A refresh or a new brand isn’t something firms consider lightly. However, working with an agency experienced in taking you through every stage makes the whole process much easier. Here we look at how fenti helped a fellow Sheffield firm.
How do you know when it’s time to refresh your brand? A common reason is inconsistency. When you realise several customer touchpoints – physical and digital brand contact points – were overlooked during the last brand update.
Ben Ellis, operations manager of Prodek Design and Storage Systems Ltd., discovered inconsistent legacy branding across multiple Prodek touchpoints.
“In late 2019, we were working on a strategy to build on successes in new sectors we had targeted,” says Ben. “Frustratingly, we had three different logo designs across our branding. I knew marketing needed to be a key part of the plan going forward.”
The racking and storage experts, established in 1993, are known for their Made in Sheffield mezzanine floors and cantilever vehicle racks. Prodek storage solutions transform how businesses use one of their most valuable assets, space.
“I just so happened to get in contact with Ben, being a fellow Sheffield Chamber member, to see if he needed help with marketing. It seemed I called at precisely the right time!” said Mark Shipley, managing director of fenti Digital Marketing.
This chance call was the start of a fruitful relationship between the two companies. At the time, Prodek were on the cusp of a sustained period of growth. Recognising the need to capitalise on their foothold in evolving sectors, Prodek embarked on a bold new marketing strategy. A complete rebrand.
To reflect the ambitions and capabilities of Prodek, fenti designed a brand-new logo. To achieve the paragon of logo design, longevity, and recognisability, fenti designed the new logo to transition the brand and propel it towards its future as industry leader. Moving from a text-only logo, fenti introduced a design with a distinct colour palette, and graphics to subtly reflect the nature of Prodek’s services.
“Once we developed the colour palette, typeface, and logo for Prodek, we updated branding at every touchpoint. This is one of the best parts of my job, creating and nurturing a brand, seeing it evolve with the clients’ ambitions,” said Elaine Shipley, creative director at fenti Digital Marketing.
The next step in Prodek’s marketing strategy was a new website. Websites can get to a point where, without regular maintenance, they can be difficult to update and restrict the depth and breadth of content that an engaging user experience requires.
“The pandemic came along with a slew of challenges but thankfully, we easily adapted and were able to continue supporting our clients through some of the toughest trading conditions they have ever encountered,” said Mark from fenti.
Work continued to nurture Prodek’s new brand throughout lockdown as more traditional sales and marketing tactics took a backseat to digital marketing. The redeveloped website was launched in 2021 with new text, images, video, and a new, more user-friendly structure.
The site was rebuilt using WordPress, the world’s most popular content management system. WordPress is favoured by fenti web developers for its ease of use for clients.
“We don’t want to ‘lock’ clients in with custom, in-house website software. When we build a site, the client can update it themselves, take it to another agency, or ask us to manage it for them. It’s fair and it’s one of the reasons why clients stay with us for the long term,” said Mark.
Even with the new brand and website complete, work continues to establish Prodek as the industry leader. Prodek have a consistent and recognisable brand name which is performing beyond expectation. While the team may feel they are busy enough, fenti are busy expanding Prodek’s reach to new industries.
Mark said: “We have a strong focus on SEO at fenti. The user experience and technical elements are tightly intertwined within Google algorithms, which the team collaborate on to continually develop. It’s very satisfying to see the website your team created move up the rankings and deliver those all-important leads.”
The future is full of possibilities for Prodek. Growth industries like e-commerce flourish and need Prodek’s expertise to make the most of existing business premises or fully kit out a new venture. The beauty of having an out-sourced marketing department, is that you have a team brimming with skills at your fingertips. An opportunity is never missed, and you can rest assured that your brand will always look its very best.
“fenti have transformed the look of Prodek into something that reflects who we are and how we want the business to develop. I was concerned a complete rebrand might be a lot of hassle – I’m very busy running the company – but it was easy. I’m pleased to say it’s all been really successful. fenti function as our marketing team, which gives me time to focus on business operations,” said Ben Ellis.
