While most companies have a single brand, there are instances when companies have multiple brands. This makes it a bit more challenging … for the company and its marketing partner. Here’s a four-phase strategic approach we used to help the Horst Group successfully build a strong brand.

When Scheffey began working with the Horst Group in the mid 1990s, the company’s brands were purposefully fragmented (examples: Horst Construction, Bilran Excavating and Gingrich Stoudt Insurance). And, few attempts were made to borrow from what marketing and sales momentum existed to cross-promote businesses and services. Horst businesses often heard customers and prospects say they didn’t know that some of the businesses were part of the same group.

Phase 1: Brand alignment. We reached consensus that the three core businesses (construction, property management and insurance) should work together at times when cross-selling could be beneficial. And, they should benefit from a shared marketing momentum. Following our recommendation, all companies that had names other than “Horst” changed names to begin with Horst.

Phase 2: Comprehensive marketing and brand analysis. Through current/past customer research, strategic assessments and one-on-one conversations with Horst team members, Scheffey was able to understand the firm’s simplification of strategies and re-direction of energies. That led to Scheffey developing a new mission statement for the Horst Group: Connecting with our customers. Knowing their needs and exploring their ideas. Delivering products and services that they value.

Phase 3: New brand development.Scheffey developed an umbrella positioning line for the Horst Group and complementary lines for the business units. These positioning lines embraced the mission statement and acted as catalysts for marketing messages.

• Horst Group … Understanding What Matters To You®
• Horst Construction … Building What Matters To You®
• Horst Property Management … Managing What Matters To You®
• Horst Insurance … Value That Matters®
  (All desirable iterations of “What Matters” for Insurance were blocked by an existing registration.)

The leadership at Horst also understood the value in presenting “Horst” as the lead brand, with the business units appearing secondary. “Group” was being dropped from the brand as a simplification of the name.

Phase 4: New brand emergence. Scheffey used Horst’s Customer Appreciation Event as the unveiling. A cover was removed from the top of the building to expose the new logo. Other marketing tools included direct mail to customers, print advertising, outdoor, vehicle and equipment graphics, print literature, promotional giveaways, feature story in Lancaster Sunday News and Lancaster Barnstormers promotion.

Horst Group Headquarters

Horst Construction Truck

Horst Group Brand Change Postcard

Horst Insurance Document & Policy Binders

Successful brands don’t happen by accident. Developing a company’s brand – or multiple brands – takes planning and strategic thinking. And, managing it takes discipline. Your company’s brand is valuable equity that should be well guarded and nurtured. Want to see some more Scheffey-developed brands?