JK Super Drive (tools industry): Distinguishing a brand in a proliferated market with unique focus to cover a huge range of products. Launched in 2013.
CONTEXT
JK Files was created in 1949 to manufacture files. Different family members of a large Indian family started different businesses with the JK name. So the mass public saw company names like JK Cement, JK Tyres, JK Fenner, JK Seeds, JK Insurance, JK Paper. Such diverse industries with the JK name was diluting the image of JK Files company which specializes in files, holding 30% global market share with files. The company has since introduced hand tools, power tools and drill bits in a very competitive market where Chinese products are floating with lower price and good looking products. Such competition was leading to price cuts, with JK Files brand losing retail presence and impact in the market.
PURPOSE
Products of JK Files are highly related to the livelihood generation of self independent professionals like electricians, plumbers and carpenters to the corporate industrial need. Also for DIY customers. In 2013 we were appointed to find a unique direction for JK brand to become very specific to the tool industry, become visible in the retail and grow the JK brand as a brand of diverse tools by consolidating their core business of tiles.
OBJECTIVE
To define the portfolio of a company with multiple products and accessories in the tools industry with a strong brand, and to make independent professionals, industrial and DIY customers aware of the quality of products which have the benefit of optimal productivity.
STRATEGIC EXECUTION
We first created a brand architecture for 5 segments of their products – Files, Hand tools, Power tools, Drill bits & Accessories. We brought extreme distinction among these 5 categories, and also distinguished each category very differently in their own competitive markets. So for a customer, there would be no time loss at the retail to understand the 5 segments of products from the stable of JK. This is a very critical factor, that customers and retailers quickly recognize their immediate need on the shelf.
We then designed this JK brand in a very distinctive way to differentiate it from all other diverse industry JK brands in the market. We created the colour palette of yellow, green and violet in the K of JK to give an edgy character signifying the existence of different segments of tools. In the middle to the logo, we used the head of the bolt which we established in graphic language to signify the tools industry. We created a new suffix name Super Drive as the functional benefit of the JK brand to make the brand relevant specifically to the tools industry.
In our digital era, reducing human effort has become essential, and in the industrial tools industry this becomes the most important factor as the payoff of the brand. So for the brand’s positioning and communication in the competitive scenario, we emphasized “Your speedy effortless tool” as the core value addition from the JK Super Drive brand. Speedy also reflects better earning for the end-customer, that means they can finish their job faster. Effortless represents reduction of their physical effort.
So in the packaging design of all their different industrial tools, the clarity of 5 distinctive categories and the coherence of JK Super Drive brand architecture created a huge impact in the hardware shop shelf. This visual segregation of the categories also eased the recognition factor for all distribution outlets, stockists and in the warehouses. The result was rapid profitable growth of the brand in the market making it become distinctive with its brand proposition. This is an example of creating distinction in industrial marketing, branding and communication of a brand that has enormous variety and plays in the commodity market.