Securing the future of the independents

Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG) is the largest builders merchant in the South of England, operating as a house of brands, working together to fulfil all building needs. Ian Kenny, the Group Head of Marketing, approached us with the main focus being on building the group, brand visibility and presence in the industry. IBMG is passionate about the local community, with a clear vision of ‘becoming the best local merchant to work for, and do business with’ – which was one of the main focus points when it came to bringing their brand strategy to life and shifting more focus to people and relationships, as opposed to products and services. To achieve this, we held a brand discovery workshop allowing us to really understand the business inside out, from those with the knowledge, bringing it all together in a brand strategy containing a new vision, mission and values.

Taking this information we created a series of concepts that really represented IBMG for presentation, from a development of the existing brand to more adventurous concepts introducing new fonts and colours, across multiple touch-points to really give the client a feel for each concept at the presentation stage. Feedback was received and the chosen design was finessed and developed, through to a final version everyone was happy represented IBMG going forward. This was then applied to a brand guidelines document, showcasing their ‘house of brands’ and giving clear instructions on how to use brand correctly and keep it consistent.

We then started working on developing the IBMG website, the existing website that was in place did not convey the brand values and services. The video banner on the homepage is engaging and focuses more on the staff, humanising the business and making it more personable, representing their values. Different divisions on the homepage include custom animations, which relate to the staff in action, the imagery and stats throughout the website brings the brand to life, as well as being educational. ‘Our Story’ has an interactive timeline that informs consumers of the acquisitions since the year 2018. With the addition of an interactive map, it’s also clear and easy for consumers to see merchants both in their area and at different locations.

With the brand refresh now complete, IBMG has a solid foundation on which to secure the future of the independents. We continue to work with IBMG, with their first ever Suppliers Day planned in 2023 and future acquisitions on the horizon, we look forward to playing our part in the continued growth and success of IBMG.

If you’re looking for help revitalising your brand identity, get in touch and see how we could help!