After making a name for themselves as one of the nation’s most renowned sign experts, a California company sought to elevate their brand to reflect the position they had earned in their industry. A goal Olive & Company would help them reach.
In 1901, the Federal Heath Sign Company lit up their first electric sign. Throughout th
e next hundred years, they established a name as one of the nation’s largest and most innovative sign companies. Their team offers everything, from custom signage to multi-site project management, under five distinct brands. With a range of expertise that spans a variety of industries, from retail to gaming, the Federal Heath name has become synonymous with unique solutions and quality execution. From the creation of that first sign at the turn of the 20th century to today, the Federal Heath mantra remains “We do what we say we’re going to do.” It’s upon that mantra that the brand has built their sterling reputation.
Challenge: Living Up to a Reputation
Though the entire sign industry recognized Federal Heath for their innovation and leadership, the brand website did little to reflect the lofty position they had spent more than a century building. They had assets including a compelling brand story that drew on their experience and expertise and images that showcased their stunning, hand crafted signage. Still, their site failed to appropriately showcase these assets. Many of these assets were lost almost completely when customers accessed the site via mobile device.
This underutilization of assets was but one of the challenges Olive & Company would help Federal Heath overcome. The hierarchy of the company itself would also pose a challenge as we worked to design an elevated site experience. As the parent company to four other brands, we would need to demonstrate Federal Heath’s expertise and portfolio across a range of industries without overshadowing the solutions they offered through their other brands.
The final, and most important, solution Olive would need to deliver as we developed the Federal Heath website, was a way for the brand to connect and engage with potential and current customers.
Solution: A Brand Worthy of Their Name
The first step in meeting these challenges was to establish elevated messaging that would serve as a platform in telling the Federal Heath brand story throughout the site. Once we defined the brand voice, promise, tagline, and values, we determined how to combine this new messaging with Federal Heath’s strong images and existing content assets. Each element was incorporated into a strategy that focused on showcasing Federal Heath’s ability to bring their clients’ brands to life through innovative signage.
Building on this strategy, the Olive team created information architecture that allowed users to quickly understand the industries Federal Heath served, the solutions they could provide, and the skill and service they brought to every project. This content and architecture informed the user, while simultaneously driving them to connect with Federal Heath, either directly through the website contact form or socially through one of many channels available throughout the site.
Next, the design stage of the project allowed Olive & Company to elevate and enhance Federal Heath’s own brand, so that it mirrored the precise, consistent approach they put toward maintaining their clients’ brands.
Finally, a responsive approach was used in the development of the site to maximize user engagement across all devices. Even though the responsive approach was most prominent in the development stage of the project, Olive & Company incorporated responsive thinking into each phase. Content, architecture, design, and development all came together to provide a complete responsive experience.
Results: Elevated Site for an Engaged Audience
As a company that prided itself on protecting and elevating their clients’ brands, the Federal Heath team was pleased with how well the new site represented their own. The customer section of the site exhibited brand transparency as current customers could easily access service and offer feedback while potential (and current) customers were able to immediately engage with with the brand through the simple contact form and quick social links.
Throughout the site, we were able to solidify Federal Heath’s status as a thought leader in their field. As potential customers encountered examples of the company’s impeccable work from the moment they landed on the site, they came to see Federal Heath as a trusted steward of their brands.
“We searched nationwide for a creative team to help us redefine and re-launch our website. Olive & Company went the extra mile to really understand our industry-specific needs to help us better connect and engage with our customers. They continue to impress us with their expertise and passion for helping us find the right solutions; we’re very satisfied customers.”
– Lisa Peterson, Marketing Manager, Federal Heath
