Constructive thinking,
creative marketing
the specialist integrated marcomms company
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
Building business with the construction industry specialists Delivering successful marketing campaigns for well-known clients across the construction sector, SLG work closely with practising specifiers, contractors and merchants to produce campaigns that bring our clients significant competitive advantage. We start by assessing your competitors’ communications, looking for good and bad points and getting a clear understanding of their offering. We then talk directly to your target audience to identify what they want from their suppliers and how they want to be communicated with. To this we add the lessons learned from our long experience of creating campaigns within the construction and interior fit out sector - we know what works well and what doesn’t.
Using the insight and knowledge gained from this approach, we bring our marketing communications expertise to bear on the project, creating distinctive, relevant and appropriate solutions that enhance our clients’ reputations, build presence in the market place and deliver increased enquiry levels and improved sales.
Polypipe plastic piping solutions Designed to change perceptions and traditional ways of working, this striking campaign attracts attention to the many beneficial ways in which our client’s products could be used to great advantage instead of long-established materials and practices.
In every case, the superior benefits of our client’s products are clearly displayed and described in terms that will be clearly understood by the reader, and give them good reason to contact Polypipe Terrain for ‘plastic piping solutions’.
Each of the eye-catching images features a typical problem with copper pipe: the slow and complex installation process; the threat of valuable metals being stolen for scrap; and the possible on-site hazards caused by size, weight and sharp edges.
High Performance Soil & Waste
Acoustic Soil & Waste
Plumbing & Heating
Pressure Pipes
As leading providers of a wide range of commercial piping and sanitary systems, Polypipe Terrain wanted to increase enquiries and specifications of their products by comparing their many features and benefits against the traditional copper piping solutions that had become established in the marketplace.
The solution
Soil && Waste Waste Soil
Soil & Waste
The brief
High Performance Performance Soil & Waste High
Acoustic Soil & Waste Waste
Plumbing Plumbing && Heating Heating
Pressure PressurePipes Pipes
In order to deliver maximum impact and thereby drive enquiries, we took the creative approach of producing memorable advertising that would immediately strike a chord with the target audience by highlighting the generally unfavourable aspects of the traditional copper product, and comparing these to the Polypipe Terrain alternative.
Bison leading the precast industry since 1919 The brief To combat the in roads the method of metal decking has made in the construction industry, Bison came to SLG with a brief to take on the metal deck companies head-on and ensure that when precast concrete was the specified construction method, Bison would be the preferred supplier.
The solution A series of 10 seminars was delivered outlining independent research, which showed that precast flooring was a more cost effective method of construction than metal deck. Bison was repositioned as ‘leading the pre-cast industry since 1919’, a claim which as well as being true historically, was justified in today’s market.
When Bison needed a new full service agency, they chose SLG because of our consultative approach of working closely with construction industry professionals to develop focused marketing communications materials that deliver genuine results. After researching the key attributes sought in suppliers by Structural Engineers, we evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of Bison and its competitors and then redefined their positioning,
re-structured their marketing tools, and implemented tactical marketing campaigns designed to gain market share both from alternative methods of construction and direct competitors. We redesigned their website and literature, deployed tactical competitor advertising and leadership-focused PR, and held a series of 10 road show seminars, all of which were attended by 80 –100 Structural Engineers and all of which were over-subscribed.
Tensar a revolution in geogrid technology As market leader Tensar found specifications being broken by competitors offering ‘me too’ solutions. To counter this, they developed a new and superior product that was specified in a different way, yet sold at the same price. After naming the new product in recognition of its predecessors, we researched the target Ground Engineers and established that the provenance of completed projects was a key driver in specification. This was not possible with a new product.
Extensive independent comparative testing was commissioned against the market leading geogrid and the results, which showed that the new product out-performed all others, were used to demonstrate that this truly was ‘a revolution in geogrid technology’.
The brief After 30 years of market leadership, Tensar wanted to launch a new flagship product to counter increasing deformation from copies of their previous world-beating products. SLG was tasked with taking this pivotal product to market and delivering increased enquiries and specifications.
The solution To promote this new product, we created a two-stage campaign – firstly to establish the new products’ independently tested superior performance, and secondly to demonstrate performance in the field via completed projects. The campaign was completely successful, the original target was comfortably exceeded and sales continue to grow.
