BRANDING
NEW NAME, NEW FUTURE: ARTEX REBRANDS AS OKARNO
Jason Smith, managing director of Okarno, formerly known as Artex, looks at why the need for reinvention extends to supply chain partners too.
IN TODAY’S fast-paced marketplace, merchants and trade retailers are finding that they need to adapt and evolve to meet the ever-changing demands from customers. As businesses grow and evolve, their identity and values often undergo significant change. In 1935, when the Artex business started, it had quite a focused product offering, although over time this widened as new products and services were added. Fast forward nearly 90 years and the business is now unrecognisable from those early days – we’re now a sustainable distribution partner rather a than product manufacturer - which is why we have rebranded in order to more accurately reflect our new mission and vision.
Of course, rebranding goes beyond simply changing our name and logo; it represents a new beginning, an opportunity to redefine our identity and pave the way for future growth. Ultimately, rebranding will help us further differentiate the business as a unique and sustainable supply chain partner to merchants. We have always been clear about
our offering: Okarno provides a unique service by combining market- leading trade brands and delivering them in a sustainable way directly through three service offerings. Customers can choose from single pallets, mixed pallet loads, through to small parcels. They can order as little as a single pallet, whether that’s a full pallet of a single product, or a mixed pallet
of products from across the range. The Okarno Gyproc Express service also allows customers to order a single parcel of product for small and speedy orders.
A brand to reflect what we do today We feel that creating a strong and distinct brand sets us apart from competitors and allows us to redefine our positioning and value proposition. That makes it easier and clearer for customers and without the confusion of our legacy brand. From the outset we knew the new Okarno brand had to reflect the essence of our organisation and the promise we make to customers. The rebrand not only allows us to differentiate ourselves from competitors, but also to add new products and services. The start point was the Artex brand, one of the most recognised within the UK construction sector, albeit one that didn’t reflect how we had grown from product manufacturer to sustainable distribution partner. Rebranding presented us with an opportunity to refresh and modernise our image, ensuring we remain relevant and appealing to our customer base of merchants, decorator centres and large retailers. Our parent company Saint- Gobain has been fully supportive of the process, seeing the real potential of the move. We are already a key distributor of products from their portfolio such
as Gyproc, Thistle, Blue Hawk and Weber.
A question we have been asked frequently is: what will happen to the Artex brand. Well, this will continue to be an integral part of our product portfolio. Artex products are well known for their quality and reliability and they will still be listed within our catalogue, ensuring that customers can continue to access them.
Looking to the future We are confident that the new branding will reignite customer interest and engagement around sustainable supply chain solutions. By effectively communicating our brand story, values and offerings, we’re hoping to create an emotional connection with customers that are on their own sustainability journey. We are fully committed to sustainability and aim to become a net-zero carbon business by 2050. By incorporating sustainable best practices into our operations, we help customers minimise their environmental footprint and contribute to a greener future. We already make deliveries on vehicles that run on HVO. Every mile powered by HVO will have around 70-80% less GHG emissions when compared with conventional diesel. Rebranding isn’t just about
external perception; it also has a significant impact on internal stakeholders, particularly employees. As a distribution business, we know that it is our people that make the difference, which is why we aim to instill a sense of purpose and pride among our staff, aligning them with the new brand vision and creating a positive company culture. Engaged employees are our brand ambassadors, championing the new
January 2024
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
brand identity and driving its success. While the name may have changed, Okarno remains dedicated to its customers and their needs. We are the same great business, service, and people that customers have come to rely on.
Start of a new chapter Moving away from a product manufacturing-focused brand allows us to be more agile and adaptable to customer needs. By doing that we can better meet their changing requirements and we are already developing some exciting new products that will help grow sales. Rebranding to Okarno represents
an exciting new chapter in our journey as we redefine our identity for the 21st
century, differentiate our
offer in the marketplace, and help customers seize new opportunities. A successful rebrand isn’t just about a new name and logo; it’s about crafting a compelling brand story, building emotional connections with customers and delivering on our brand promise. We are using various channels to inform customers about the rebrand, including social media, email communications, direct mail, and face-to-face interactions. Our new website will be live in January, providing an essential hub for customers to explore Okarno’s unique products and services.
www.okarno.com.
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