Strategic improvement of a strong brand, at home and abroad

Challenge

What is the best way to make it clear what customers can turn to Paneltim for? How can we explain our technical expertise to the market more effectively? And how do you build a brand story that is ready for growth, also internationally? With these questions in mind, Paneltim approached Comma. Together, we developed a strategic marketing programme focusing on positioning, target audience insight, the customer journey and product-market choices. The aim was not to reinvent Paneltim, but to define company’s strengths more accurately and communicate them in a more consistently and customer-focused way.

Our approach

Improved positioning for a technical B2B brand

A strong brand story starts with its business reality, and for Paneltim, that is primarily application-focused thinking. The company does not start from its plastic panels in themselves but focuses on what customers need: lightweight, strong and hygienic solutions that are practical, long-lasting and worth their value. In this strategic process, we used our well-known Comma brand model as it consistently succeeds in bringing identity and image closer together by asking the following questions. Who is Paneltim today, how does the market view the brand and what sets it apart?

A brand strategy needs team endorsement

A brand strategy can only work if it is supported by the people who bring the brand to life every day. That is why the Paneltim team was actively involved in the process. Various voices from across the organisation shared their perspectives on customers, applications, strengths and challenges. This ensured that this strategic process did not become some external exercise, but rather an internally shared compass for marketing, sales and communication.

The right product-market choices for international growth

Paneltim operates across a wide range of applications and markets. To maintain the right focus, a product-market approach was used to investigate where their strongest foundation currently lies, where the growth opportunities are and where further validation is needed. The United States was clearly identified as an additional market in the process.

Target audience analysis that go beyond sector and role

In B2B marketing, it is not enough to describe target audiences based solely on sectors or roles. Understanding what customers need in order to gain their trust is far more important. Some customers seek technical assurance. Others want practical clarity, references, documentation or personal advice. Through Comma’s target audience analysis, Paneltim gains a better understanding of these questions and concerns. This enables them to develop communications that are more closely aligned with the customer’s reality.

Customer journey, the basis for better communication

To improve Paneltim’s communication, we also mapped out the customer journey – the entire customer path from initial interest through to evaluation, decision, purchase and use. This highlights what information is needed at each stage. Initially, a potential customer wants to understand what is possible. Later on, evidence, case studies, technical information and clear next steps become more important. The customer journey allows Paneltim to communicate in a more consistent manner and to base its approach more on actual customer questions.