THE CLIENT:
ACE METAL CRAFTS COMPANY is a stainless steel fabrication company in Bensenville, Illinois, which provides fabrication, machining and value engineering solutions for industries requiring sanitary stainless steel components. Launched in 1960, ACE invented many techniques which are now standards in sanitary stainless steel fabrication.
THE CHALLENGE:
ACE’s messaging lacked branding that left an impact on potential customers.
While ACE was well-respected within the metal fabrication industry, their marketing focused inward, on what they produced, rather than providing potential clients with company capability information in a manner that resonated. They were looking for a way to highlight their key competencies in a way that truly showcased the benefits they provide to their customers.
THE DISCOVERY:
Understanding ACE to understand their customers.
By providing in-depth research, Custom Direct gained a comprehensive understanding of who ACE was and what made their offerings unique in the marketplace. Utilizing Buyer Personas, a process of speaking directly with customers to better understand their experience in choosing a solution to a problem, CDI gathered key information about who their customers were and what truly mattered to them. ACE METAL CRAFTS COMPANY customers sided with their commitment to excellence, their extensive capabilities, and their ability to adapt to changing needs. This was the foundation that the new messaging and branding needed to be built upon.
THE SOLUTION:
Translating strong internal company culture and capabilities to impactful, customer-facing messaging with a consistent narrative and brand redesign.
Custom Direct developed a consistent narrative for the ACE message, including a comprehensive brand redesign and repositioning initiative. Starting with a new logo and brand “look and feel”, CDI overhauled ACE’s entire image. A new website, designed to match the new logo and branding, headlined substantial changes to key elements of external marketing, including a monthly blog, the “Spark” highlighting ACE as subject matter experts. Monthly newsletters, social media and accompanying posts, and tradeshow signage were updated to reflect the refreshed look. Internal marketing pieces were also included in the re-brand, from a new and improved employee handbook to company stationery. Even box truck graphics and signage/banners for company buildings received the rebrand treatment!
THE IMPLEMENTATION:
Seamlessly incorporating new branding as a collaborative process.
CDI integrated the new ACE logo, tagline, imagery, brand guide and completely redesigned website with customer-focused content. In swift phases, everything from the sell sheets, to the new website, to trade show materials were transitioned to one cohesive look that represented ACE. With so many pieces to integrate, it was key that both teams had a clear understanding of customer-based objectives and internal marketing goals. This was a collaborative process between ACE leadership and Custom Direct, which allowed for advanced understanding of long-term strategy and problem-solving.
THE RESULTS:
The new customer-facing messaging proved extremely successful for ACE METAL CRAFTS COMPANY. Since implementation, they have been recognized by Forbes’ Small Giants as one of America’s Best Small Companies (2018), as well as by the American Psychological Association as a Psychologically Healthy Workplace.