DG Morrison, Inc. (DG) provides custom design services, product manufacturing, and printing services. The company hired HCP for a market snapshot to build a strategy that would optimize their operations and streamline the sales process. 

At the time, they were operating three businesses—one that appealed to the product needs of golf courses, one that appealed to residential builders and HOAs, and the third that targeted various end-users through a series of products made from recycled materials. HCP recommended studying customers, prospects, competitors, and employees to get a full picture. 

Employee interviews involved in-depth conversations regarding their current operations, from manufacturing to sales to customer service. The team gained an understanding of the workflow, management structure, what worked well, and operational changes that could increase productivity. 

There is significant competition within the space, which made it critical to pinpoint unique positioning for the current product lines and identify new vertical markets for pursuit. The team looked into all competitors’ target markets and the business potential for DG within each vertical to separate the aspirational markets from their realistic bread and butter. 

DG promised high-quality craftsmanship and customer service. Interviews with prior customers confirmed these promises and produced insight from their respective experiences with DG and DG’s competitors. Feedback gained also helped us better understand the reason for selection and the overall decision-making process. 

At the end of the snapshot, HCP delivered a series of recommendations regarding operational needs, industries with the greatest potential, and customer requests. The most impactful recommendation, however, had to do with the company’s branding and positioning. To achieve the desired prestige, operating under the disparate brands of R3, Designer Golf, and Site Essentials would no longer suffice. 

HCP recommended instating a parent brand that would house vertical market sub-brands. Due to its recognition and established following, Designer Golf would continue to exist, but the parent brand with the verticals of Clubs, Communities, Food Service, and Resorts would be proactively marketed. 

Naming the parent brand was critical, and the team arrived on the word “arete,” which is an aggregate of qualities valor, virtue, good character. This fits with the long-held brand promise and reiterated by the company’s clients as a competitive advantage. 

HCP developed a logo, collateral, new website, and buyer’s guide in tune with the new brand. The firm also outlined a year of tradeshows and activities to introduce Arete Industries as the new brand and collaborate with management in a consulting capacity.