Meeting the Client:
Woods Rogers, a well-established and experienced law firm had offered their expert and quality practices since 1893. If we refer to their practice as the product, there was no flaw to speak of. As is the case with many businesses, theirs was not an uncompetitive product or service, it was an uncompetitive image. Our task was to reposition Woods Rogers competitively among an increasingly contemporary and progressive legal industry. We set two main objectives for their new position: 1) Competitive among contemporary firms and 2) Competitive among larger firms.

Situation Analysis:
We determined our key analytical efforts would come from understanding the competition’s positioning strategies and Woods Rogers’ internal demands and expectations across their practice areas. We reviewed an abundance of large, national firms and their advertisements to study how they were positioning their practices. A pattern of contemporary, progressive images surfaced. What perceptions was this pattern reflecting in their clients? The verdict: a key value dimension of the market had begun to shift — a contemporary brand was becoming more attractive, and “well-established” was beginning to approach “stale.” We interviewed each law group within Woods Rogers for their input on what their practice areas would demand from a new direction.

Strategy:
Armed with the essential market and company knowledge for our strategy, we worked closely with Woods Rogers to create a brand campaign that would reposition the firm as the forward-thinking practice the market demanded and bolster their presence among larger law firms.

The Creative Translation:
When it comes to a advertising, we consider a simple message the law. To convey a new brand of “progressive law practice” while showcasing Woods Rogers’ wide array of practice areas, we developed a campaign in which each ad headlined an innovative idea in one word, applied to one practice area. A single resonating image and brief, fresh copy stood out on a white background for a clear, cohesive message. While only one inventive idea and practice area would be highlighted, each ad displayed all of their capabilities at the top to lend an element of size through scope of services.

The Results:
A year later, Woods Rogers had now carried the concept over into its website, and both Woods Rogers and the campaign have won awards and national recognition reflecting innovation, quality, and expertise. We consider ourselves fortunate to partner with a firm of their class.

Meeting the Client:
Base X, now a division of Hunter Defense Technologies, was a regional supplier of expeditionary shelters to the U.S. Armed Forces when we began working with them. Now they were growing and sought to expand into new markets and enhance their perceived size among national competition. Our mission was to position them as a leading supplier of shelters for both the U.S. Armed Forces and now Homeland Defense.

Situation Analysis:
Our market evaluation revealed that the expeditionary shelter market was not exceptionally competitive. Like many markets, it had limited players, but unlike many markets that the “big three” post-shakeout competitors dominate, no brand had a clear stronghold as a market leader. Base X delivered quality, technologically-advanced products, which worked in favor of gaining a leading position in both target markets. In cross-analyzing the needs and insights into their two markets, it was important to note significant overlaps of personnel, and therefore key insights, as well as distinctions between the two.

Strategy:
The Base X brand would need to be both segmented according to market preferences and cohesive to communicate a more national stature via larger market presence.

Creative Translation:
We simplified brand messaging to highlight the core differentiating factors of Base X shelters that applied to both markets: shelter technology with an unmatched combination of mobility, durability, and unlimited interconnectivity capabilities. This message would be carried by a consistent design to uphold a comprehensive Base X brand across its markets and therefore establish it as one encompassing brand rather than two segmented ones. Within that umbrella brand image, we differentiated promotional designs to communicate a brand of not only a sizeable company, but a customer-centric company.

The Results:
Base X, now a division of Hunter Defense Technologies, has grown an estimated 200% every year and has become a leading supplier of expeditionary shelters and innovative shelter technologies for new markets spanning civilian first response teams, municipalities, and large corporations. They have accomplished this with quality products and company excellence, and we are proud to have partnered with them and to have played a small part in this journey.