Marketing

Strategy

Manufacturing

<div class="ThemeRichTextConsumer__Component-sc-1qivc44-0 bfpYPF ThemeParagraphConsumer__Component-sc-1frih4f-0 lospIA" data-key="633" data-styled-node="true" data-variable-line-height="false">“Big thanks to the BlackBean team because we would not be where we are without those guys. As simple as that. They were there for us when needed and went above and beyond. We were a small business making it up as we went along: if we hadn&#8217;t had this relationship with BlackBean, we wouldn&#8217;t be where we&#8217;re today.” – A. DeVoe, Owner.</div>

Client Testimonial

Distributor Marketing

Manufacturer Positioning for Distributor Success

<a href="https://m22tactical.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-key="598" data-styled-node="true" data-variable-line-height="false">M22 Tactical</a> is a veteran-owned, US-based dry-fire system manufacturing company for the defence and law enforcement industry. The number 22 has meaning tied to the statistic that 22 Veterans commit suicide every day. The 22 is a call to action to help veterans find a purpose…to reconnect with themselves, their families and their communities.
At the onset of their business, they came to BlackBean to establish a solid marketing foundation based on positioning and clear messaging to define target audiences. Less than six months later, they were signing deals with right-fit partners!

Audience: identified. Target: reached.

A veteran-owned manufacturing business, M22 developed a very important product for dry-fire safety training: the <a href="https://redcat22.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RedCat</a>. The company knew it needed to reach distributors, but it didn&#8217;t know how to reach them, where to reach them, or how to convert them. As their product is very niche and at risk of attracting fanatics, the positioning and messaging needed to be extremely well done at the risk of backfiring (pun intended).

Challenge

After carefully identifying and segmenting the target audiences, BlackBean created a precise positioning and messaging strategy that was applied to all of its marketing material, including a powerful tagline: &#8220;Train Hard. Stay Safe.&#8221; This foundational work led to a custom distributor marketing strategy for this manufacturer in the defence space.

Solution

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<li class="StyledSlateListItemElement-sc-9pm6qj-0 listItem---2060384500 ThemeListItemConsumer__Component-sc-1vgtxv2-0 bywPgZ" data-key="615" data-styled-node="true" data-variable-line-height="true">
<div class="SlateListItemElement__SlateListItemElementContainer-sc-10fp14y-0 jOfrAO">
<div class="ThemeRichTextConsumer__Component-sc-1qivc44-0 bfpYPF ThemeParagraphConsumer__Component-sc-1frih4f-0 lospIA" data-key="616" data-styled-node="true" data-variable-line-height="true">Several high-profile distributors signed with M22 Tactical a mere 4 months after implementing the content marketing.</div>
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<li class="StyledSlateListItemElement-sc-9pm6qj-0 listItem---2060384500 ThemeListItemConsumer__Component-sc-1vgtxv2-0 bywPgZ" data-key="618" data-styled-node="true" data-variable-line-height="true">
<div class="SlateListItemElement__SlateListItemElementContainer-sc-10fp14y-0 jOfrAO">
<div class="ThemeRichTextConsumer__Component-sc-1qivc44-0 bfpYPF ThemeParagraphConsumer__Component-sc-1frih4f-0 lospIA" data-key="619" data-styled-node="true" data-variable-line-height="true">Highly-relevant traffic is being driven to the website through SEO and resources created by the positioning.</div>
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<li class="StyledSlateListItemElement-sc-9pm6qj-0 listItem---2060384500 ThemeListItemConsumer__Component-sc-1vgtxv2-0 bywPgZ" data-key="621" data-styled-node="true" data-variable-line-height="true">
<div class="SlateListItemElement__SlateListItemElementContainer-sc-10fp14y-0 jOfrAO">
<div class="ThemeRichTextConsumer__Component-sc-1qivc44-0 bfpYPF ThemeParagraphConsumer__Component-sc-1frih4f-0 lospIA" data-key="622" data-styled-node="true" data-variable-line-height="true">&#8220;No nutjobs to report,&#8221; in the client&#8217;s words, proving the value of audience definition and segmented messaging.</div>
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<div class="SlateListItemElement__SlateListItemElementContainer-sc-10fp14y-0 jOfrAO">
<div class="ThemeRichTextConsumer__Component-sc-1qivc44-0 bfpYPF ThemeParagraphConsumer__Component-sc-1frih4f-0 lospIA" data-key="625" data-styled-node="true" data-variable-line-height="true">Strong thought leadership on LinkedIn, as more content is being produced and posted.</div>
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Results

Design

Building

&#8220;Everyone loved the visuals. I’ve had no complaints since the sign was put in. People aren’t losing their way in the complex. The property also looks more professional.&#8221; &#8211; O. Davies, Commercial Property Manager

Was lost, now found

wayfinding signage design

Wayfinding for a large commercial building

When customers come to patronize a company in SOPA Square, they&#8217;re met with many options: multiple stairwells, an elevator, a lobby, an outdoor courtyard, a mezzanine&#8230; Where are they supposed to go? Which is the right entrance? When we moved in, confused patrons were a constant. Working with building management, we decided to change that.

