Awarua Synergy

Client Situation:

Undergoing significant business expansion, Invercargill-based social enterprise Awarua Synergyapproach GoodSense for help with their marketing. Expanding both their range of services and their geographical territory, Awarua needed to update their brand and needed to communicate to their new target markets through a new website.

Essentially, as part of this new expansion, Awarua Synergy’s value proposition was changing. They were moving from providing mainly home insulation, through a government funded scheme to selling a range of home, farm and commercial energy efficiency products and installation services. Their objectives were to:

• Sell more actively
• Talk to new customers about the new product ranges.

Prior to approaching GoodSense, Awarua Synergy felt their website did not do a good job of representing them. As a result, their website at the time needed to change its:

• Structure
• Content
• Functionality
• Branding

What did GoodSense do?

To successfully help Awarua Synergy identify and reposition their brand, GoodSense ran a marketing workshop engaging the wider team.

The workshop, held on the Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff, where Awarua Synergy was born, explored and mapped the brand meaning, establishing a firm brand for Awarua Synergy, but also clear benefit messages for their target markets.

GoodSense worked closely with the Awarua Synergy team to identify the best approach to structure the information and content. A user mapping session, involving key staff and Awarua’s local design and development provider helped them determine:

• Who visited their website? To clearly identify the user groups that visited their website.
• Why are they on their website? To find out what information these user groups are seeking.
• What they want to do? To identify what mission accomplished looks like for those visitors. For example, to feel confident requesting a quote for solar pv installation online.
• The call to action for Awarua Synergy: to establish the preferred actions or contact methods for each user group and user need.

Branding and design approach

Following the workshop and message development GoodSense collaborated with Awarua Synergy’s Invercargill-based design company, Quantum, to bring new branding to life in an updated logo, website and marketing materials. Visually, colours were retained but design elements modernised and use of ‘real people’ in imagery was extended.

The brand and messaging were summarised for the Awarua staff and Board. This helps them keep their story consistent throughout the company, the staff and the sales team. Sumaria Beaton, CEO of Awarua Synergy also uses them when talking to new staff and getting them up to speed. The key messages are used as a framework and coaching tool in performance reviews and with staff on an ongoing basis to keep everyone on track and on message.

The Awarua Synergy team sent the new brand summary to their local radio and newspaper, who use it as a guide to produce adverts for them.

The rebranded logo incorporated the Maihi over Tahu Potiki at Te Rau Aroha Marae, embracing Awarua Synergy’s background.

Outcome for Awarua Synergy

The new branding, materials and website are generating notable increases in business for Awarua Synergy. The website is supporting business growth, generating qualified enquiries that convert successfully into sales. A Solar PV customer, recruited through the website, was highly impressed enough to comment, asking “Who did your website? It’s really good”. In May 2015, the Awarua Synergy team’s work was profiled nationwide by Pure Advantage.

Awarua Synergy enjoyed the process and working with GoodSense and used the team to provide further marketing and sales coaching and support.

“A big thank you for all the patience, incredible guidance and expertise you have provided us to have a great website.” Sumaria Beaton, General Manager, Awarua Synergy.

In September 2014, Awarua Synergy won the coveted Ngai Tahu Maori Business Network Suzanne Spencer Memorial Award, an achievement they attribute in part to the support from GoodSense in repositioning the brand and business:

“We had the pleasure of working with a Marketing company called GoodSense, their guidance has helped our company rebrand ourselves from being known as a government subsidy insulation company to a company that is Warming and Eco-Powering our Deep South.” Sumaria Beaton, General Manager, Awarua Synergy.

Find out more about how we can help you with planning your website or call Kath Dewar on 09 973 0960 or email us what you need.