DC Structures is a nationwide building kit company that specializes in the design and assembly of pre-engineered materials packages.
Challenges
Eris had to address two major challenges when developing the DC Structures marketing strategy. The first relates to DC Structures as a subsidiary of high-end design and construction firm DC Builders, while the second concerns its unique product offerings within a fairly cornered niche market. Both challenges pertain to differentiation, and would call for an integrated marketing plan consisting of clear messaging, associative design, and smart digital growth tactics.
Challenge: Positioning
As the subsidiary of a large custom design and construction firm, DC Structures would need to clearly differentiate its product and service offerings from those of its parent company. DC Structures’ overall messaging objective was to find a balance between clear delineation of each business’s position in the building and construction market and clear communication of the same high-quality ethos that both companies embody.
The promise of step-by-step quality service is a major component of the DC brands, but the processes that customers engage in with each company differ in qualitative ways. DC Builders specializes in high-end, one-of-a-kind, custom building design and construction―a narrow target market with high spending capabilities. DC Structures, on the other hand, needed to be positioned as a more accessible, affordable, and simplified option with the same quality materials and customer service. Furthermore, it would need to be made clear that DC Structures does not offer construction services, just the pre-engineered plans and builder-ready materials package.
Challenge: Differentiation
Aside from the necessary differentiation between the DC brand service offerings, it was also imperative that DC Structures’ messaging strategy communicate the value that sets it apart from its competition. Companies that design and assemble pre-engineered building kits occupy a niche market with a lot of potential for growth. That said, DC Structures was created to fill an obvious gap in the industry, focusing its efforts on one-on-one customer service, higher quality materials, and the ability to personalize and customize building plans while still engaging in the same streamlined process.
Search Engine Optimization
An additional component of market differentiation would involve technical tactics to earn DC Structures favorable visibility in relevant search engine queries. Prior to when DC Structures was established, the few companies that already catered to the pre-engineered building package audience had earned a substantial amount of organic search traffic as a result of low-competition keyword opportunities. Thus, DC Structures’ SEO strategy would necessitate a great deal of informative web copy and landing pages to both drive organic viewers to the website and elevate the company’s position on search engine results pages.
Solutions
To address the multi-level differentiation challenges faced by DC Structures, Eris built and executed a marketing strategy that relied heavily on the development of the brand’s story and identity, as well as SEO. The design and messaging processes were applied to the challenge of communicating product and service differences between the DC brands and the quality promise that separates DC Structures from other building kit companies. The SEO strategy, including blog content, landing pages, keyword research, and on-page optimization was channeled into efforts to earn organic search traffic and qualified sales leads.
Solution: Brand Identity
DC Structures’ visual identity and brand story were developed in tandem to accurately reflect the company’s values of service and quality. Logo and branding were designed to be reminiscent of the DC Builders brand with some key distinguishing features. While brand collateral for DC Builders emphasizes the company’s high-end market placement, the website and design collateral for DC Structures is brighter and more approachable. The stories told by each company communicate the process and products offered through each respective brand. To drive this point home, a notable section of the DC Structures website was dedicated to explaining the various processes available for design and assembly of a pre-engineered building package.
Solution: Search Engine Optimization
In addition to messaging that served to both distinguish and unify the two DC brands, much content was produced for the purpose of driving organic search traffic. Organic site visits are one of the most valuable metrics to keep an eye on when tracking website analytics. This kind of traffic carries more weight because it was intentional on behalf of the person conducting the online search. In other words, someone who lands on your site by way of relevant keyword search queries is likely trying to learn more about a product or service that your company offers. More than anything else, SEO is designed to deliver a brand’s message to the audience most interested in hearing it.
The production of optimized landing pages and informative blog content was a major factor in boosting DC Structures’ placement on search engine results pages. Eris strategized and developed a number of targeted landing pages―built around relevant and informative copy―and optimized them to rank for low-competition, high-opportunity keywords related to DC Structures’ products and services. Additionally, a strategy for regular blog content was enacted to provide DC Structures’ target market with information relevant to their lifestyles and adjacent to DC Structures’ services. This web content reinforces the site’s efforts to climb keyword rankings while also positioning DC Structures as a relatable and trustworthy authoritative voice.
