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CASE STUDIES
Babel's Home and Decorating Stores Corporate brand Identity, Marketing and Website Development 
Babel's Home and Decorating Stores is a chain of paint and decorating stores in suburban Boston. The Babel's family has operated and expanded the company since the early 1950's.
Babel's began work with Peg Marckworth in 2004 to address several critical marketing concerns: they had two discrete customer groups (retail and contractor), lacked clearly defined messages about their company, and had no strategically composed public face. Babel's was known for their quality products and were well liked by their customers but felt unclear about their brand message and their ability to communicate effectively with their customers. The company needed to strengthen its corporate image, customer communications and integrate their brand into all aspects of the company. Branding Program We developed a branding program for Babel's that utilized a branding committee comprised of staff from across the company. Through a process of market research and internal exercises the committee, under our direction, developed a branding program that challenged and sharpened Babel's mission, values, principles, associations, and business practices. The final product defined the company's most compelling strengths and differentiated it from its competition in substance as well as image. Once Babel's defined its brand, they integrated it into all aspects of the company. Babel's management uses the branding plan to inform hiring and staff training, marketing strategies, tactical communications and business growth. They provide staff training so everyone in the company understands what Babel's means and acts on it in each customer interaction. Babel's staff now markets and sells the company's products and services in ways that reinforce the company's image, personality and brand promise with every interaction. 
Website Development www.babels.com » Babel's knew their website was outdated and off-brand. We revised the structure of the website, developed clear branded messages and graphic elements to encompass the physical elements of the Babel's brand. The website now offers a main site for retail customers with a separate site for contractors that is more streamlined and offers information appropriate to its commercial audience. We have added new elements and sophistication to the website, including a retail e-newsletter, as time and budget has allowed. View the Babel's e-newsletter » View the Babel's email sendout » Advertising Like many small retailers, Babel's advertising was reactive to the "specials" of local publications. They relied on the publications' advertising departments to design and produce ads for them. The result was inconsistent, with off-brand messages and graphics. We designed two advertising templates: one for a black and white newspaper series and a second, more sophisticated color series for local magazines. This allows a consistency of look and message for their ads with enough flexibility to be used for a variety of advertising uses. Direct Mail Babel's wanted a direct mail piece to promote their in-home design services. They had an immediate need to increase in-home design calls but wanted a stand alone piece that could be used as a brochure for their in-home design services. We designed a multi-fold piece that describes Babel's design services and introduced their design staff. We used a sticker on the front to announce a sale on design services and used it as a direct mail piece. Without the sticker is used as a counter piece and brochure. This reduced overall costs, provided a well designed printed piece that is on-brand and useful for several years. Ongoing Projects Babel's continues to upgrade and add marketing pieces that promote and support their brand and communicate effectively with their target customer. In the planning stages are e-commerce on their website, a contractor e-newsletter, the redesign of the company logo, additional ad templates for more upscale regional publications, an FTP site to facilitate delivery of ads to publications and ongoing updates to the website. |