SIR Client: ColonialWebb
Challenge: ColonialWebb is one of the largest commercial contractors in the mid-Atlantic. When it became a subsidiary of Comfort Systems USA in 2010, the company already boasted nearly 40 years in the business of construction and building maintenance, 1,000-plus employees, and a strong local following. Yet in 2016, ColonialWebb leaders recognized an opportunity to reinvigorate its corporate brand and to re-engage its workforce in doing so — all aligning with the latest best practice to let hard data guide major business decisions.
Action: Partnering with a local firm called Pure Culture, SIR led ColonialWebb through a research-driven process to refresh its brand architecture, strategic market positioning, and corporate values. First was a series of half-day retreats to understand best practices in B2B branding and to identify shared principles for the company’s values and market differentiators.
SIR then conducted extensive qualitative and quantitative research to explore how ColonialWebb is perceived by staff and current and prospective customers. We used these focus group and survey findings to help ColonialWebb solidify new brand positioning, messages, and core values that would resonate with both internal and external target audiences and put the company on the right path forward.
Results: In 2017, ColonialWebb proudly unveiled to all employees the new branding direction, whose backing by SIR data could inspire trusted confidence in implementation. One major reversal was that its logo would once again lead with the ColonialWebb name, followed by “a Comfort Systems USA company.” This strategy enabled ColonialWebb to capitalize on the value of its relationship with the national system, while also lead with the name found to garner more awareness and favorability on a local level.
The rollout continued by the CEO visiting all ColonialWebb locations in person to explain the refreshed company values to employees. SIR helped set him for up for success by producing a branding video that uses inspiring imagery and interviews — with people from four states and seven business divisions — to help tell the ColonialWebb story. Staff were able to relate powerfully to the co-workers and customers they saw on the screen, helping unify everyone around the refreshed brand in a positive and effective way. Less than three months later, the video had also earned more than 9,100 views on the company's Facebook page.