Rebranding
Company rebrand lights up a powerful valuation
After 50 years Texas Fluorescents was overdue for a company rebrand, having expanded beyond Texas and evolved past fluorescents. One year post-rebrand, the new Saylite successfully sold to a private equity buyer.
Project highlights:
Research: site visits, competitive review, sales and customer interviews
Brand strategy: new positioning and messaging
Identity: new name, redesigned logo and visual identity
Brand launch: phased, inside-out rollout
Website, key marketing materials, sales tools and training
Two generations, one vision.
Being held back by an outdated brand
For two generations Texas Fluorescents delivered lighting solutions for businesses and consumers. They had one of the broadest selections and best stories in the market. And they had navigated some of the major disruption in their industry.
But while the business evolved, the brand was holding them back. Their sales team needed extra legwork to overcome an obsolete (even misleading) name. And while a strong brand may boost sales and margins, theirs hadn’t gotten attention or investment in decades.
The winning moodboard, which sparked a new logo and visual identity.
Positioning and brand naming with new focus
From our deep research, we changed the story from fast-and-cheap (a losing battle with China) to custom engineering and personal service. In doing so, we repositioned around the central issue of today’s customer and found a sweet spot in their market.
And this shift also meant new brand naming, overdue after they long ago expanded beyond Texas and fluorescents. Reinvented as Saylite they can focus on solutions over SKUs, and highlight their heritage as a family business.
The new Saylite visual identity deconstructs what people expect from a lighting company.
Electric brand identity and logo design
Next we redesigned their visual identity to help elevate lighting from a functional afterthought to an aesthetic essential. The simple and bold logo deconstructs what we expect from a lighting company. And it pops, especially against a black background or paired with powerful photography.
Channeling a company rebrand into market impact
To launch the Saylite brand we created new marketing and sales materials, as well as a new website. As a result, each touchpoint now channels the brand’s energy to better connect with customers, and addresses how they explore lighting today.
An internal event helped employees understand what was changing and why.
Inside-out launch to dial up employee buzz
We also guided an inside-out rollout to earn buy-in from employees. This included bringing in their management team from the beginning, who got value from the rebranding process itself.
Then at an all-company internal launch event we explained the need for change, got employees excited, kicked off sales training, and gathered their thoughts and feedback.
A powerful company rebrand paved the way for acquisition.
Company rebrand meets private equity
The new brand quickly proved to be an asset that can power growth. This was clear one year post-launch, when Saylite attracted a private equity buyer and sold the company. And they also found the new brand helped recruiting by attracting more applicants from larger companies.
The future of Saylite is bright.
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