case study : BAKER GAUGES
Client: Baker Gauges
TYPE: Established Multinational Brand in Gauging Solutions
Baker Gauges is a known brand in precision engineering in metrological tools. Bakers portfolio boast of more than 15 categories hosting over 300 products. Baker Gauges has a global presence in more than 50 countries.
We have been working with Baker Gauges for the past 15 years. We began when Baker has a presence in 15 countries. At that time Baker Gauges wanted to rapidly expand. Expansion meant an increase in interaction in different languages with many countries. With so many products in their basket, Baker felt an urgent need for streamlining information about each product.
Challenges
Baker initially had single-page brochures with cluttered product information and a static website that lacked a content management system. The content lacked consistency and flow. The technical information in the form of schematics, illustrations, and tables was missing.
Baker lacked a competitive edge with the lack of marketing content for its expansion visioned. The existing brochures and website had very little firepower to stand in the larger market shoulder to shoulder with other competitors.
Due to these reasons, the sales cycle time was more. Hence, one of the core objectives of the branding exercise was to reduce sales cycle time and convert suspecting clients into prospecting clients. Furthermore, convert quality leads into solid sales.
Old Marketing Collaterals
Solution
After studying collaterals and catalogs of competitors' brands we learned that the content and consistency in that technical content played a huge role in preparing technical catalogs. Hence, to bring about a brand transformation at Baker Gauges, we decided to use a different approach. We strongly felt that only redesigning was not the solution and even Baker's stakeholders agreed.
We decided to interact with the marketing team and understand their pain-points. We interacted with the product development team and learned what features were missing in the pitch of their marketing department. After several meetings, we also realised that there is a huge amount of technical information in different forms.
The entire project was then split into the following stages:-
Stage 1: Content Mining
Stage 2: Content Streamlining
Stage 3: Photography and photofinishing
Stage 4: Engineering Drawings
Stage 5: Designing phase
Stage 6: Dummy Creation
Stage 7: Final Design and Print Production
Stage 8: Creating Digital Interactive Catalog CD
Stage 9: Creating a responsive website with content management system CMS
Stage 10: Training to use CMS
Each stage was reciprocated with approvals within the departments and stakeholders.
As a first step, we decided to dig the content and simplify it. We knew the design would revolve around this technical information and we streamlined the way it should be presented.
Each category had a different style of information. With around 15 categories (hosting more than 300 products) we created templates for each category. The content was streamlined in form of product pictures, textual content, tabular information, bulleted points, schematics, and diagrams. Other elements included fonts, colours, and shapes.
To bring consistency, we photographed over 300 products, photoshopped them. Interacted with the engineering team to bring consistency in the technical schematics, collected tabulated specifications and features.
The Catalog
We designed layouts for each product with photos, technical content, schematics, tabulated information, and features.
After designing, we created a physical prototype of the catalog. The dummy was approved page by page. After final approvals, we also managed the final offset print production of about 10,000 copies in color.
Technical Catalogue
✓ Gathering all the content was a major task
✓ We worked on streamlining the content.
✓ Standardising the flow of the content was very important to bring overall consistency
✓ So standardised features of each product, schematics, product photography, tabulated content, etc
✓ There were over 200 products
✓ Created design layouts and tested across various product categories
✓ Created final design of the entire catalogue and created dummies.
✓ 14 variants of the entire dummy till final approval were made
✓ We were involved in the final off-set printing as it was very critical
Worked on finer details
Final Output
The Interactive CD
The same catalog was then converted into a desktop interactive application that was published on Baker Gauges branded CDs. The presentation was made with cross-platform compatibility for Windows and Apple operating system. The interactive program featured touch control to flip the pages of the catalog, bookmark products, print pages or even autorun to flip the page for presentations during events.
Corporate Website with Content Management System
Mutli-device compatible website with a portfolio of over 200 products.
The responsive interactive website with CMS
We worked on creating a framework with the content management system for the website. As there were many products and product categories, the website needed an administrative dashboard to upload the product information swiftly without any programming knowledge and still look consistent.
After the website's front-end and the back-end were created, we uploaded and populated all product and company information on it. We had made a responsive website compatible with any device.
Website Training:
After the site was live, we also trained the administrator with product management.
Corporate Movie Production
Behind the scenes how we do movie production
Another strength Virtuosity holds is in Video production. We have referred to a video link of how we do the production. We have the in-house capability, cameras and other equipment needed for video production. A professional corporate movie was made for Baker Gauges highlighting its capabilities, infrastructure, testing labs, certifications, client testimonials, products, etc. The video was made with a professional voice-over.
Impact:
Today, Baker Gauges is globally exporting to more than 50 countries. Baker Gauges is not an international brand and has a presence in all major engineering and technology trade shows.
Our patience, persistence, and consistency in the development, was well appreciated by the board members and that's why we are associated with them for such a long time.