From humble beginnings, Creative Stone has grown into a leader in the simulated stone industry in South Africa. With three specialised factories, they manufacture flagstone, cobbles, and cladding ranges that can be used for driveways, entertainment areas, sidewalks, pathways, patios, pool surrounds, walls, and fire pits.
With an unrelenting commitment to upholding the highest standards of manufacturing, precise craftsmanship, and the enduring quality of their products, Creative Stone has become a trusted partner for architects, landscapers, and discerning homeowners.
With adherence to excellence in form and function, Creative Stone has won numerous awards for design. Their simulated stone products have been featured in several lifestyle magazines and television programs.
The Business Challenge
Creative Stone had no clear marketing plan. They wanted to grow the business further but lacked the knowledge and vision to do so through their marketing. The challenge for them was in developing and consistently execute strategies that aligned with their overall business objectives.
“Before Brightside Marketing, our marketing was all over the place. And if something didn’t get done, we didn’t have a clear reason why.”– Brett Bailey, Sales and Marketing Manager, Creative Stone
Insights
What Creative Stone needed was a trusted partner—someone who could provide a sound strategy and journey.
Brightside partnered with GROW Marketing, to conduct an in-depth audit on the business and its current marketing tactics, pointing out areas for improvement, which were then used to develop a strategic marketing plan, giving Creative Stone a clear-cut plan on where they needed to go, and what they needed to do to get there.
Core Marketing issues identified:
- Lacked an integrated and holistic marketing strategy
- Marketing was tactical and ad hoc
- Digital presence (website) was not integrated into the brand and brand experience
- Social media was one-dimensional and not updated with impactful content
- Wanted to get more business from existing partners and find new partners
- Facebook following was ‘purchased’ with the wrong audience and low engagement
Why Brightside Marketing?
“After meeting the team and seeing their strategy and passion for execution it was clear that Brightside was the way to go. I was impressed with their ability to listen to the challenges and bring back solutions that exceeded expectations. Empathetic, insightful, creative, and strategic are just a few of the words to describe Brightside.” – Brett Bailey, Sales & Marketing Manager, Creative Stone
Solution
A strategically integrated approach to marketing
We needed to get the brand in front of the right audience and educate them on their offering in a way that was easily understood, and thanks to a well-articulated strategy with a unique blend of marketing tactics, we were able to guide and support Creative Stone toward meeting their marketing and business objectives.
What we achieved:
- A branding and marketing strategy was developed
- Creative Stone’s ideal target market was identified
- Compelling positioning was created for each target market
- Key messaging was crafted and consistently communicated across all marketing channels and touchpoints
- Marketing activities aligned to the strategy and key objectives were implemented
- Website was re-designed with the user experience at the heart
- Social content was expanded to include videos and reels
- SEO-driven content was introduced through blogs
- Quarterly newsletters showcasing successes and though-leadership were distributed to keep Creative Stone top of mind with existing clients and prospects
- Radio advertising was introduced to appeal to a larger audience of prospective clients
- Monthly reports were introduced to track website visitors, contact forms completed, social posts performance, AdWords performance, and quotes issued & accepted
Results
A marketing engine that works!
Consistency is key, and in 2022 we hit our 3 year partnership anniversary, and it was one of the best years to date for Creative Stone, with high-quality leads coming in from various sources (even their sales team says that they may be too busy now!). We continue to work hand in hand with their team to ensure that all their marketing has a purpose and delivers value for their brand; it is a collaborative relationship that delivers again and again. Not only is their marketing working, their teams are working better, and the business has seen real results.
To sum it all up…
“Our marketing engine is working, we are doing several different things consistently and well, and it’s all working together; it’s not one thing that’s delivering results, it’s the combination of everything. The biggest benefit to partnering with Brightside is their team. Their knowledge and attention to detail ensure our marketing always has a purpose. That’s something we were really lacking.”- Brett Bailey, Sales & Marketing Manager, Creative Stone
