A Rebrand Roadmap for Complex Channels in the Residential Space

This guide will take you through the essential steps of executing a successful rebrand in a complicated channel. Along the way, we’ll look at examples, consider the necessary evil of planning, what to do with old inventory, and creating excitement for change – a scary word sometimes in the building materials industry.

While we're focusing on execution, it’s important to note that these projects are typically driven by critical strategic needs like a merger or acquisition, a response to shifting market trends, or the need to align the brand image with an expanded or improved promise. For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume the decision has already been made and we will focus on mapping out what’s involved in getting it done.

To tackle rebranding correctly, it’s crucial to first understand the system you’re working within. For manufacturers serving the building materials, construction or home improvement industries, your value chain is likely stacked with layers. Each of these stakeholders has distinct priorities, sales drivers and marketing strategies, which can conflict or intersect.  

For instance, distributors managing multiple brands may prioritize those with strong promotional support, while contractors will lean towards products that simplify their work or enhance their reputation with clients. A successful B2B strategy must account for these complexities, ensuring alignment across the supply chain to optimize visibility, engagement and sales performance.

Start by stepping back to think about the key players in your particular channel, and how each goes to market.

• Manufacturers need to position themselves as in-demand and reliable, and in control of their brand/product changes. Depending on the company’s strategy it may position itself on pillars like product leadership, service excellence, premium branding or superior operations. Regardless, manufacturers rely critically on their value chain partners and must ensure each is acknowledged through the process.

• Distributors, whether operating in 1-step or 2-step models, often emphasize product availability, logistics, service and their ability to support multiple brands, making them pivotal in a manufacturer’s ability to drive awareness of and access to their products. They want to offer strong brands, move inventory quickly and build a strong reputation with their dealer customers.

• Dealers and retailers act as the bridge to end customers, focusing on product-centric marketing like merchandising, promotions, loyalty programs and e-commerce. Often, their shelves are the first places a consumer discovers a product or brand, and the place many pros rely on as showrooms to help homeowners finalize color and product selections.

• Pros/contractors play a key role as influencers, shaping homeowner decisions. Their recommendations are based on a mix of manufacturer relationship, product performance, and ease of procurement. They want to know their manufacturers are investing in their brands, driving consumer demand and available to provide marketing support.

• Homeowners are the ultimate end-users, but their purchasing decisions are shaped by every layer of the chain above. Effective marketing to this group often involves brand messaging that highlights quality, aesthetics and long-term value, informed by the efforts of contractors, dealers and retailers. In the construction/home improvement categories, homeowners need guidance and want to feel good about their investment.

Rebranding means (eventually) updating every touchpoint—packaging, displays, print materials, websites, vehicles, building signage and more. Start by surveying your existing suite of assets in the market to determine a level of prioritization. Consider questions like:

• Are we willing to have a mix of old and new branded goods out in the market at the same time? And if not, will we incentivize channel partners to switch them out?

• What materials do internal sales, distributors and other customers order most often from the promotional store? (If you have a promo store, evaluate what SKUs move the fastest and at the highest volumes).

• Are there any key dates for the business by which the new branding needs to be in place? (e.g., new product launches, large customer events, retail line reviews, etc.)

• How much inventory of everything does the company currently hold? What would it cost to release it?

• What takes the longest to produce/re-produce with the new branding (e.g., a website versus sell sheets)?

Once you’ve assessed where you are, it’s time to establish where you’re going. Be specific. Don't settle for vague ambitions like “roll out the new brand.” Instead, set clear, actionable objectives:

• Refresh the top 50% of promo items/marketing materials by month 6.

• Ensure all merchandising is rebranded by the next significant tradeshow.

• Re-imagine the website before the next TV campaign hits the market.

Ideally, and with a greater level of detail, marketers can ensure leadership understands what success looks like, and that key milestones most important to the business will be considered.

A rebrand will not be successful without the acknowledgement, understanding and advocacy of the sales and customer teams. Make it easy for them to answer questions and communicate to their contacts. Some ideas:

• Be very clear about what is and is not changing.

• Schedule training sessions on the rationale, the new brand identity and timing.

• Arm them with FAQs and messaging that proactively addresses questions.

• Get feedback from these teams to validate or adjust the rollout plan.

An easy way to make sure everyone is in the know is to ask for time on existing sales or department calls to provide updates on the rebrand process. Revisit the roadmap. Point out how their feedback has impacted or improved the plan. Continue through the entire process.

