How Branding Impacts the Bottom Line
Problem: A U.S. car rental company, specializing in booking European car rentals to travel agents, needed to revamp and update its image. Although a well-known and trusted company within the industry, the travel agents’ perception was the company was not very customer focused and their rates not competitive. Sales and marketshare were dropping steadily. see solution

Meeting a Creative Challenge
Problem: A leading economy brand hotel chain needed a new advertising campaign to boost image and awareness. National TV spots and magazine advertisements were the recommended media, however, the overall budget was limited. see solution

Creating a Brand and Corporate Identity
Problem: Upscale tour operator had been struggling with out-dated logo and image, drastically limiting sales in the high-end travel market. Previous attempts to update corporate identity were met with disappointment by initial efforts, and the initiative was abandoned. see solution

Strategic Positioning To Maintain Marketshare
Problem: The only remaining pasta extrusion die maker in the United States was losing sales and marketshare to it Italian competitors. (Extrusion dies give pasta distinctive shapes, ie. rigatoni, shells, wagon wheels, stars) see solution

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Solution:
With an internal and external repositioning and rebranding of the company’s image, the company reinvented and reintroduced itself as energetic, fun, customer-focused and cost-competitive.

Tactics Used:
Full-color, large-space print ads were utilized in major travel and trade publications as the prime vehicle for its new external re-positioning initiative. This award-winning advertising campaign of eye-catching and whimsical advertisements generated immediate and outstanding response, helping turn around the company’s image and sales.

Results:
Two consecutive years of over 50% sales increase year over year for the company, as well as a coveted Gold Award in a travel advertising competition hosted by the Hospitality and Sales Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

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Solution:
By combining production efforts for television and magazine ads into one tightly scheduled production effort, costs were significantly reduced. In addition, actual hotel employees were utilized as actors and models to further reduce production costs, and creating the added benefit of genuine authenticity in the marketing campaign.

Results:
Three television spots and six print ads appear in national media with enough frequency to achieve client’s objectives of awareness and solidification of its brand.

Solution:
A systematic approach to selecting an appropriate design firm through a Request For Proposal (RFP) and a credential review process was initiated. The step-by-step process was adhered to, communicating to the client exactly what was to happen when.

Tactics:
A list of top design firms were compiled with credentials for developing excellent corporate identity work. An RFP (Request for Proposal) was written detailing the background of the client and specific project requirements. Of the six proposals received, two design firms were selected make a presentation to the client.

Results:
A design firm was selected that showed the appropriate design ability and sensitivity to the client’s needs and issues. Within six weeks, a corporate identity package was completed, exceeding the client’s initial expectations.

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Problem:
Most pasta extrusion dies are made in Italy (where else!). The Italian government provides subsidies to its die manufacturers, allowing them to export dies to the U.S. at lower prices. This makes it difficult for our client to compete against their Italian competitors on price alone.

Solution:
We repositioned our client to focus marketing on superior quality and service, and reminding its customers it is an American business, family owned and operated for three generations.

Tactics:
This repositioning effort was supported through full-page trade advertising and a intensive public relations campaign.

Results:
Our campaign communicated the other important benefits our client could deliver, which the competition could not. Our client was able to maintain marketshare against its Italian competitors, and increase margins on its product line by not competing solely on price.