The Challenge

Total Safety provides workplace safety solutions, safety training and safety equipment to global upstream, refinery and general industrial markets. When the company acquired its biggest competitor and several smaller companies — growing into an $85 million corporation — it was time for its brand position to be redefined. The merger of so many different entities resulted in a fragmented identity. For example, Total Safety’s client base viewed the company as primarily a products distributor. Marketing materials did not fully represent the scope of available services or their benefits. And internally, employees were unsure of the company’s mission and the direction it was heading.

The BrandExtract Solution

After a thorough brand assessment, BrandExtract presented Total Safety leadership with more than 100 recommendations for impacting rebranding, ranging from operations touch points to internal communications campaigns. BrandExtract advised changing the company tagline to "The Best Minds in the Business" to better reflect the company’s new position.

We worked closely with Total Safety executives to create a brand toolkit that would transform the company’s image from the inside out and was implemented in marketing materials, internal communication initiatives, customer surveys and more.

The Results

Today, Total Safety is one of the giants in the industry and is the largest company focused exclusively on workplace safety. In the five years we’ve been working with Total Safety, the company has tripled in size to more than 1,400 employees. Two years after launching its rebranding effort, Total Safety’s sales increased from $85 million in annual revenues to $100 million. In 2008, sales increased to $200 million, giving the company 100 percent growth within two years, which Total Safety partially attributes to its marketing efforts.

We worked closely with Total Safety executives to create a brand toolkit that would transform the company's image from the inside out, which included:

• A culture campaign featuring employees' children as a reminder that, ultimately, they're in the business of saving lives, not selling products
• An internal newsletter to better inform employees about the changes taking place within the company, aid communication across domestic and international offices, and engage everyone in the Total Safety mission
• An internal customer service campaign — from strategy to creative tactics to the production of materials — that we helped launch globally
• Brochures, product sheets, Web site, trade show materials, e-mail blasts and other collateral that would communicate and demonstrate that the company is setting a new standard for the entire safety industry
• A customer satisfaction survey, which offered valuable feedback regarding the changes the company was undergoing

IABC Bronze Quill Award

BrandExtract received the Award of Excellence in the employee campaign category for its work on The ONE Campaign on behalf of Total Safety. The ONE Campaign also received an Award of Merit for design.

Bronze Quill is IABC/Houston’s annual competition for communication professionals, with entries judged in 27 categories recognizing excellence in communication management, communication skills and communication creative. The competition is open to IABC members and non-members and includes categories for college level student entries. Winners were chosen by a jury of peers, including IABC members in the U.S. and Canada who are award-winning communicators.