Integration of Multiple Brands and Digital Marketing Project
Completion Timeframe: 12 Months
Introduction
In 2014 Southern Star Group acknowledged the need to streamline their inefficient sales and marketing processes across their multiple brands. They enlisted the help of PegboardCo. to design and implement a unified web platform, along with automated business processes, to save valuable resource time and allow for integration of their brands.
This case study illustrates how the web platform saved Southern Star Group 4-6 hours per day in labour, reduced print and administration costs by approximately 15%, and delivered ROI in less than 12 months.
About Southern Star Group
Southern Star Windows and Doors is a large privately owned Australian company specialising in the design, manufacture and distribution of an exclusive range of quality Aluminum and Timber Window and Door systems.
Established in 2002, and with an impressive customer base which boasts leading Australian project builders including, Metricon, Watersun Homes, Devine Homes and Hamlan Homes, Southern Star Windows and Doors is the fastest growing window and door manufacturer in Australia. Southern Star Windows prides itself on being a market leader and has built its reputation on expertise, quality and service.
Additionally, the Southern Star Group owns and operates two more national window and door brands; Canterbury Windows and Homeview Windows and Doors.
Brand isolation and disparate messaging
Southern Star is unique in that it has developed very strong presence in both the aluminium and timber door and window market. To achieve this it has purchased several brands over a number of years that has resulted in a multi-branded company environment and online presence.
Whilst successful, this approach has produced excessive marketing cost and resource requirements to maintain the presence of each brand. It has also prevented a consistent cross-brand message and sales strategy for the company nationally.
Additionally, Southern Star’s website was structured separately between their three brands;
Southern Star Windows and Doors
Canterbury Timber Windows and Doors
Homeview
Following an initial audit and scoping session of the company PegboardCo. isolated the key issues to be:
- An uncorrelated approach to bringing all brands together in one environment;
- Excessive resourcing costs for managing multi branded sites;
- Lack of integration of core systems for marketing and communications;
- Lack of sales reporting from digital services;
- Poor member services and automation driven by lack of integration; and
- An uncorrelated eDM approach across the company.
What Southern Star Group looked for to resolve these issues
Frustrated with their branding restrictions and realising that higher revenue streams and less resource costs were available, Southern Star acknowledged that something desperately needed to change. They began looking for a way forward to streamline their organisation for the future. Southern Star Group highlighted several key areas;
- An Enterprise Web Platform that was business system focused whilst still truly being a marketing and communications platform
- Strategic design capacity around mirroring the vision of the company as it began to merge its brands
- Integration into an existing CRM for better client management within an online portal
- Flexible and productive workflows for internal staff to utilize their work for the business logic
- Single Lead Vendor for project stability, point of contact, budget clarity and support services ongoing
- Security and integrity of overall system
- A viable return on investment for the organisation
The PegboardCo. Solution
Southern Star engaged PegboardCo. after recognising that Pegboard7 would facilitate the fulfilment of their system needs. Shaped through an initial in-depth consultation and several scoping workshops, the Southern Star system was built on Pegboard7 and customised to suit Southern Star’s specific requirements.
PegboardCo. enabled Southern Star Groups new web platform to be:
- User friendly
- Easy to access via mobility technology
- Customer friendly via Pegboard7 portal access
- Function rich with reusable workflow across the whole environment
- A marketing communications platform i.e. sending eDMs and member updates
- An integration of all three brands
- Updatable and flexible for staff to utilise
- Employed with a Virtual Cloud Instance to host Pegboard7
Overall project outcome for Southern Star Group
The overall end result delivered to Southern Star was an integrated and efficient platform that delivered intuitive and effective outcomes for Southern Star staff, its stakeholder’s, customers and clients. PegboardCo. was able to deliver measurable results and satisfy all of Southern Star’s KPIs and functionality requirements.
- Successfully automated their marketing and core business systems resulting in 4 to 6 hours saved per day in labour
- Implemented an automated CRM to Web Portal API within KPI tolerances
- Designed, built and delivered an integrated Pegboard7 website, reducing content management time by 8% and adding more ability for staff to fully manage their online presence (in comparison to old website)
- Implemented a new customer portal that eliminates needless data input by Southern Star staff. Saving approximately 7% in intern labour costs per month
- Increased the speed and ease for staff to access information by approximately 15%
- Reduced print and administration costs by approximately 15%
- Delivered entire project on time and within budget
- Delivered ROI in less than 12 months