Rebranding and Marketing Development in Podiatry Industry on the Romanian Market: Case Study for Nail Secrets
How to Build the Brand and Develop the Brand Communication in a Family Company which has Outgrown Itself?
Reading time: 5 minutes
Needs & Challenges
Online Presence Enhancement
Upgrading the brand image, marketing and PR communication incl. digital strategies to reflect the company’s professional evolution and business growth.
Complex Rebranding
Transitioning from a broad, less differentiated market approach to a structured brand architecture with clear communication channel strategies, targeted messaging for distinct audience segments.
Goals
- Optimize the Market Positioning
- Transform Brand Appearance
- Clarify Communication Directions
- Develop Community Engagement
My Role
- Brand Communication Strategy Development incl. Market Research with Competitor and Target Group Analyze
- Brand Positioning, Brand Identity Definition and Brand Messaging Formulation
- Websites’ Structure and Content Improvement
- Social Media Strategy Development
- Project Management of Brand Visual, Web and Social Media Development
Duration
Start Date: October 2022
- Current Status: Ongoing partnership, currently as a consultant in monthly communications planning
1. About the Industry
The company, a prominent player in the podiatry industry in Romania, operates through three distinct yet interconnected lines of business, catering to a wide range of needs within the foot care and treatment domain.
The three main lines:
- Podiatry center: offering comprehensive foot care and treatments.
- Education for podiatry professionals: providing courses, trainings, and workshops to enhance their skills and learn new international methodologies.
- Webshop: selling podiatry tools and products for both home care and professional appliance.
2. Duration of Joint Work
The collaboration began in October 2022. Initially, I was reached out to help them enhance their brand image and web presence, but following our first two discussions it came out that the overall communication strategy, brand architecture should be developed too, to reflect and be aligned to the impressive evolution that had happened in their professional business.
After preparing the brand positioning, communication strategy, brand identity and messaging development, I supported my clients as a project manager in the execution of plans: brand visual, web, social media communication development.
Following the closure of these projects since Summer 2023 my role has changed to that of an advisor.
At this stage I provide support in quarterly and monthly planning to step-by-step implement the elements of our strategies, and to continuously adapt the communication to the company’s evolving needs and market dynamics.
3. Purpose of Joint Work
Firstly, rebranding to align the brand to the impressive evolution that had happened in the business. Secondly, developing a clear brand architecture to efficiently target specific audiences. Thirdly, improving digital marketing to strengthen the online presence and sales.
4. About the Process
4.1. Brand Communication Strategy
Initial Research and Analysis
The foundation of our strategy was laid with extensive local and international market research and a thorough competitor and target group analysis. This critical first step allowed us to understand the local and international market landscape, see benchmarks and international best practices, identify opportunities, and recognize potential challenges.
Brand Architecture Development
Segmentation played a crucial role in this phase, helping us to categorize the market and target audiences effectively, and what is even more important, to define the brand architecture incl. an umbrella brand (called ‘Nail Secrets’ instead of former ‘My Nail Store’) with new sub-brands (Nail Secrets Academy, Nail Secrets Clinic) aligned to target audiences’ needs and the company product and service offers. Also the webshop (Nail Secrets Store) was incorporated into the architecture.
Brand Positioning and Communication Strategy
Based on the insights gained and the company’s business objectives, sales, pricing, and product strategy, I developed the brand positioning and communication strategy. This brand strategy was tailored for all sub-brands, outlining communication objectives across short, medium, and long-term periods, ensuring alignment with the overarching business goals. This brand communication strategy also included the advertising strategy and a detailed communication mix, specifying the channels, tools, and content types for each sub-brand. This phase also addressed the human resources, the processes, and the budget necessary to bring the strategy to life. Also action plans were crafted to guide the implementation process.
4.2. Brand Identity Development
Messaging and Identity
I established the core brand messages for the umbrella brand (values, purpose, mission, vision, value proposition, slogan) as well as for each sub-brand (solution-benefit statements, differentiating points, credibility points, value propositions). Furthermore, I drafted the brand essence and the brand story.
Brand Personality
The brand personality, characteristics, style and tone of voice were clarified to ensure a cohesive and consistent brand identity.
Visual Identity Development
I led the development of the visual identity. With the help of a freelance graphic designer, a brand book was created with logos, typography and detailed visual guidelines for the umbrella brand and each sub-brand. Furthermore, all brand assets were created, as well as the necessary web and social media design templates.
4.3. Web and Social Media Rebranding and Online Marketing Integration:
Web & Webshop
I scratched new website structures (kind of wireframes) by taking the new brand architecture (Nail Secrets, Nail Secrets Academy, Nail Secrets Clinic) aligned to specific business activities into consideration. I also put together the content incorporating key messages throughout, and after having the designs in hand, with the help of a web developer we brought everything to life. As part of this process also the webshop (Nail Secrets Store) received a comprehensive overhaul and optimisation.
