The great Homemakers makeover
Homemakers needed their brand to work a lot harder for the business. They approached REX to help them align consumer perception with their offering. The challenge lay in the fact that while Homemakers’ divisional brands – Homemakers Fair, Homemakers Expo, HomeTalk and Complex Living – had the same client bases, there was no synergy between them. REX needed to reposition Homemakers as a great home improvement ideas provider instead of the DIY company consumers perceived it as, and change the outdated styling to one that was contemporary, credible and consumer-friendly.
REX’s first task was to create uniformity and brand synergy with the Homemakers name. In keeping with Homemakers fair and Homemakers expo, we changed HomeTalk to Homemakers talk and Complex Living to Homemakers living. In addition, two entirely new opportunities were identified for the brand which resulted in the birthing of both Homemakers online and Homemakers mobi applications. These name changes identify each entity as being part of one brand even though their offerings might vary. The primary identity, or mother brand, delivers the credibility for which HOMEMAKERS is known nationwide – however the single biggest consideration for this re-branding exercise was consumer appeal.
In tackling the HOMEMAKERS brand architecture, REX effectively restructured the business by bundling the company’s events, print and digital offerings together. Not only does this reduce corporate clutter and deliver greater efficiency, but it also maps future business opportunities by creating a structure into which new entities can naturally slot.
The brand symbol acts as a monogram for the brand that, thanks to a clever play on perspective, transforms itself before the viewer’s eyes, creating a sense of energy and dynamism. The roof turns into an and arrow shape that convey upward movement, the symbol is a visual manifestation of ‘home improvement’.
The re-branding process has not only repositioned Homemakers in the public consciousness but also created a structure that allows for improved cross-selling between each of the brand’s divisions, and a revitalised image that can take the brand proudly into the future. By providing the people in the business with a visual representation of where the HOMEMAKERS brand could go, it also instilled in them a belief in the bright new future encapsulated in the brand. It’s a prime example of how design can help a business to do much more with what it’s got!
