When Vinylite Windows opened its doors in 1995, they set out to create the most advanced, cost-effective line of windows they could. Their chosen structural material, vinyl, helped to achieve their quality, efficiency and beauty standards. In recent years, however, they came to believe that their company name no longer accurately reflected the core strengths and competitive advantages they offer.

After many discussions with their employees, customers and the building community, Vinylite made the decision to change their name to Vector, in order to better emphasize the precision of their work and the positive direction in which the company is heading. To help them make the transition, the company turned to Circadian to align the new branding with the company’s strong culture of quality and service.

Targeting the Right Audience

With a mandate to position Vector “on-level” with their larger competitors, Circadian started with the basics rather than simply accepting all of the old assumptions about how to market windows. After examining the internal elements and external factors contributing to the company’s success, we discovered that all of the previous marketing materials had been targeted to the wrong audience. Instead of focusing on consumers, the new brand needed to speak to the people who were actually making the purchasing decisions: builders, contractors and lumberyards.

Research in hand, we developed a comprehensive new marketing strategy based on the priorities of the building community. The strategy included recommended promotional initiatives, a visual identity and mission statement for the new brand, placing the company as the premier partner to the building and remodeling industry. We also created a new company tagline, “Builders Know the Difference.” The voice and look of the new brand is straightforward, masculine and relevant, reflecting the company’s commitment to delivering both state-of-the-art products and the the highest quality services focused on helping builders achieve their business goals.

Balancing Details with Clarity

To build early buzz for the new brand, Circadian created a launch mailer and microsite that explained the reasoning behind the change and cultivated interest in existing customers and hot prospects. In addition to the new marketing strategy and brand messaging, Circadian created an entirely new website that addresses the different data needs of Vector’s distinct audiences: builders, architects and homeowners. Built on a content management system (CMS) for effortless updating, the new site balances exhaustive product details with an easy-to-use interface.

After in-depth interviews with Vector’s customers and visits to area lumber yards, we redesigned the company’s brochure, specification guide and price book to clearly communicate the most relevant details quickly. The new marketing materials help builders to easily get the information they need and get back to work.

All of these elements came together in a single brand launch, coinciding with the 2012 Northwestern Building Products Expo. Vector’s presence at the trade show included, of course, a brand new exhibit designed by Circadian.

A Job Well Done

“Circadian did a great job of working to understand our industry and our customers before they started to make any marketing recommendations or create any brand messages,” says Jeff Ackerson, Vector’s President and CEO.

Ackerson was also impressed with Circadian’s ability to clarify how their marketing recommendations would work. “They really helped walk us through the process and explained the different ways they were recommending to take our message to our strategic partners. This was very important to me, since I do not have a marketing background and needed to have someone help push me outside of my comfort zone.”

Now that everything is in place, Ackerson is looking forward to how the work will help Vector reach their business objectives. “The early results of our brand launch have been very positive, and we are excited with the growth opportunities that it presents.”