THE CLIENT:
Rust-Oleum Corporation, a subsidiary of RPM International, Inc. is a worldwide leader in protective paints and coatings for both home and industry. They offer a wide product range including decorative fashion paints and the famous rust-fighting formula that started it all.
THE CHALLENGE:
Sales Materials That Were Confusing and Generic.
Rust-Oleum had recently grown substantially, through new product development, as well as the acquisition of companies with complementary product lines (including Varathane®, Watco®, Wolman® and Zinsser®). In the past, product lines had been marketed around the different Rust-Oleum sub-brands. The addition of new lines created the need to unify the entire product line under the Rust-Oleum brand. The sales literature used to market the many new lines to the retail trade was confusing and lacked focus on either application, brand or end-use.
THE DISCOVERY:
Custom Direct as a Collaborative Partner, Providing Innovative Solutions.
In searching for a solution, Rust-Oleum understood that they did not have the bandwidth in-house to design/produce robust sales materials to the scale needed. Upon meeting with Custom Direct, they recognized the value of our marketing agency collaborating with them as a content development partner.
THE SOLUTION:
An End-Use Focus to Enhance Clarity.
Working with Rust-Oleum’s in-house marketing team, Custom Direct revised the product line catalogs from a ‘brand-oriented approach’ to a new approach centered around the product’s end-use. This allowed for quick and easy reference for customers, while still displaying the products visually.
THE IMPLEMENTATION:
A New Look and Feel Inspired by a Customer-First Approach.
Custom Direct created all new catalogs and sales literature focused on product use, as opposed to the previous method of selling the brand first. This increased the number of sales materials available to Rust-Oleum, as each piece of literature was focused on being easy to read, understand, and use as a customer. With customer needs at the core of design, the literature took on a streamlined, but vibrant, look and feel.
THE RESULTS:
Driving Revenue with Customer-Centric Sales Materials.
In addition to being categorized by its well-known brands, the entire marketing direction has taken on a more customer-centric approach which has been well-received by the sales team, retail trade and end-users. Rust-Oleum continues to turn to Custom Direct as a trusted partner in print marketing and content development.