Brand Architecture Toolkit: Optimizing the Portfolio for Growth 4.29.19
Market4 Ward Overview
1. Solutions For Business Growth
Marketing, Brand & Innovation Strategy
Mark Nowotarski
Principal Strategist
419-344-4897
Market4Ward, LLC
4664 Rhone Drive
Maumee, Ohio 43537
mnowotarski@market4ward.com www.market4ward.com
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
2. Solutions For Business Growth
Market4Ward is a marketing and branding consultancy with the purpose of
supporting and helping businesses to develop focused strategies that elevate
and grow their business. Market4Ward uses “ICCE” to develop strategic marketing
plans that will better position and differentiate companies in their market space and
against competition.
▪ INNOVATE Innovation is not just about developing the next great product.
It can also be a new approach to marketing, merchandising, or a
program/service that becomes your unique competitive advantage.
▪ COMMUNICATE A critical component is how your strategy gets communicated.
It starts with an internal plan to provide your employees a good
understanding of the strategy. It supports the culture and provides
the basis for “living the brand”.
▪ CHANGE The right strategic plan with the proper communications and
support creates positive change. It is subtle and gradual and
supports what is required to grow.
▪ EXCEL The end result is sustained growth through innovation.
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
3. Solutions For Business Growth
Mark Nowotarski is principal of Market4Ward.
With over 30 years of marketing and business
experience that includes product management,
marketing management, brand strategy, and
leading innovation initiatives for developing
new products, merchandising, marketing, and
solving business problems.
Over the past 28 years Mark has led product
management and brand marketing for several “Being in the consumer durable goods
building product companies including Artesian industry where a lot of products are
infrequent considered purchases,
Industries, MasterBrand Cabinets*, and and in most cases result in a sizable
Therma-Tru Doors*. investment, requires a marketing
approach that can differ dramatically
* Fortune Brand Home & Hardware companies
versus consumer packaged goods.” –
Mark Nowotarski
NOTE: The examples provided are from previous work done when working for Artesian, MasterBrand Cabinets & Therma-Tru Doors
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
4. Solutions For Business Growth
Mark Nowotarski’s Biography
Graduate of Michigan State University, B.S. in Packaging Engineering (Management Option).
Started career as Packaging Engineer for Berkley & Company, a leading manufacture of fishing and
boating products, and was promoted to Product Manager for all boating products.
Joined Artesian Industries, a privately held plumbing products company marketing exclusively to
regional and national home centers. Held positions as Product Manager and Manager for start-up
product lines including faucets and tub & shower enclosures.
Joined Aristokraft, Inc., a Fortune Brand company that changed its name to MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc.
after acquiring additional kitchen cabinet brands. Held positions of Product Manager, Marketing
Manager, and Brand Manager for Aristokraft, and Director of Brand Management for all cabinet brands
within the portfolio. Utilized consumer insights/homeowner segmentation to define unique brand
positions.
Transferred to Therma-Tru Doors, a newly acquired Fortune Brand company to take on the role of
Director – Marketing/Brand Management. Responsible for implementing consumer insights/homeowner
segmentation work, brand strategy development, and brand architecture alignment.
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
5. Solutions For Business Growth
Market4Ward offers a creative, innovative, results-oriented approach for developing
key strategies and lead the planning for implementation to drive new business growth.
Marketing Strategy: Develop marketing strategies that better align with your
corporate competitive strategy and business objectives to
grow market share.
Brand Development: Expertise in using fact based research to define brand strategy,
brand positioning, and brand architecture.
Customer Insights: Subject matter expert in consumer/homeowner segmentation,
customer differentiation, and purchase behavior.
Innovation Initiatives: Proven success in leading change through both product and
marketing innovation.
Brand/Product Marketing: Complete marketing plans for new product launches and
elevating the brand position, promise, and image.
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
6. Solutions For Business Growth
MARKETING STRATEGY
Business Case: MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc.
Between 1998 and 2000, MasterBrand Cabinets grew their family of cabinet brands to 14+, creating confusion in the
market channels, sales, weakening equities in some brands, and a real challenge in marketing budget allocations.