Communication is the backbone of your rebrand. If done poorly, it will cause confusion across the channel and dilute your message. If done well, it can create a sense of shared purpose and momentum. *Important: be prepared to share a high-level timeline/roadmap with your channel partners, along with the “why” behind the transition. Get creative –videos, presentations, webinars and other items may be great supplements to your existing communications.

Start by creating a brand launch strategy that addresses key stakeholders at every level of the value chain. This includes:

• Distributors: Involve them early. Get feedback and identify what they need most to support in the execution. Consider co-marketing ideas if they have a team.

• Dealers: Survey your dealers and set up sales calls with top customers to specifically discuss their needs during the rebrand transition. Identify what materials, tools and support they need. Ensure they are aware of changes before their customers are.

• Contractors: Help them understand how the brand updates will make their jobs easier, more efficient or more profitable. Provide details on when homeowner marketing will reflect recent changes.

• Homeowners: The key with this group is consistency. Homeowners’ journeys tend to be long, complex and often frustrating, so it’s critical to push for consistency at each touch point. A disjointed brand experience can look sloppy, create confusion and result in a lost project, so have email templates, digital, retail signage and other direct-to-consumer materials ready before advertising launches.

Set expectations with all groups. Remind them of the roadmap, frequently. Reinforce the rationale for the change at each communication and recognize any pain your customers may perceive to come from change. To ensure no partner is left behind, it helps to have a communication checklist for each channel segment.

Many companies put off projects like this because it’s a large investment; it can be perceived as difficult to measure and less tied to direct ROI. Rebranding is a long-game decision. But even after an organization has determined the rebrand is critical to its future success and part of a broader strategic vision, surprises can surface. Some cost-drivers to consider:

1. Costs for inventory write-offs if new branding and content changes render your materials obsolete.
   
   
2. Cost of new inventory replenishment, including potential rush printing fees.
   
   
3. Agency fees for creative work and brand guidelines.
   
   
4. The cost to re-shoot all product photography and videography.
   
   
5. The "soft cost" of internal team members' time dedicated to the project.

Because you’ve established objectives and milestones for the rebrand, you will need some tracking and benchmarking to further reinforce your decision and methods for execution.

• Fulfillment partners can support you with data and visibility to what materials are being ordered, and at what rate.

• Brand perception can be measured through surveys and customer feedback. We recommend deploying surveys before and after the changes, along with pulse checks to gauge market response from customers.

• Digital metrics that inform your team on any consumer behavior change (web experience surveys, conversion rates, order values, etc.).

• Real-time reputation measurement and social media monitoring to learn how people perceive the content and how your brand compares to competition.

Continuously reminding the organization of the “why” behind the rebrand and the execution plan, along with stories of progress, will help marketing leaders look controlled and competent – and aligned with the broader strategy.

For inspiration, here are a few examples of companies that have recently pulled off successful rebrands in complex systems:

1. Sherwin-Williams’ acquisition of Valspar has resulted in exponential market share growth due to its global footprint and expanded capabilities – with a thoughtful approach to leveraging each brand across its retail channels.
   
   
2. QXO recently acquired Beacon building products, and rebranded in a matter of months, suggesting a seriously organized and well-executed effort. Within less than three months, Beacon as a stand-alone brand is rarely visible.
   
   
3. Stanley Black & Decker executed a gradual transition of its hand tools product line to align with homeowner-focused messaging, ensuring negligible disruptions in retail. 
   
   
4. TimberTech decking, formerly two brands (AZEK decking and TimberTech decking), executed a multi-year rebrand that elevated its premium appeal. It provided a stronger good-better-best product mix, simplified and strengthened its leadership position and created a cleaner experience for customers.
   
   
5. Catalyst Fencing consolidated products from Barrette Outdoor Living, AlumiGuard, ActiveYards, and multiple private label brands into one, creating the industry’s broadest offering in a single brand designed to add value and simplify selection.

Ready to embark on a rebranding journey? Whether you’re introducing a new corporate brand architecture after a series of mergers, repositioning a legacy brand to be more competitive, or relaunching a product brand, here’s a recap of key actions you can take to help ensure a successful transition.

• Understand your channel’s layers, nuances and challenges.

• Conduct a thorough audit of your current brand to identify gaps.

• Set clear, measurable objectives for the rebrand.

• Build and execute a comprehensive communication strategy.

• Train and enable channel partners to represent the new brand.

• Decide on the best approach to manage existing inventory.

• Monitor progress to measure success and optimize efforts.

Interested in applying this expertise in your own business? Contact us. We can work with your teams to develop roadmaps, execution checklists and strategic communications that are tailored to members of your value chain.