Creating and maintaining brand identity in a market not known for image-conscious advertising.
ATI Wah Chang in Albany, Oregon has been a leader in the specialty metals industry for over 50 years, and they are always looking for ways to keep their existing and potential customers informed about who they are and what they offer. DesignPoint has worked closely with them for several years on a variety of marketing pieces and in 2005, in a classic example of “one thing leads to another,” we began working on a whole new look for their company.
In late 2005 we were asked by Wah Chang to develop a calendar for 2006 to help celebrate their 50th anniversary. We coordinated with their marketing department and submitted a design that was complimentary to their existing materials, but brought a new style and focus to their identity. The calendar was very well received and sparked a redevelopment of almost their entire marketing campaign.
The next piece to utilize this new look was Wah Chang’s 50th Anniversary Brochure, which is a piece that highlights the interesting history and exciting technologies that make Wah Chang what they are today. That project gave us an opportunity to really explore the potential of the new look and made it possible for us to apply it to everything from business cards to lobby displays. We are still busily incorporating more facets of their identity with this new look and we are extremely proud of the results.
A big part of the success we are having with the development of this campaign, and in our relationship with Wah Chang, is due to their marketing department. They are committed to promoting their company image and rising above the norm in their industry. Specialty metals is a field that relies heavily on statistics and research, and in most cases, the accompanying marketing material is focused solely on technical data. Wah Chang is going beyond the basics and using attractive photography and a consistent image to help present their technical information and to better position themselves and their products.
Consistency is one of the most important concepts we work with here at DesignPoint. It is important for your customers to be able to easily recognize your marketing materials amidst the background noise. It greatly increases effectiveness when people know at a glance that the piece of advertising they are looking at came from your company. Wah Chang is building consistency across the board and we are confident it will give them an advantage in their industry.
A sampling of the collateral material created for ATI Wah Chang…
“What I like about DesignPoint is that it’s a very creative agency that is able to turn on a dime. We’ve often ask DP to help with projects on tight schedules, and the company comes through with great work every time. For example, DesignPoint helped us put together a pictorial timeline depicting our history to commemorate our fifty year anniversary. The entire project, including selecting images, framing, and mounting took about three weeks to complete, just in time for a three-day celebration. This is just one of many examples of how DesignPoint has come through for us in the clutch.
DesignPoint is also able to handle steady work; They’ve been designing our Outlook newsletter for about 10 years now, and the quality of the publication has been consistently great. Some of my customers tell me that it’s the best newsletter in the metals industry.
During my 22 years in marketing, I’ve worked with designers across the United States and around the world. In my opinion, DesignPoint is among the very best. Year after year, quality, service, and overall value keep us coming back for our promotional materials and special projects, When it comes to agencies, it’s been said that they are a dime a dozen; I guess that I look at DesignPoint as more of a diamond in the rough.”
— Kirk Richardson, Marketing Manager, ATI Wah Chang
50th Anniversary pictorial timeline in the ATI Wah Chang Visitor’s Center.