with the new management by seeking the team’s input and forging a sense of common purpose. Team members shared insights and opinions about company culture and customers. This process not only helped to reduce anxiety around new management but also develop a bold new vision, brand repositioning for a global market and visual brand identity.

Impact:

After a successful brand launch, both internally and externally, IPS moved quickly into the American and Australian markets. Their new bold brand showcased their unique service offering and high-quality products through effective sales sheets, catalogue and website, all of which assisted their highly skilled and dedicated sales team.

Over a five year period, the company produced revenue growth from the low seven figures to multiple eight-figure revenue, growing significantly year over year. IPS has developed a reputation as an innovator and industry leader in the American, Australian, Chinese and European markets. We worked together for many years as a trusted partner in creating marketing materials that resonate with their clients and move their products.

ROI:

  • Significantly increased revenue – from less than $5M to greater than $20M – in five years

  • Market share & new customer acquisitions increasing year over year

  • The ability to enter new markets confidently with the right sales and marketing tools in place

  • Increase in sales team confidence and credibility in both local and international markets

  • The ability to easily reach and engage new markets with professionally design sales and marketing tools in place

  • Closing deals became easier and faster with the sales team being equipped with effective marketing and sales collateral

  • Positioning that allows for company leadership in the US, Australian and Chinese markets

  • IPS now has established a reputation as a go-to innovator and industry leader in several product categories

  • Product offering grew tenfold in 5 years through a deeper understanding of their ideal target audiences

“I have worked closely with Big Bold Brand over the course of the past five years. During that time, their team has provided a high level of service in executing the deliverables, and I have been impressed with their responsiveness, creativity, flexibility and adherence to schedules. Compared to other marketing agencies that I have utilized in the past, Big, Bold Brand has clearly distinguished itself as a company that is genuinely interested in understanding the values and culture of an organization to ensure an outstanding final result that drives ROI for business owners.”

Kim Molby, President, IPS Inc.