AH Marais becomes a lifestyle brand with the help of FusionDesign
Having built the family business from a single owner farm store to a
leading and trusted agent and supplier to the building industry in
Robertson, Worcester and Struisbaai in a little over 45 years, AH
Marais (AHM) were ready to respond to changing trends.
“There is a general trend towards more lifestyle, home improvement
centers where a wider target audience is influencing the choices and
making the purchase decisions; and in 2007 we took the decision to
invest in a more sophisticated showroom incorporating new product
lines and catering to an expanded customer base while at the same
time not losing sight of our roots,” comments Marius Swart of AH Marais.
“Our relationship with FusionDesign began in 2004 and for the past
four years they've been responsible for our creative strategy,
design, printing and implementation of all our marketing needs. We
consulted with them at the outset of our expansion and together we
researched, analysed and put the right plan and design solution in
place,” adds Swart.
Lead designer on the project was Nadia Lerm, Creative Director of
FusionDesign who has grown the AHM brand since they joined
FusionDesign. “The new showroom was really the catalyst for our
rebrand. By creating a one-stop shop for homeowners, DIY enthusiasts
and professional contractors, AHM were able to eliminate the need for
consumers in their geographic area to travel greater distances for
inspiration, ideas and sourcing of interior design and building
materials.”
The AH Marais logo and corporate identity including colour range was
redesigned. Although in keeping two elements of the old logo that
didn't need to be changed the logo is a lot softer, stylistic and
reflective of the interior design and broader target audience. Having
agreed on the new corporate ID system, all elements reflecting the
brand were redesigned and implemented by the FusionDesign team
including signage, banners and flags, a concise marketing budget and
plan, corporate stationery, a new website with the online brochure,
business cards, truck decals, marketing material, adverts and
promotional items.
“Longstanding client relations are what FusionDesign is known for.
More often than not we're the outsourced marketing and creative
department for companies that really need marketing support but who
prefer to work with outsourced partners to facilitate this. By really
understanding the AHM brand we were able to make the best
recommendations for their business in addition to executing the roll
out of the new brand. We're delighted with the outcome, not only from
a design perspective but the increase in revenue and customers that
AHM have acquired is where we believe marketing should fundamentally
be measured,” concludes Carmen Lerm, CEO of FusionDesign.
Date Created: 2008-10-31 | Last Update : 2011-05-10 |
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