Openbook Howden

Objective

Openbook Howden (OBH) is an Australian family-owned design and print company. From a single site it prints the full range of corporate requirements as well as books, packaging, labels on rolls, short run digital with variable data or multi-part forms. Additional services include design and rebranding, stock management and distribution (complete with on-site warehousing) and also e-books, e-publications, e-diaries and apps.

The firm faced two issues. Firstly the brand had low awareness except amongst existing clients and secondly OBH had introduced a number of sub-brands all with different names and with varying degrees of association with the parent OBH brand. Peartree Brand Strategy was engaged to help bring order to the portfolio of brands and to assist in raising the brand’s profile.

Solution

Using the results of existing customer surveys and interviews with non-clients conducted by Peartree Brand Strategy we conducted workshops with the management team and staff representative of the various operational units to establish the key elements that would differentiate OBH powerfully from its competitors and expound a compelling value proposition. We then conducted an audit of all the sub-brands to reveal which were redundant and how the remaining brands needed to relate to one another for maximum return on investment.

Result

Following a full staff briefing of the documented aspirational OBH brand the firm has established a Brand Team of staff representatives to drive internal brand-building activities. A new look is being devised to bring more strength to the OBH visual identity and the brand portfolio strategy has devised roles for all the brands to support business growth.

"We sought the services of Peartree Marketing to bring order and strategic direction to our portfolio of brands so that we could maximise on our marketing activities and have clarity for future projects.

Working with Lowen has brought about amazing results and benefits in areas we weren’t even expecting. Lowen’s approach to Brand Analysis has helped to make the team united in the company vision.

Through the research, education, communication and brand committee formation activities Lowen suggested, we have become a more focussed and energised team.

We are looking forward to what the future brings under this united vision of values and ethics."

Sarah Leo, General Manager – Brand, Strategy & People, Openbook Howden