Supercharging brand value creation in construction.

Detail of a modern wooden architecture in glued laminated timber on a blue cloudy sky.

We’ve witnessed a turbulent period for the construction industry in recent years. The worldwide pandemic caused significant challenges to supply chains, while the fallout from Brexit and inflammatory developments has seen the cost of materials such as timber, concrete and steel increase. Decarbonisation strategies are testing the traditional construction methods and processes, focusing the sector on constant re-evaluation.

Throughout these challenges, there has been a positive focus on investment, particularly aligned to sustainability, while trends including digitalisation and electrification are climbing agendas as a way to achieve targets surrounding emission cuts and fossil fuels reduction. The construction industry has to play its part on the road to decarbonisation and at London Build and UK Construction Week, where major brands have been showcasing their products and services, working towards a greener future was a key talking point. It all adds up to the industry prioritising a constant and iterative process of re-evaluation and re-invention. We feel a great example of this is when Armstrong Ceiling Solutions re-imagined its organisation and launched Zentia, following Knauf’s divestment of the UK-based plant and key territories. This rebrand was driven by our team at Wyatt International.

Migrating brand equity – in double quick time.

The Zentia project was possibly the construction sector’s biggest and most complex branding project of recent years, and it revolved around the sale and separation of one of the industry’s most trusted names – Armstrong Ceiling Solutions. Following the intervention of the EU, this company was divided between two new owners, and both were told they could use the Armstrong name for a limited time only. In rapid time, the challenge was therefore to create a completely new brand and ensure the successful migration of products, customer loyalty and brand equity.

Enter Wyatt International.

B2B organisations need both high-level strategic input and high-quality activation – often in a hurry. These separate skills are usually delivered by different agencies. The bilateral agency model at Wyatt International, with strategic Accelerator Consultancy and integrated multichannel teams, enables clients to accelerate value by supporting them with both strategy and activation. And so for the Armstrong project, Wyatt pulled together a multi-disciplinary group of strategists and specialists, including key disciplines such as sustainability, digital and construction. They acted as a catalyst, hosting workshops, injecting energy, ideas and expertise into the company’s challenges, supercharging cut-through and value creation, and helping level up performance.

Zentia logo

An A-Z brand strategy.

To set a solid foundation for the coming migration, the Accelerator Team at Wyatt International also worked closely with the board at Armstrong to outline a 5-year migration strategy. A considerable piece of work crafted through many sessions, that would act as a pathway for the entire business. Once this was in place, we were able to get to work on crafting a new brand. The solution was multi-layered, and started with the creation of a new name – Zentia. At the opposite end of the alphabet to Armstrong, it marked a clear and radical departure. We developed and designed the brand identity and architecture, including the vision, mission and values. We also developed the proposition and messaging platforms. Literally, every aspect of the brand was reimagined for a fresh, bold future.

The impact of all this connected thinking was so successful, that within just three months of launching in 7 countries, Zentia-related search terms overtook those for Armstrong. Similarly, analytics showed a promoted recall of 67%, and 43% for spontaneous recall – impressive figures for an entirely new brand entity. Zentia hit the ground running. The potential risks of the migration – lack of awareness, low buy-in and lost equity – were avoided, while the transition from one great business to another was seamlessly achieved.

A collection of mobile phones with digital marketing information on each screen

Simon Hall, Brand & Strategy Director at Wyatt International said: “No other agency offers such high-level strategic thinking with best-in-class multichannel activation. It’s a unique bilateral approach that helps us accelerate value – and the case for Zentia stands as a great example.”

In the few short months after the launch, Zentia had earned significant unprompted recall and established itself comfortably as a powerful new brand, ready to go from strength to strength in its market. Perhaps no wonder then, that the project picked up The Best Branding and Positioning for Zentia at the Construction Marketing Awards 2021. We’re extremely proud to have been involved in Zentia’s transition, and to be recognised for the powerful work we delivered through lockdown.

Simon Hall, Brand and Strategy Director, and Mark Fletcher, Senior Designer both standing and smiling in an office holding a CMA award

In spite of all the changes taking place, learning to adapt to the ever-changing construction environment means that companies have to strategise in an efficient and cost-effective manner.  Our work developing the Zentia brand helped to safeguard brand equity in an industry experiencing significant disruption during dramatically changing times, leading the way for a powerhouse with a cutting edge focus on sustainability, decarbonisation and digitalisation, with an absolute commitment to a sustainable and greener future for us all.

If you want to know more about how we can accelerate value creation for your brand and business, get in touch to arrange a meeting with us at hello@wyattinternational.com

Accelerating brand and business value creation

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