A Metal Marvel: Craig Group’s Full-Spectrum Rebranding of C&D Scrap Metal

SUMMARY:

Craig Group recently executed a comprehensive rebranding and go to market campaign for C&D Scrap Metal, a prominent player in the scrap metal industry. After acquisition by a parent company, C&D added two new locations, and because of a change in leadership and a new company mission, a plan was needed to re-introduce C&D to the public.

CHALLENGE:

C&D Scrap Metal faced several challenges when considering a rebranding strategy. The most significant obstacle was that the previous owner was a local celebrity with a strong personal brand. Shifting from the familiar image to adopt a fresh brand identity, all while retaining the business’s distinctive high energy persona, required a well thought out strategy. Additionally, catering to a diverse set of customer segments posed a unique challenge.

SOLUTION:

Craig Group’s recommendation for C&D’s rebranding and go to market strategy included a restructuring of C&D’s media plan, shifting a portion of the media advertising budget from heavy traditional advertising to more targeted digital advertising, marketing to each location by zip code and creating targeted online ad campaigns for each customer segment in order to ensure the message resonated with the audience.

Craig Group approached the rebranding as a comprehensive overhaul. This included designing a new company logo, with a new color scheme, and redefining the company’s messaging and positioning. One key aspect of the solution was the development of new slogans tailored to C&D’s different customer segments. These slogans emphasized the company’s unique selling points, such as turning scrap into cash and educating the public on the benefits of metal recycling.

Craig Group’s strategy encompassed deploying the new branding across all communication channels, including digital (web, social, and paid digital advertising) and traditional (TV, radio, and out of home.)

Another important component of the rebranding campaign was a complete redesign of the C&D Scrap Metal website that included both English and Spanish versions of the site, to ensure that their heavy Hispanic audience was considered in the user experience. Other improvements included SEO optimizations based on keyword research, additional content and pages for C&D’s different customer segments, more call to actions, and a FAQ section including education around what types of metal and household items C&D accepts and doesn’t accept.

One key consideration was how to keep C&D’s main slogan “We pay in $2 bills” that retained their fun and well known brand character, but still incorporate the new slogans that spoke to specific customer segments like “It pays to Go Green” for the residential customers and “Turn Your Scrap into Cash” for the contractor customers. Craig Group accomplished this through $2 bill visuals and keeping the slogan for their overall advertising, but using the new slogans in more targeted, digital ad campaigns. Tracking and analytics were integrated to measure success metrics effectively.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Increase in organic traffic by 102% over the preceding time period 
• 249 unique search phrases show the C&D Scrap Metal brand on page one results of Google
• The Google Business optimizations increased the map directions requests by 21.7% in the first month

RESULT:

The results of Craig Group’s rebranding efforts were significant and measurable. The new website, with improved calls to action and enhanced tracking, led to notable improvements in conversion metrics such as map and address clicks, phone calls, and form submissions. Website traffic increased substantially, with organic monthly visits surpassing a 100% growth rate in the first month.

SEO performance improved, leading to higher keyword rankings and increased visibility on search engines. Since the launch of the new optimized website, organic traffic increased by 102% over the preceding time period and 249 unique search phrases show the C&D Scrap Metal brand on page one results of Google. The Google Business optimizations increased the map directions requests by 21.7% in the first month. The targeted advertising strategy, combined with messaging that resonates with each customer segment, contributed to increased conversion rates, translating into higher advertising conversion rates and lower cost per conversions.

In conclusion, the rebranding and go to market campaign not only accomplished the goal of retaining C&D’s unique brand identity, but also effectively conveyed C&D’s 45 year old business legacy of their commitment to sustainability by educating the public about the benefits of metal recycling. All the above successfully positioned C&D Scrap Metal for continued growth within their current market and future market expansions.