Brief
Improve the communication of Ferioli Gino Srl by showcasing more of its identity and capabilities, without altering the company's philosophy
Type of project
Individual project at Polimi
Year
2019
Partnership
Ferioli Gino Srl
My role
UX Designer
Graphic Designer
Tools used
Illustrator, Indesign, Figma, Wix
FERIOLI ACCIAI
PROBLEM
How can we improve the communication of Ferioli Gino Srl by showcasing more of its identity and capabilities, without altering the company's philosophy?
SOLUTION
By introducing a representative logo for the company, redefining the name, designing a more functional new website, introducing the possibility to read and leave reviews, sending newsletters, and offering loyalty services.
DESCRIPTION
The proposed strategy for Ferioli Gino Srl is entirely based on improving the company's communication to enable greater visibility to new customers and to give the company a stronger identity. I have thus developed a plan consisting of different specific and autonomous elements capable of integrating with each other to provide a completely new image of the company.
This includes the creation of a logo, integration with the company name, website revision, introduction of online reviews, the ability to send newsletters, and a loyalty proposal.
DESIGN PROCESS
RESEARCH
POSITIONING
Ferioli Gino S.r.l., operating in the metal trading sector, has a strong distribution presence in four Italian regions, with Lombardy leading with 92.5% of sales, followed by Piedmont, Marche, and Campania contributing less to the turnover. In Lombardy, the sector sees the presence of numerous competing companies offering similar services and products, both small and large, focusing on specialized products or a diversified range. Ferioli Gino S.r.l., positioning itself in an intermediate manner according to the Positioning Map, provides various products and basic services such as cutting, transportation, and procurement. Competition in the steel trading market sees both large and small companies competing, where the size of the warehouse is not indicative of guaranteed success.
SWOT ANALYSIS
The SWOT analysis provides a detailed overview of the company's characteristics in the metal trading sector, revealing strengths such as flexibility in meeting customer needs with competitive pricing. However, shortcomings are evident in personnel management and the limited capacity of the warehouse. Opportunities lie in differentiating from competitors through improved communication and sponsorship of products, especially in the gate sales sector. Threats include an unfavorable economic context with decreased purchases and fierce competition, as well as the risk of being bypassed by customers purchasing directly from suppliers.
BCG MATRIX - ERRC GRID
The BCG matrix highlights the company's winning products, such as those for mechanics and gates, ensuring widespread service and reliable payment. While sheet metal requires more investment, it's essential for metal trading. Special steels and products for blacksmiths generate significant profits, while low-cost steel products contribute little to revenue. The ERRC grid reveals crucial points for a new corporate strategy, like adopting digital records and optimizing transportation. Increasing customer loyalty could be achieved through more effective communication and leveraging new communication channels.
OPPORTUNITY BOX
The analysis highlights the opportunities the project brings in terms of market, technology, business opportunities, and product system. There appears to be room for expanding supply in the market, while specific technological opportunities have not been fully considered, with the company having modern cutting machinery but lacking media technologies. Improving the communication of the offer is crucial to showcase the values and quality of Ferioli Gino Srl, enhancing its recognition and defining its corporate identity. Greater visibility of the company and clear communication of the product system are essential. Strategic optimization of the products and services offered is also needed to better meet customer needs.
VALUE PROPOSITION
Through a detailed analysis of the client's tasks, the advantages and disadvantages of choosing Ferioli Gino Srl as a metal supplier have been identified, allowing for the identification of elements useful for enhancing these advantages, mitigating existing disadvantages, and assisting the user in taking the necessary actions to purchase desired products from this company. The graphs below provide clear visualization of this data and facilitate understanding of the developments of the proposed strategy to the company.
IDEATION
Through the Blueprint Map, it is possible to outline all the stages involved when a customer chooses to rely on Ferioli Gino Srl to purchase desired products, also revealing everything that the user cannot see as it is executed in the background by the company. Additionally, stages introduced during the ideation phase with the new strategy have been highlighted in orange to better emphasize the innovations introduced. It is thus evident how the new strategic hypothesis seeks to place greater emphasis on the customer, providing communication elements useful for attracting new users and conveying the notion of a highly professional company.
BLUEPRINT MAP
DESIGN
NOME - LOGO
The strategic proposal involves introducing a logo where three sheets form the company's initial letter, providing clear identification and an immediate reference to the sale of steel products. There is an immediate identification deficiency in the name Ferioli Gino Srl as it does not evoke any specific type of products and does not help understand the work carried out. Therefore, it was proposed to add the word "steel" to facilitate easy identification, even when using an online search engine. The strategy now entails the company being recognized as Ferioli Acciai, while still maintaining the legal denomination Ferioli Gino Srl.
WEBSITE
The main redesign element was indeed the website, deemed completely outdated and of little use for potential clients. In addition to a graphical overhaul, the main menu was modified to provide greater clarity for key elements, enhancing immediate understanding, especially by introducing a section entirely dedicated to gates, a distinguishing feature from many competitors. A separate, detailed and explanatory section was specifically dedicated to gates, while considerable changes were also made to the products page, ranging from image display to categorization. Transportation and procurement services were added alongside the cutting service, which were previously not indicated, while the contacts section was developed in a more intuitive manner, always showing the company's preference for telephone or email contact
NEWSLETTER - PROPOSAL
It seemed particularly useful to introduce a newsletter to keep customers informed about news, promotions, and the introduction of new products. The strategy also includes a more meticulous focus on the customer throughout all stages of purchasing, introducing more detailed and frequent email notifications regarding orders placed. A strategy was then devised to increase customer loyalty while optimizing shipments by offering free transportation provided that at least 4 shipments of 1000 kg each are made within a month. This way, the company benefits from consolidating deliveries, keeping the vehicle consistently loaded, and retaining loyal customers, while customers receive free shipping instead of paying between €15 and €250.
CONCLUSION
The main beneficiary of the strategy is the customer, as the implementation of corporate communication allows them to have more information and receive more attentive treatment, making it easier to get in touch with Ferioli Gino Srl. However, the company itself also derives numerous benefits as customer loyalty and the appreciation of new clients ensure greater profits.