After two years of a successful ad campaign, Ruan Transportation decided it was time for a new look and new direction. The goal, as always, was to maintain the existing customer base while seeking out new accounts, and Ruan sought our counsel about the most effective way to go about it.
Our recommendation: Capitalize on the numerous “best-in-class” features Ruan had bragging rights to. Transition from brand awareness to the delivery of a solid message about the company's real-world benefits for customers. Speak to the customer, address their daily challenges, and show how Ruan can meet each one. Most importantly, we recommended changing the focus from “We” to “You.”
Before implementing this approach, we assessed the competition, reviewed the competitive analysis and survey results, and took a long look at Ruan’s goals, vision, values, and attributes. The overlap of customer needs and Ruan strengths gave us the direction we needed to develop a variety of concepts — some safe, some a bit more daring, and all designed to stand out from the clutter. Ruan chose the “Ease Your Mind” theme because the “We take care of everything” message was perfectly appropriate for customers, and because the predominantly red look gave the company a bold, aggressive stance in the marketplace.