Symphony supply nationally, support locally
The brief With the need to create a superior and more focussed approach to the social housing sector, Symphony wanted to work with an agency that already knew the sector and could offer appropriate and relevant input.
The solution Backed by the benefit of our considerable experience and knowledge of the social housing sector, we were able to advise Symphony on the key issues and create a range of marketing communications materials individually targeted to address the differing interests of housing associations, local authorities, contractors and tenants.
Social housing is a specialised field in which the support of a large number of individuals and bodies needs to be sought in order to secure specifications. With an excellent track record of presenting other clients to this sector, SLG was well placed to help. With the needs and expectations of a diverse selection of buyers, landlords, local authorities and government bodies in mind, and with a thorough understanding of the related publications and media, we designed a suite of marcomms materials.
Within this sector, the choice of images used along with the appropriate language and tone of voice are critical to success and we helped Symphony with an assured and confident presentation that underlines their ability to ‘supply nationally, support locally’.
Multibuild the preferred choice As a successful, stable and growing organisation with a reputation for integrity and honesty, Multibuild knew that in order to achieve their growth objectives, they needed to ensure that their ‘brand personality’ would create exactly the right impression. Tasked with creating a campaign that would inspire confidence in potential customers, SLG reviewed the market and established that many of Multibuild’s competitors claimed market, delivery or price leadership, and we needed clear differentiation.
We positioned Multibuild around the quality and value of their working relationships with satisfied clients and undertook a complete re-branding and re-positioning campaign covering all marketing collateral to present them as ‘the preferred choice’.
The brief Multibuild commissioned SLG to review their offer and collateral, compare this with market needs and expectations and create a more confident identity in keeping with the aims and objectives of a growing, successful main contractor.
The solution After reviewing Multibuild and its competitors, it was clear that its positioning and marketing collateral needed to be evolved. The key to this was developing exactly the right positioning that would differentiate them and then presenting it in an appropriate and distinctive manner.
H&R Johnson without compromise
The brief As a leading and prominent player within their industry, H&R Johnson asked SLG to develop their offer to the social housing sector in a manner that would confidently present their reputation and credentials, yet display a clear focus upon the particular and specialised needs of that sector.
The solution As specialists in advertising and marketing to the social housing sector, we were able to use our special understanding and experience to design marketing communications materials that would find ready appeal amongst the many diverse individuals and bodies involved in the specification process.
H&R Johnson wanted not only to demonstrate their commitment to providing tiling solutions for Registered Social Landlords, but also to convey their outstanding experience and track record in the social housing sector. In a series of think tanks, we concluded that the key to success lay not merely in offering good and competitively priced products, but in demonstrating a dedication and commitment to sustainability across the entire manufacturing and supply chain.
Using inspired graphic design, photography and copy carefully crafted to appeal to the many different specifiers and influencers within that sector, we created a range of marketing communications materials that presents this offer ‘without compromise’.
Vista engineered strength In a highly competitive market dominated by some long-established and highly effective names, Vista needed a more professional image and presentation to raise their presence and credibility and powerfully assist in helping them to achieve their growth objectives. In order to create an appropriate and distinctive professional appearance, SLG designed a suite of literature that uses extremely high quality digital images each individually created and placed within a sophisticated graphic design format.
Within each piece, the relevant technical and commercial information is clearly and unambiguously presented to ensure excellent accessibility and understanding by the reader and inspire confidence in Vista’s ability to deliver ‘engineered strength’.
The brief As number two in the market, Vista needed to present a high quality image to their target market of independent builders’ merchants, but without the need to commit to market leading promotional budgets. SLG was tasked with developing a range of marcomms materials to achieve this result.
The solution Having reviewed the market and researched Vista’s competitors, we adopted a ‘design-led’ approach which presents Vista as a solid, reliable and reputable organisation by means of very high quality 3D product illustrations set within a clear, confident and professional graphic framework across all marketing materials.
“ I believe that much of the experience gained with our clients, coupled with insights gained from a close working relationship with our consultant specifiers, could be beneficial to your business. We can cite many examples of how our approach has benefited our clients, so why not contact me for an informal discussion on how our unique industry specialisation and expertise can bring real competitive advantage to your business?�
Mark Gill Marketing Services Director
Tel: 0161 832 5574 www.slgmarketing.com
SLG Marketing Limited John Swift Building 19 Mason Street Manchester M4 5FT Tel: 0161 832 5574 www.slgmarketing.com