Kelowna Sand and Gravel - top b2b brands
A rocking new brand for an aggregates company
We dusted off the look of Kelwona Sand & Gravel to make them look as modern and strong as they are. Out went the original logo, replaced by a versatile brand perfect for their industry.
Out with the "ew," in with the new
The new owners of Kelowna Sand and Gravel took over from the founder after many decades of good management and no marketing whatsoever. It was time to send a strong message to the market: there are new players in town, and they are young(er), hungry, and innovative. The team came to BlackBean because of our expertise in the industrial sector and strong, minimalistic design aesthetic. The objective was to create a strong brand that would represent their values and look great on signage and merchandise.
Challenge
Kelowna Sand and Gravel’s main challenge was understanding the purpose and objectives of branding. BlackBean had to demonstrate that what a brand is (and isn’t!), and who it is designed for. It’s a common misconception that a business owner has to like their brand. Jeff Bezos is widely quoted as saying, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” Those other people are your customers, present, past and future. Everything a brand does or communicates must be rooted in authenticity and alignment.
Solution
To work through common misconceptions and create alignment between the internal and external stakeholders, BlackBean held several meetings and hosted conversations around digital marketing, B2B branding and customer perception. By staying true to the main target audience of Kelowna Sand and Gravel – landscapers and construction companies, we designed a minimalistic, no-frill brand with a sans serif font with colours representing the main products of the company: basalt, mountain ash and gravel. The three slants represent the three letter of the abbreviated name.
We tested the brand on several digital products such as social media icons, and on promotional items such as caps, hard harts and shirts to make sure it stood the test of reality.
Results
The positive feedback and reviews started pouring in as soon as the clients launched their new brand. Their clients came back asking for stickers (we can’t order them fast enough!), and it is now considered one top B2B brand in the local aggregate industry. It is strong, authentic, modern and stands out among the competition.
A brand is how people perceive you
“As much as I wasn’t sold on the brand from the start, I came to understand that branding is about how other people – our customers view us. BlackBean got it exactly right on the first try, and we have received nothing but compliments about our new look. Now, I love it!” – K. Frame, General Manager