Social Media
The rebranding extended to social media, where existing Instagram and Facebook pages were split into two ones and new pages were launched for both Nail Secrets Academy and Clinic, ensuring a tailored approach for each brand’s target group.
Online Marketing
An online marketing expert was involved to set up and manage email marketing, and advertising campaigns on Google and social media platforms, focusing on both products (webshop) and courses.
The scalable growth was the main goal. For an online store this is particularly important, as the right amount of product needs to be available in stock, so it is crucial to plan stock and scale the advertising budget reasonably.
In-House Marketing Development
The client’s son was trained to become the in-house marketer, handling social media, while the online marketer provided guidance on email marketing strategies and tactics.
Ongoing Communication Planning and Consultation
My role has evolved into that of a marketing advisor / brand consultant, focusing on quarterly and monthly planning. We define focal points based on business and communication goals, including what kind of brand awareness communication to run, what type of engagement communication to apply, which courses and products to promote, or loyalty activations to organize. A detailed monthly content calendar is always prepared incl. ads plans aligned to content strategy and advertising strategy.
Click on the image to see the whole website
5. What Was the End Result?
The strategic revamp and rebranding effort culminated in a series of transformative outcomes for the business, significantly enhancing its brand positioning and also scalable growth.
The initial challenge of targeting too broadly – attempting to appeal to an overly wide audience with a single brand, channel, and message – was successfully addressed through a refined brand architecture. This structure not only streamlined the company’s focus but also amplified its market impact.
The development of online marketing parts has also delivered results step by step in a concrete, quantifiable way.
Key Outcomes
Refined Brand Architecture
The introduction of an umbrella brand accompanied by 3 sub-brands marked a pivotal shift in the company’s strategic approach. The rebranding of “My Nail Store” to encompass Nail Secrets Clinic, Nail Secrets Academy, and Nail Secrets Store allowed for a more targeted and differentiated market presence. This change reflected the company’s growth and the diversification of its services and products beyond the original webshop model.
- Nail Secrets Clinic emerged as a dedicated center for foot care and treatments, establishing a strong identity in the realm of podiatric health services.
- Nail Secrets Academy positioned itself as a premier provider of professional training and education for podiatrists and foot care specialists, enhancing the brand’s contribution to professional development within the industry.
- Nail Secrets Store evolved into a specialized webshop for B2C customers, as well as B2B customers (professionals and retailers), offering a curated selection of products and tools essential for podiatry practice.
The brand, along with its sub-brands, now gets a unified, professional look that speaks volumes about our consistency and professionalism. This coherence across our visual and communicative identity has strengthened our position in the market amongst both clients and peers.
Scalable Growth
After revamping the approach, realigning specific strategies, optimising webshop and modifying ad settings, we’ve seen a boost in the effectiveness of ads. The new, more focused way of speaking to the audience has not only strengthened our position and visibility, but has also made our impact more significant.
Due to well-managed paid advertising, number of webshop visitorshas been increasing steadily but reasonably month by month.
Conversion rate increased from 1.6 % to 3 % thanks to webshop optimisation.
Between January-May in 2024 shopping cart value increased by 30% over the period, achieved with package offers and free shipping, not by cutting prices or offering discounts.
Previous customers have been converted into returning customers through email marketing, remarketing ads and social media posts.
For the future, we’re aiming to deepen our connection with our community. We’re planning to take the private Facebook group to the next level by nurturing a tight-knit community among our podiatry professionals. This space is for engagement, support, and sharing of knowledge. Additionally, we would like to use of the reseller network even more and introduce ambassadors to widen our reach and influence, fostering both growth and brand loyalty.
6. Client Feedback
„We’ve put our marketing communications on a completely new, strategic foundations. The initial project-based assignment has now been replaced by a monthly brand and marketing consultancy. Enikő is a precise, thorough and detail-oriented person. It’s a pleasure to see how the vision we had planned to achieve becoming a reality week after week thanks to our work together.” – Tibor Nagy (General Manager, Nail Secrets)
7. My Reflection on the Project
This project has been an exciting journey for me, marked by its complexity and the unique challenge of rebranding and segmenting a brand into distinct sub-brands.
Working closely with the client, whose dedication to growing a family business was tangible, added a personal dimension to the project. Observing the dynamic between the wife, the specialist behind the brand’s core competencies, the husband managing the business aspects, their son driving the marketing efforts, and the new professionals involved into business, operations and marketing development was inspiring. It provided a firsthand look at the power of a united family vision propelling a business forward.
This project happening on the Romanian market. Another interesting aspect was navigating the language barrier. Crafting brand messages in Hungarian and then having them translated into Romanian introduced an interesting twist to the communication process.
Launching a project aimed at transforming the identity of a podiatry family company offered a distinctive mix of challenges and prospects. This case study outlines the journey undertaken with Nail Secrets to elevate its brand positioning, coherent brand communication, aiming to showcase the company’s intrinsic professionalism and infuse a new viewpoint into its current story.
