2022 Trailblazer Award Winner
ELEVATOR PITCH:
When Matson Logistics (ML) celebrated its 30th year of operations in 2017 it undertook a strategic business repositioning. Three years later, the decision was made to conduct a brand audit and develop a comprehensive and complementary brand strategy to propel the company forward. After over a year of research and partnership with a branding agency, Matson Logistics launched its new brand internally, and then to its customers and the industry.
WHAT
• develop a corporate brand strategy to support business growth
• achieve higher rates of customer acquisition and retention
• position the brand effectively against competitors and as relevant in the minds of customers
• increase both brand awareness and share of voice in the marketplace;help sell the intangibles
• attract the right customers, employees, agents, and suppliers even amidst a market disruption
• operate at the highest level of ambition for the enterprise
WHY
• ML was 33 years old;it’s was an opportune time to review brand reputation with customers, prospects, partners, and employees
• Customers are becoming more demanding and technology-focused;millennials look at brands with skepticism and often factor in a vendor’s social and environmental actions
• Competitive landscape is in upheaval, with established players consolidating or exploiting profitable niches, and new entrants leveraging technology to disrupt and disintermediate
HOW - The project was in four phases: discovery, strategic development, positioning, and expression/execution with these priorities:
• Understand and address our core business challenges through research, competitive analysis, and stakeholder interviews
• Define and distill ML brand positioning with a clear strategy and supporting messaging
• Provide creative examples and direction of how the ML brand can be expressed
The launch was exceptionally well received. Except for a pause during Covid, it redefined and increased brand awareness in the market and brand salience with customers and key targets
MEASURABLE RESULTS AND OBJECTIVES ACHIEVEMENT:
Here were the goals and outcomes:
Current State - Outcome after Brand Positioning ---------------------- Website generic - Standalone website with distinct ML look, feel, and messaging Marketing collateral ho-hum - Compelling collateral with clear and unified messaging Brand expression near invisible - Increased share of voice in marketplace. Brand more relevant and understandable Customer touchpoints diffused - Each customer experience provides better clarity and deeper engagement Employee engagement benign - Excited employees with inspired confidence in future company direction Talent acquisition difficult - Provided HR and recruiters with key messages to attract employees Messaging and mission unclear - Distinct, memorable, and defensible brand position developed
BLAZING A TRAIL!:
First, it blazed a trail internally. Matson Logistics is part of Matson, a 140-year-old U.S. shipping company with very conservative branding. Its identity has been the same for 50 years, and since it is known in all of its major Pacific trade markets, it doesn't need to advertise or create brand awareness. It's a household word in Hawaii, Guam, Micronesia, Alaska, and the South Pacific. ML is very different. It competes with thousands of freight brokers, 3PLs, warehousing providers, and supply chain companies. There are more than 5,000 American companies that also have the word "Logistics" in their name. So there were several internal hurdles to launching the rebrand. And there was little in the way of advertising, brand design, promotion, inbound lead activity, and market awareness activity. When a prospect heard "Matson," he or she immediately thought of the shipping line, without knowledge of all the 3PL services Matson Logistics offered. So we had to blaze a new trail to convince leadership and employees that this was an important strategic initiative that deserved attention, resources, and funding. It was unique in a couple of ways. First was launch day when employees came into the office and saw new wall art, signage, and updated brand logotype. When they arrived at their desk, there was the Brand foldout brochure and poster that explained the why's and how's of the branding initiative. And also new business cards and swag. As they fired up their computers, they received a message with a link to the brand video with a message to employees from the president. Later that day, the redesigned website launched and a few days later a Brand Central section was added to the Intranet. Then there was the actual brand design. We realized early on that we didn't have the time or funds for elaborate photo shoots and video footage, at least for the launch. So the "shapes design" was chosen as we can easily use and manipulate stock imagery as needed to build out the design for ads, brochures, collateral, stationery, and digital assets. As the ad and branding campaigns move into their second phases, more original imagery will be used, and new advertising channels will be tested, such as OOO visuals at airports and billboards.
