Brand Transformation

	What inspired the need for rebranding?

Brady: Our merchandising was staid and sales and profitability reflected that. We needed a jumpstart and we needed to do a better job of meeting the needs of customers while finding ways to grow our house list. We could risk alienating our core customers, but we had to find a way to be more relevant in the marketplace and bring in new customers.

	How long was the process?

Brady: We started this about three-and-a-half years ago. We're always looking at ways to improve our position as breakfast experts. At one time we had meats, candies and nonfood gifts in our line. We actually had to do some brand narrowing and focus on simply breakfast with an emphasis on muffins.

	What aspects of the brand were touched by this process?

Brady: We re-energized our merchandising based on better response to evolving marketplace trends. We needed to appeal to all the gift recipients and therefore had to broaden our design selections. It is clear based on sales that we have done a better job of meeting our customers' needs in this regard.

With the new product, we also had to look at refreshing our creative layouts so the food and gifts would pop off the page. We wanted a more up-close look at our core product — muffins — while making the catalog overall easier to shop from for our customers. We then needed to synch this new strategy with our Website look and feel. At the same time, from a marketing perspective, we tested the new merchandise and other new offers to new lists.

	What was the hardest part of this process?

Brady: It was hard to get everyone to embrace the changes. For example, we had a tried-and- true creative template that worked. It was a challenge — and a risk — to know how far to push the envelope to do something new and different.

	The best?

Brady: It's very rewarding to look now and see how each small step contributed to our top line double digit growth. It's wonderful to see how the employees have been energized by taking something known and making it better. The improved results in sales and profits reinforces that we did the right thing for the customer.

SAINT MARY'S PRESS, a Catholic publisher of Bibles for teens, is both a b-to-b marketer to educators and a direct-to-consumer merchant targeting Catholic teens. It markets through a Website, direct mail and trade shows. John Vitek, president, describes rebranding the company a few years ago.

	What inspired the need for rebranding?

Vitek: The belief that we had something important to offer a particular niche in the market, and the desire to help prospective customers find us quickly and easily and then develop an affinity for our products.

	How long did it take?

Vitek: We set a five-year plan, but in truth it is a process that requires attentiveness every day for as long as you hope to be a leader in the field. Cultivating brand integrity and creativity is a never ending process.

	What aspects of the brand were touched by this process?

Vitek: We started out thinking brand management was solely the work of marketing. We quickly understood that it is the ability to integrate every aspect of the organization and its people that makes up exceptional branding. Without staff who are enthusiastic ambassadors, the brand will not achieve greatness.

	What was the hardest part of this process?

Vitek: Getting everyone to realize how important they are to the brand.

	The easiest?

Vitek: There is nothing easy about building and managing a brand, but it is easy to get excited about coming to work each day for people who are in love with the brand.

	The most surprising?

Vitek: I knew we were making progress internally with brand management when I overheard our account collections rep say, “It's important that I'm calm, patient and understanding with our customers because to them I represent the company and what we stand for.”

	The best?

Vitek: When brand management becomes fully integrated and empowered in the organization, creativity and possibility thinking become the norm. New product ideas or customer care strategies emerge from all areas — not just what has historically been thought of as the “product development” staff.

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Andrea Syverson is president of IER Partners, a branding and merchandising consultancy.