Stockton Group
Written by Fantastic Media
Turning complexity into problems solved with Stockton Group
Stockton Group is the UK industry leader in trenchless drilling techniques, with two decades of experience in handling complex projects both small and large. Made up of three distinct but complementary divisions, the Group leads on everything from Horizontal Directional Drilling and Direct Pipe installations, to civil engineering projects including reinforced concrete structures and river works.
Our challenge was to define a clear and concise structure to present Stockton and its three service divisions to the wider market, while making the firm better known to a greater selection of prospective customers.
The Challenge.
Established in 2006, Stockton has built a strong reputation as the UK’s leading independent specialist in trenchless drilling, alongside a growing portfolio of civil engineering and pipeline projects. Its work on major national infrastructure programmes for organisations such as Scottish Water and E.ON UK has earned deep credibility within the sector.
The challenge was that this strength was not being consistently reflected in how Stockton presented itself. As the business has continued to grow, its promotional activity no longer conveyed the scale, confidence or leadership position it had achieved.
There was a clear need to sharpen brand clarity and increase awareness, positioning Stockton as a bigger, more authoritative player in the UK market, while protecting the equity and specialist expertise that existing clients already trusted.
The Research.
As part of our INSIGHT process, the project started with a comprehensive period of research. This involved a complete review of the business, its service sectors, the markets it operated in, competitors and detailed analysis of existing and prospective customers. From here we were able to settle upon our proposed market segmentation and targeting which was essential before moving on to the hugely important task of establishing appropriate market positioning for the business.
The Big Idea.
Armed with a comprehensive understanding of the business and the world it operates in, we made a series of decisions around the best way in which to structure the brand and the business. Fundamental to this was the proposal to bring the previously separate divisions under one central banner. Now operating as ‘Stockton Group’, we were able to convey the scale, experience and diverse, specialist skillsets that the team can bring to a wide range of standalone or integrated projects.
The move allowed us to present Stockton Group as being ‘Dependable by Design. Proven in Practice’, with the three service divisions of drilling, pipelines and civils, working in tandem to turn the complex challenges faced by customers into problems solved by Stockton’s experts. This revitalised positioning was something that resonated with the business, the value it delivers and reflects that the projects that undertake are all delivered with unwavering confidence, reliability and from a place of genuine experience.
The Activity.
With a redefined position, we began the process of bringing the strategy to life. This was done through a refreshed visual brand identity, incorporated into a suite of supporting messaging and assets, all of which tied back to the central positioning and business objectives. Alongside this we also designed and built a new website which ensured we had a central hub that accurately and deftly delivered the essence of the business with consistency and confidence. Also, with a large workforce spread across a variety of locations we devised and implemented a plan of staff engagement. This ensures everyone in the Stockton Group understands the vision of the business and the vital role they all play whilst also introducing a suite of benefits.
Alongside the roll-out of the new brand and website our team created a detailed, long term, plan of tactical marketing activity, delivered through a range of on and offline brand and promotional tactics. Importantly, we were able to benchmark our plan against tangible objectives that mattered to the business and aligned with a variety of long and short-term milestones.
“We know we’re a leader in the UK in trenchless techniques, but we haven’t always shouted about it, hence why we approached Fantastic to redefine our marketing and branding and champion our capabilities. In the short time we’ve worked with the team so far, we’ve moved away from people not always understanding who we are or what we do, to our services and expertise always being clear from the outset. We’re now building our credibility and increasing our visibility to potential customers, readying ourselves to scale up further and cement ourselves as the leading independent trenchless project specialist.”
Fiona O’Connell, Managing Director at Stockton Group
“All too often businesses are bombarded by inexperienced marketing tacticians who provide short term solutions that never really solve the real problems business owners face. Stockton Group is an excellent representation of the kind of business we can deliver real value for. They work in a complex sector and are highly skilled at what they do, but they need the right kind of marketing to help communicate this to the right kinds of people in the right way. That’s where we come in. It was a genuine pleasure to have worked with the team at Stockton. They are open, honest and enthusiastic and were truly engaged in the process from start to finish. Just how we like it!”
Gary Pattison, Director of Strategy and INSIGHT, Fantastic Media
