tap-in
Matthew Richards, Managing Director. tap-in.Everything we do is about making life as easy and simple as possible for our plumbing and heating engineer customers. Our service level is second to none and we have a direct, friendly and no-nonsense approach to the way we do business. For our rebrand The Other Person really got under the skin of who we are and why we are special.
Heating & bathroom supplies made easy really sums us up. And our new trading name, tap-in, combined with our new look and feel, gives us a strong, simple and highly memorable market positioning. This new graphic identity gives us a terrific platform for the next phase of our growth.
Situation
Richard Craven Plumbing Merchants is a respected, family-owned, plumbers’ merchants based in Keighley. Over the years it has built up a reputation for excellent value and high quality of service with a loyal trade customer base. However, it’s an incredibly competitive and price-sensitive market with very active big-name brands including James Hargreaves, B&Q, City Plumbing Supplies, Graham and others.
The business wanted to protect and expand its trade customer base and strengthen its market presence, as well as expand and extend its overall business approach, in order to compete more aggressively and grow market share.
Resolution
The Other Person undertook a detailed market audit, looking at both the competition and Richard Craven Plumbing Merchants itself, in order to understand the best opportunities for growth and the actual and potential advantages of the business. A set of strategic recommendations were developed, including a range of marketing and sales ideas, including a recommendation to strengthen the branding of the business, in order to give it a more distinctive market presence; a clear story and proposition; and a basis for intensified marketing in the future.
Outcome
A new, highly distinctive brand name and identity has been created with Richard Craven Plumbing Merchants transforming itself into tap-in. The new name and identity highlight the intensive service proposition of the business and the fact that everything it does is centred around making things as easy as possible for its trade customers. Like football, the end result is a simple tap-in for the player - in this case the heating engineer, plumber or other customer. At the same time the business has been investing in its on-line infrastructure and capabilities and is using a range of new channels, featuring the new name and identity, to increase the scope, scale and impact of its sales and marketing activity.
