The Client
JARP is a 60+ year old hydraulic cylinder manufacturer located in Wausau, Wisconsin. They were undervalued in their market and recognized that their outward-facing brand did not demonstrate the value of their company, their potential for growth, or the expertise of their team. They approached Strategy House to better align their brand perception, and position them for a favorable acquisition.
The Challenge
JARP’s core challenge was showing its brand value in the marketplace. Leadership focused on driving towards acquisition and recognized the need to align their brand perception with their market value. Despite being one of the top three manufacturers in the cylinder industry, JARP was known for its mom-and-pop shop roots.
To position for a highly profitable acquisition, JARP was in need of a partner to focus the brand, better connect it with target industries, and promote a digital presence that was at the same high level as its industry leading peers.
The Strategy
The Strategy House team began by learning their business goals, while understanding their product, target customers, and JARP team capabilities. We built a strategy around these insights that sharpened core messaging and developed a system for brand consistency. Our team then updated their entire digital presence to truly represent the story of their business as a leader in hydraulic cylinder manufacturing.
The Solution
We worked closely with leadership, sales, and marketing teams as we implemented the strategy, bringing a higher value brand to life life visually and digitally.
By breathing new life into their content, refining their visual brand identity, and focusing messaging to target the right audiences at the right time, we built a brand with focus and intention, to be noticed by potential private equity firms.
We further elevated JARP’s brand story by incorporating the great work they had already been doing for their community and with their team, strongly representing their culture as a large employer in a small town, and commitment to their community.
To effectively manage this updated brand, we created a framework for their team to manage a consistent, valuable, and trustworthy brand, and aligned digital brand presence to better reflect the company’s potential value.
Our core deliverables were:
- A system to focus the brand and ensure it comes to life in the market as a leader, defined by a brand guidelines document
- A new website that connects their company with the market segments they serve, offers clear value propositions, and shows an elevated visual brand identity to move them away from their previous reputation
- Social media strategy with updated content and graphics to tell a strong and aligned brand story to team members, customers, communities, and stakeholders
The Impact
JARP was ultimately able to sell the company at a premium price to one of the largest private equity firms in the world, because of the work Strategy House produced to align the brand and increase perceived market value.
By strategically updating the brand and telling the value story through focused messaging, refreshed visuals, and a clear digital presence, JARP was able to successfully navigate acquisition.