Tile Backer Board Name & Brand
I worked on Johns Manville, an original client of Faction's, from 2012 to 2016. In that time, I helped strategize for their Building Insulation, Performance Materials, Research & Development, Roofing and OEM divisions, and written everything from email campaigns to trade show booths to sales enablement brochures and print ads for all those divisions.
In early 2013, the Research & Development department at JM came to Faction with brand new product, a tile backer board that was like nothing else in the industry. It was lighter than cement boards and less expensive than other light boards. We were tasked with positioning the product in the marketplace, naming it and creating messaging and a logo that would define it for years to come.
First, we started with competitive analysis and research. How were other cement boards positioning themselves? What were competitive manufacturers saying about their products?
From the Faction presentation to the client on competitive analysis and new product positioning.
Based on this knowledge, I crafted positioning statements for our new product by audience (contractors, builders, homeowners, etc.). As a team, we brainstormed names for this new product, and after several rounds of narrowing the options the client decided on: GoBoard. The name was all about speed, and the design that accompanied it was clean, forward-thinking and modern.
Working collaboratively with the client, I wrote the primary and secondary messaging for GoBoard:
Durable yet lightweight: GoBoard is up to 80% lighter than competitive cement boards, yet engineered for durability.
Waterproof: Seal only the board joints and fastener locations for a waterproof tile assembly.
Easy to cut, handle and install: GoBoard can be quickly cut right where it's installed with a basic utility knife without crumbling or disintegrating, making clean-up significantly faster.
From the Faction presentation for the Coverings Tradeshow. This included creative and a holistic view of the booth footprint.
Since the product's launch, the team at Faction has worked closely with the R&D team at JM to create sales collateral, FAQ sheets, installation instructions, several trade show booths, pitch decks to retail stores, as well as videos and full campaigns.
Here's a video I wrote and script supervised during a 2-day shoot in late 2015. We created a total of 4 videos, including step-by-step instructions to install tile with GoBoard and the competitive advantages of the product vs other tile backer boards.
Client: Johns Manville Research & Development Department
Agency: Faction
Senior Art Director & Lead Designer: Sarah Swartzendruber
Lead Writer: Annemarie Moody Miller
Date: 2013-2016
Photo by Pascal Meier on Unsplash