A Marketer, Strategist, and Creative.
Repositioning a Brand to Reach a New Target Audience
Company: Material ConneXion-Research consultancy specializing in material science with 25+ years of industry experience
The Problem
Material ConneXion (MCX), a material research consultancy, was looking to shift its messaging to better communicate its unique value proposition to product designers at consumer brands.
The word “material” often confused prospects, providing little context into the types of materials and services the company offered. The lack of context on MCX’s website and channels did not help attract their target customer.
The Solution
MCX needed to reposition its messaging to emphasize its 25 years of expertise in material science and innovation while addressing the unique pain points of the new audience.
Additionally, the marketing channels and sales collateral required updates to effectively communicate their value proposition and attract qualified leads.
The Strategy
To address this challenge, I developed a four-prong approach to reposition MCX for the new target market:
Customer Profile
Conduct market research to understand the needs and challenges of product designers and decision-makers at CPG companies to create an ideal customer profile (ICP).
Value Propositions
Develop the unique value propositions (UVPs)-and from there-messaging that resonates with the target audience and better communicates the company’s value.
Channel Audit
Audit existing marketing channels and sales collateral to pinpoint gaps.
Action
Identify key touchpoints and tailor communication strategies across the funnel.
1. The ICP
Demographics:
Job Titles:
R&D Directors, Innovation Leads, VP of Design, Head of Design, Product Design, Team Lead
Industries:
Consumer Product Goods (CPG), Electronics, Automotive, Apparel, Packaging
Company Size:
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Mid-size (200-1000)
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Enterprise (1,000+)
Responsibilities:
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Leads end-to-end product design and development, from concept ideation to final execution.
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Collaborates closely with cross-functional teams including R&D, marketing, and supply chain to ensure design aligns with brand goals, manufacturing feasibility, and consumer demand.
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Conducts competitive and trend analysis to keep designs relevant and innovative.
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Focuses on sustainable design choices and materials to align with brand and consumer expectations around eco-friendly practices.
Goals:
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Innovation: Wants to create products that stand out in the market and set trends.
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Efficiency: Aims to streamline design processes and reduce time to market.
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Sustainability: Desires to lead sustainable product initiatives to align with brand reputation and consumer values.
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Recognition: Seeks to build a strong professional portfolio with high-impact, recognizable products.
Pain Points:
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Time Constraints: Faces tight deadlines and quick turnaround times, with pressure to bring new ideas to market quickly.
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Cost & Feasibility: Has to balance creativity with limitations of manufacturing and budget constraints.
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Consumer Trends: Needs to stay on top of rapidly changing trends and ensure designs are both innovative and functional.
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Sustainability: Increasing need to select eco-friendly materials without compromising design quality or budget, to meet corporate and consumer demands for sustainability.
2. Unique Value Propositions
25+ years of experience rooted in material science and research
Why it Matters: Important to build trust with the prospect and reassurance that MCX has vast knowledge and expertise.
Access to a growing library of 10,000+ innovative and sustainable materials and suppliers
Why it Matters: Access to a trusted resource saves time, reduces risk, and provides the confidence to innovate with cutting-edge materials. These updates can also help customers stay ahead of the trends and not get overwhelmed by information.
End-to-end support, from research to implementation
Why it matters: Having a partner throughout the entire process, provides value and builds confidence. This streamlined approach with personalized guidance can accelerate time-to-market and reduce stress.
3. Channel Audit
Once the ICPs and value propositions were finalized, I transitioned to the audit. My goal was to identify gaps in the existing marketing and sales materials and create a plan to align content with the prospects' preferred communication methods.
Website
Social Media
The site lacked information about the company, services, and values.
Social channels were lacking content vairety and showing signs of content fatigue.
Newsletter
Events
Sales was not attending in-person conferences and the company was not hosting internal events.
The newsletter was "off" and original template and content needed a refresh.
ICP's Preferred Methods of Communication
Social Media
Emails
Workshops
Events
Customer Stages
Awareness
Highlight MCX’s expertise and unique material library through thought leadership content, paid media, and an optimized website.
Consideration
Use case studies, blogs, newsletter, and organic social media to provide more information on how MCX helps clients streamline material sourcing and innovation.
Decision
Offer customized one-pagers and presentations emphasizing time and cost savings, and successful outcomes from previous collaborations.
Advocacy
Use newsletters and internal events to keep clients engaged and promote ongoing education around material innovation.
4. Action
With a clearer understanding of the most effective channels, I came up with an integrated channel strategy with tailored messaging for each touchpoint in the customer journey.
Website
Redesigned the website to emphasize unique value propositions, benefits, services, client success stories, and case studies, enhancing SEO performance and delivering an improved user experience.
Organic Social
Shifted focus from general material trends to highlighting specific innovations for target industries. Created posts showcasing the material library’s applications in CPG, electronics, and other relevant sectors. Introduced video series such as "Material Mondays"
Newsletter
Relaunched the customer newsletter with a focus on product-specific insights and new materials added to the library, recent material science news, and thought-leadership pieces. Developed segmented email campaigns tailored to different industries.
Paid Social
Tested LinkedIn conversion and awareness ads to drive prospects to submit lead-generation forms.
Blogposts
Revitalized Material ConneXion's blog with tailored, keyword-driven articles focused on material innovation and industry trends.
Conferences
Secured speaking engagements at industry events to position MCX as a thought leader. Strengthened partnerships with relevant trade shows to promote direct engagement with target personas.
Internal Events
Collaborated with Material Scientists, Sales, and Operations to organize internal events, inviting customers and sales prospects to engage with suppliers and attend a presentation by our Head Scientist.
Sales Collateral
Developed new content including videos, case studies, and 1 pagers that addressed common pain points and emphasized MCX’s values and services.
Final video used to describe MCX's values, mission, and services to potential customers
Source: Facebook
The Results
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The repositioning strategy led to a +25% Increase in qualified leads year-over-year.
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Secured speaking engagements and quarterly sponsorships at top industry events including PACK EXPO, The Lead, CES, and COSMOPROF.
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In-house events drove a 20% conversion rate for invited prospects.
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Built a 10,000-subscriber newsletter that maintained an average open rate of 18% and an average click rate of 2.0%.