The business clearly needed to align brands based on their unique selling propositions and reasons-to-buy (believe).
Solution – Using consumer insights, channel alignment, and brand positioning, Aristokraft was positioned as the leading
“value” brand, Diamond as the step-up “semi-custom” brand focused on innovative storage and organization, and Decora′
as a premium “semi-custom” brand leading in style trends. These brands were supported with increased marketing
support while the other brands were allocated to “maintenance” support.
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
7. Solutions For Business Growth
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Business Case: Therma-Tru Doors, Inc.
For years Therma-Tru remained the leader in exterior entry doors, pioneering the fiberglass door category. During their
growth years, they had very little competition and strong distribution that focused on new construction. As the business
environment changed, channels grew more complex, and competition increased, Therma-Tru started diluting the brand by
branding products, technologies, and style names with no structure or guidelines. All this resulted in the weakening of the
Therma-Tru brand, continued market erosion, and a danger of commoditizing the brand.
Solution – Define and develop a brand strategy that aligns and supports the new corporate competitive strategy and
creates a brand architecture that clearly defines the rules and guidelines in order to start rebuilding the Therma-Tru brand.
Provide the decision criteria for determining when a “sub-brand” is appropriate or when the business case warrants a
unique brand not associated with Therma-Tru.
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
8. Solutions For Business Growth
CUSTOMER INSIGHTS
Business Case 1: Master Brand Cabinet, Inc.
When the added complexity of a growing family of cabinet brands offered little perceived
differentiation, it became essential to better understand what drives consumer purchasing
behaviors in order to best determine how to position the brands and align with unique
homeowner segments.
Solution – Conduct research focused on consumer’s attitudes and behaviors when
considering their purchase. Define the unique segments and determine which brands
aligned best with one or two key segments. Develop the brand positioning and marketing
required to best connect to consumers “in-the-zone”.
Business Case 2: Therma-Tru Doors, Inc.
While Therma-Tru was a great trade brand, there was very little connection with the
consumer. The goal was to take Therma-Tru from a great trade brand to an even
greater trade and consumer focused brand.
Solution – Consumer segmentation research was conducted and defined six distinct
segments of which four were determined to be primary targets. Training was then
developed to educate sales, dealers, builders and contractors to better connect with the
homeowner resulting in upgrade sales and increased satisfaction.
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
9. Solutions For Business Growth
INNOVATION INITIATIVES
Business Case 1: Diamond Logix®
Consumer insights discovered an unmet need that while homeowners were satisfied
with the look of their new kitchen design, their need for improved storage and
organization did not get resolved. In fact, while they expressed their desire for
improved efficiency, the kitchen designer focused on style and overall looks.
Solution – Develop a line of kitchen storage and organization cabinets tested with
consumers that dramatically improved accessibility, organization, and doubled
storage capacity.
Business Case 2: Therma-Tru Doors Display/Merchandising
Consumer insights discovered the shopping process for the homeowner was
confusing and overwhelming. The shopper was looking for simple solutions.
Instead they were bombarded with technical messaging that was difficult to
understand.
Solution – Design new merchandising that assists the consumer in a logical
approach to selecting the right door for their specific need. Simplify the approach
and educate them on architecture style, door style and decorative options.
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
10. Solutions For Business Growth
BRAND/PRODUCT MARKETING
THERMA-TRU DOORS
Generating more consumer appeal with new creative approaches.
MASTERBRAND CABINETS
Positioning Aristokraft as a “great value”, Diamond as the “storage
and organization” leader, and Decora′ as always being “on-trend
and in-style” cabinet brands.
ARTESIAN INDUSTRIES
Expanding the product portfolio with a proprietary line of faucets
including product designs, packaging and merchandising.
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel
11. Solutions For Business Growth
Looking for marketing results that will elevate your business and set you apart from
your competition?
CONTACT:
Mark Nowotarski
Principal Strategist
Market4Ward
419-344-4897
mnowotarski@market4ward.com
www.market4ward.com
Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel