Mayer Moves Forward
The company formerly known as Mayer Electric Supply made a small but subtle move recently and changed its name to Mayer. Along with the name change came an evolved brand and updated logo and mark. For a company that is 88 years old, these changes are significant.
And having worked with many family-owned businesses, these types of changes can be hard as they seek to remember and honor the past while looking towards the future. There is typically a desire to blend the best of both worlds.
Mayer’s press release stated:
Mayer Electric Supply, now known simply as Mayer, announced the launch of its evolved brand identity. Mayer is a national leader in the wholesale distribution of electrical products and equipment, connected solutions, lighting, digital tools, DataCom technologies, power distribution and automation and control systems.
“As a business, Mayer has become faster, more modern and digitally integrated to deliver measurable value beyond distribution. It is vital that our brand’s look and feel reflect these transformational changes so that we remain the First Choice of our customers, Associates and suppliers,” said Wes Smith, president of Mayer. “Our industry is changing rapidly, and Mayer continues to evolve in order to become an innovative technology leader that stays ahead of the digital curve – not only in our daily operations, but also in how we tell our brand story and in how our connected team delivers innovative solutions and unrivaled service.”
Mayer’s brand evolution includes a modernized, sophisticated new logo and mark, a fresh color palette, updated brand positioning and company messaging and a shorter naming convention. The new design and overall aesthetic pay homage to Mayer’s history, while also aligning with the company’s upward trajectory.
“Knowing that our brand evolution would represent both our successful history and promising future, we aimed to highlight our robust capabilities, digital expertise and inventive approach,” said Dave Karr, director of marketing at Mayer. “Most importantly, our new brand symbolizes the rock-solid foundation of our business – unshakeable core values and a strong, family-oriented culture.”
The company unveiled its brand evolution and shared why the change was made with its customers, Associates and supplier partners via video, introducing the refreshing, impactful way in which the company will tell its brand story moving forward.
“Mayer is and always will be a family company that deeply respects its associates and holds true to the strong traditions, culture and values that make us who we are,” said Nancy Goedecke, chair and CEO at Mayer. “With this continued commitment in mind, our new, evolved brand honors our legacy and empowers our future.”
In speaking with Dave Karr, Mayer’s director of marketing, we asked about the process that Mayer utilized.
The initial goal was to “update” the look and feel but, through internal discussions and customer research, the future direction of the company was further exposed.
While the company intends to focus on its electrical roots, it became apparent that investments to serve customers and the customer experience are becoming “more than providing electrical supplies.”
- This “more than electrical” thought process prioritizes Mayer’s total customer solutions, including systems, services, digital tools and IoT capabilities.
Some of this “more” can be seen on their website through enhanced services such as:
- Cable Management
- Value engineering (and not only to get to a lower price!)
- Project management and an expanded focus on material management / storage
- A focus in “connected solutions” and IoT, as well as
- Digital tools that they can “tailor digital customer-integration tools and technologies that address our partners’ unique needs and challenges, and simplify inventory and supply-chain management for even the most complex projects.”
And shortly after the rebranding press release, Mayer posted a video highlighting some of its solutions and service offerings.
Yes, customers valued the “basics” of expected services, but the company has invested much in value-added services for contractors and industrial accounts. Additionally, they’ve invested heavily in enhanced lighting solutions (including controls) and, according to manufacturers, have more resources in this area and are more sophisticated than just about any other distributor. (To learn more, check out this video on their lighting / energy services.)
According to Dave, Mayer:
- “Used an outside consultant to help us through the process.
- Conducted very deep, in-depth interviews with associates, suppliers and customers to understand the current perceptions of Mayer and define our differentiators, strengths and key value props.
- Note: Channel Marketing Group did not work with Mayer on this initiative, however, we do work with clients on rebranding and value proposition initiatives as well as customer research.
- Surveyed all associates to ask questions about their perceptions of our current brand and what they would like to see as an evolution. Key results were that they wanted to see us branded as an industry leader, a technology leader and a connected solution provider. They also wanted to see our family values and heritage honored and respected.
- Went through many iterations with the leadership team in developing options for the new mark. Our family ownership was closely connected and provided much guidance and feedback. We wanted to make sure that our evolution was built on the bedrock of our family values, mission and vision.
- Chose a mark and a messaging platform that embodied the essence of “honoring our legacy and empowering our future”. This phrase captures Mayer’s evolution.
Understanding and developing a value proposition requires acknowledgement that the past can be honored while moving toward an envisioned future. It requires a conscious decision that the business landscape, company, marketplace and customers are evolving. Essentially, conducting a company 360o review to gain insights from management, associates, customers and potentially suppliers provides insights into who you are and what customers want. It helps set the course for where you want to go. The end-result is beginning to pave a pathway for the future.
In Mayer’s case, they are moving beyond electric to “more.”