First impressions count, and small business logos are likely the first encounter that a potential customer has with a company. A high-quality logo instantly communicates a business’s style and philosophy. It’s the foundation of a company’s brand, and one of its most important assets. Of course, a brand doesn’t stop with the logo; instead, it should be incorporated across all business platforms and portrayed in every customer touch point.
Blanton’s Heating & Air, a heating and air conditioning contractor in Fayetteville, North Carolina, learned that its brand was much more than just a logo. With an influx of calls after a branding investment with Graphic D-Signs, Blanton’s realized that its brand extended well beyond its cheerful, vintage-styled mascot. The brand is within every aspect of the company, working to portray the business’s dedication to indoor home comfort and customer service.
A 60-year legacy of service is remarkable for any small business. As an already reputable HVAC company, Blanton’s needed something more. But, what did it need exactly? Blanton’s had to develop a fresh brand in order to succeed in the saturated North Carolina HVAC market.
“The ‘aha’ moment came when I saw three white vans and their logos sitting at a stoplight. Nothing made any of them stand out, and one of them was mine,” said William Blanton, President of Blanton’s. “Our marketing was bland and inconsistent.”
At that moment, Blanton’s looked to Graphic D-Signs to breathe life into its bland brand. A retro, 1950s-themed brand and a comprehensive marketing strategy is just what they got—a strategy that would further increase brand recognition (and sales, too).
During analysis, Graphic D-Signs discovered what motivates the primary target audience to make HVAC-related decisions. The current market perception of Blanton’s was also identified, and several challenges were diagnosed, such as location. Located in a community inundated with HVAC companies and contractors, it was difficult for Blanton’s to get the recognition it deserved. Based on this analysis, the Graphic D-Signs team concluded that it was critical to create a brand that would stand out in a sea of bland competitors.
From there, Graphic D-Signs developed a brand with a 1950s flair that is anything but stodgy. The new brand is fresh, personal and professional. A purple and orange color scheme radiates comfort, while a period font drives the vintage theme home.
Once the new brand was established, it was integrated across all mediums—stationery and vehicle design, collateral, social media and website. Completing the retro look are organic geometric shapes with space-age accents used on the company’s collateral and website.
It was a pleasure partnering with such a well-respected HVAC contractor. Now, Blanton’s has a brand that it can be proud of—and the marketing tools to reinforce its company philosophy. Only a few months after the rebrand, Blanton’s began seeing a positive impact on its business.
“Customers are talking about our website, and heads are turning when we drive down the road,” said William, adding that he believes the new brand is the reason the company is getting more calls now than it was a year ago. “We are coming off the best four consecutive months we have had in years.”
Even more impressive is the reaction that Blanton’s received from local competitors.
“Another HVAC business owner that I have a lot of respect for told me, ‘Man, I really hate your trucks—because they aren’t mine,’” said William. “The best part is, we aren’t even finished yet.”
