Return this once-market leader to pole position.
Established in 1862, Monier Bricks is New Zealand's largest and oldest manufacturer of brick building products. Sister business, Monier Roofing, has been manufacturing concrete roof tiles since the 1940s. Their respective bricks and roofing brands were confusing to customers. Both brands were being merged into a single brand, Monier Bricks & Roofing, which is when I got involved.
Until then, customers perceived bricks as lifeless and boring, and what you'd see in soulless sub-divisions throughout the country. The bricks side of the business had been seriously affected by large advertising budgets from competitors including building materials company, James Hardie. This was coupled by a previous management decision to bench marketing for many years. That's because they were market leaders and believed they were untouchable.
The Challenge
The Plan
After a strategic review of the business, customers and marketing, I discovered that bricks, especially, had come a long way. House designs using bricks and roof tiles were now limited purely by imagination.
Also, Monier wasn't speaking properly to their diverse nationwide audiences of direct customers building new homes, architects, group building companies and builders. Monier needed to properly engage their customers, in their language, where they hung out, online and offline.
I first created a new positioning and tagline, "The Natural Choice for Sustainable Style", and my team created the new logo and lockup. This change made a significant and positive impact with all of Monier's audiences, putting them back on the shopping list.
With my team we then created a new style guide for printed and digital materials, along with new brochures in a minimalist, clean style to allow the products to shine.
Sample bricks packs were then developed and sent with new brochures to key customers, prospects and interested parties. This was backed by a print and online advertising campaign for greater awareness and direct sales.
Next we created a new website at monier.co.nz to speak to different audiences. Brochures and sample packs could be ordered from the new site.
This was followed by developing a product visualiser tool in various screen sizes, as an easier way to represent their products and get people excited. This was a first of its kind for New Zealand. Developed over a 9-month period, this tool presented two different house styles. Visitors could select one and then begin to create the look they desired using the entire bricks and roof tiles product ranges. We computer generated their products in a realistic style.
Once a visitor had selected a desired roof, tile, brick, garage door, fascia, joinery, and front door, they could save their selection for later use, print it and/or send it to their architect or friends to view. Social sharing elements were added too. All of the product codes and colours were also sent in the email. If the project proceeded, the email or saved project could simply be presented to Monier to package.
Next I recommended new brick ranges to be developed to appeal to different audiences. Monier agreed and the Metro range (which I named) was developed. Metro is unlike any other brick as it is sleek, affording many different looks and design creations. Four new colours were initially created, which I also named.
I then recommended that Monier create new roof tiles that incorporated solar panels. This was later taken onboard and launched.
Over the years my team and I worked on Monier's SEO too, with great success.
The result of our work together...
Monier was back on the radar with a huge increase in buyer enquiry from all their audience groups. Their new brick range was selling incredibly well, to the point they then purchased their biggest competitors and created a joint partnership with their next leading competitor.
Enquiries from their website increased 12-fold, and after launching their new visualiser tool, Monier had 322 new houses saved within the system in the first month and more than half of those resulted in customer quote requests.
Sales increased significantly across the board and the team's morale at Monier lifted considerably. They were recharged and excited by the new developments and how they looked and were now performing in the marketplace.
Monier had a good history and was able to build on that by showing the market they had shifted their thinking and approach. They were now a very different company and it resonated with their customers.
Will's integrity is outstanding.
I absolutely appreciate Will and his team's commitment to delivering on our projects, which they always do with passion, talent and an exceptional level of courtesy.
LOUISE FARAC // Marketing Manager, Monier Bricks & Roofing