Simple wayfinding for a complex facility

SOPA Square is a mixed commercial/residential tower featuring many entrances. Customers routinely got lost on their way to appointments, or simply never found businesses in the Square&#8211;particularly businesses on the second floor.

We solved the navigation issue by introducing several wayfinding elements. In the entrance to the courtyard, we installed a large facility map with directions to second-floor offices. Throughout the building, we installed highly visible numbers and signage indicating the path to different segments of the building.

As a result of the installed wayfinding, businesses throughout the building noted a decrease in lost customers. Facility management fields fewer requests from confused visitors than ever.

Paid Search

You may be wondering why we&#8217;re featuring a campaign that never launched as a case study. Sometimes, cool ideas get left on the cutting room floor due to lack of client buy-in, insufficient budget, or general lack of alignment. That doesn&#8217;t mean the idea was bad! It just wasn&#8217;t a fit for that client at that time. We love it when marketing gets weird, cool, kooky, and crazy. If you have an outside-the-box idea you&#8217;d like to explore, get in touch with us today!

Bold campaigns for bold clients

B2B product marketing

Creative LinkedIn ad campaign for thermoforming

Some industries are inherently cool. Others, not so much. Thermoformed plastic packaging falls into the latter category. It&#8217;s useful, it&#8217;s important, and it&#8217;s all around us. But it isn&#8217;t fun and exciting! We wanted to change that with a fun campaign leveraging one of the most recognized action franchises of all time: The Terminator.

From boring to badass: selling high-tech packaging machinery in a novel way

Our client wanted to explore new ways to market their latest product, an advanced thermoforming machine. The product benefits included faster run times, less human involvement required, and more usable surface area per sheet than leading competitors. The client felt that while the machine was good, it wasn&#8217;t unique&#8211;nor was it a great leap forward from previous models. The campaign would need to rely on branding, messaging, and emotional connection rather than simply expressing product benefits.

We took the time to evaluate our client&#8217;s purchasing audience, finding it was largely composed of technically proficient middle-aged men with engineering backgrounds. Then, we brainstormed a variety of possible campaign directions before arriving on our favourite: &#8220;The Thermonator&#8221;. The idea was to create a retro microsite mimicking an 80s arcade style. Featuring pixel graphics reminiscent of early Terminator video games, the campaign would express product benefits in the structure of the first movie&#8217;s tagline: This machine is powerful, versatile and indestructible. It can&#8217;t be reasoned with. It can&#8217;t be bargained with. It feels no pity. No remorse. No pain. No fear. It will have only one purpose: to form plastic packaging with extreme efficiency. This machine will be called&#8230;The Thermonator.
This campaign intended to steer around the &#8220;boring&#8221; product benefits and speak to the average purchaser&#8217;s likely nostalgia for a beloved sci-fi franchise. The goal was to support the microsite with a branded LinkedIn campaign, using its unique look and voice to entice users to click.

The result was&#8230; a rejected campaign! Unfortunately, despite our passion for this particular project, we were unable to get it cleared by the client.

Discover the power of search advertising – a steadfast approach to generating leads across every industry. Utilize search ads to connect with audiences worldwide, enhance your brand&#8217;s reach, and spark a surge in valuable leads. Ready to take the plunge?

What would you do with more leads?

70% increase in product marketing from paid search

Vitalis Extraction Tech, a Canadian engineering firm, excels in producing cutting-edge supercritical CO2 extraction systems. Catering to pharmaceutical, biotech, F&#038;B, and botanical sectors, their innovation propels them as global leaders.

A Holistic Marketing Approach

Vitalis’ online lead generation was inconsistent, poorly-tracked, and expensive.
Our goal was to improve the volume and quality of online leads through search advertising, while providing better reporting and attribution to demonstrate return on investment.

We audited and restructured Vitalis’ search advertising campaigns to target international audiences including an emphasis on emerging markets in Latin America.
Over time, we developed new landing pages and an updated, high-performance website with powerful tracking features to provide marketing attribution for search campaigns.

From the moment BlackBean took over search advertising, we saw: 
• A 70% increase in leads generated; 
• Lead provenance expansion to 6 continents, including USA, Canada, Colombia, South Africa, Australia, Ukraine, and China; 
• The search ad campaigns generated more leads than any other lead source, including trade shows and events, phone enquiries, referrals, press/ PR, and outbound email marketing combined; 
• An 80% decrease in lead costs in Google Ads.

B2B product marketing

70% increase in product marketing from paid search

Leads, leads, leads for days. The search ad campaign developed by BlackBean for a Canadian manufacturer generated more leads than any other source.

A Holistic Marketing Approach

Challenge

Solution

Results

What would you do with more leads?

See Results in Action

Manufacturer Positioning for Distributor Success

Wayfinding for a large commercial building

Creative LinkedIn ad campaign for thermoforming

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B2B product marketing

70% increase in product marketing from paid search

Leads, leads, leads for days. The search ad campaign developed by BlackBean for a Canadian manufacturer generated more leads than any other source.

A Holistic Marketing Approach

Challenge

Solution

Results

What would you do with more leads?

See Results in Action

Manufacturer Positioning for Distributor Success

Wayfinding for a large commercial building

Creative LinkedIn ad campaign for thermoforming

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Ready for bolt-on marketing performance?

Let’s make your marketing a powerful growth tool!