Manufacturing / Logistics
BWAY Corp.
A yearlong rebrand helps BWAY connect with a new market
BWAY, now Mauser Packaging Solutions, is one of the largest manufacturers of rigid metal, plastic and hybrid containers in North America. Its customer base was historically industrial. To grow, BWAY needed to break into the highly competitive consumer market, where it already produced packaging for major household brands. But when sales reps called consumer prospects, they hit a wall.
"Why are you calling me?"
prospects often asked. “I checked out your website and you can’t help me.”
Challenges
1.
Unmask their consumer success.
BWAY's dated, industrial-focused brand hid its consumer wins.
2.
Protect the industrial core.
Leadership worried that a consumer push could alienate loyal industrial buyers.
3.
Find a clear strategic path.
The executive team knew the brand needed work but lacked an objective process for defining what BWAY stood for.
Solution
We led a yearlong rebranding and segmented marketing program to help BWAY speak to consumer and industrial buyers without choosing one audience over the other.
Extract insights from the experts.
We interviewed sales, manufacturing, human resources, finance, operations and equity leaders. Their input confirmed a major perception problem. Prospects frequently asked whether BWAY made anything besides paint cans.
Replace hunches with data.
We asked the same group to rank eight purchasing factors for industrial and consumer buyers. Industrial buyers prioritized price and product breadth, while consumer buyers valued quality and innovation. The findings gave us a clear basis for distinct messaging.
Find the unifying idea.
The interviews also revealed something bigger. BWAY products were already in our kitchens, freezers and garages. That discovery inspired the brand idea, "We're everywhere you are," which worked for both markets.
Turn the idea into a system
We created corporate, industrial, consumer and recruitment message maps with audience goals, value statements, core messages and supporting proof points. Those maps gave everyone a consistent source for what BWAY could say and how it could support each claim.
We then applied the strategy across a new website, brand standards, segmented sales collateral and an original image library.
Results
1.
Successful market expansion.
BWAY entered the consumer market without alienating its industrial customers. One brand platform gave both sides of the business a place in the story.
2.
Messaging for 2 audiences.
BWAY could speak to consumer and industrial buyers with messaging based on what each valued.
3.
1 year of personalized content.
Four message maps gave BWAY a consistent source for one year of personalized content across both markets and a repeatable way to decide what the company says.
The same strategy solved a hiring problem
The discovery process also produced a recruitment message map without requiring additional expert interviews. BWAY gained a clearer story for candidates while competing for talent with much better-known brands.