Brand Strategy and Expression
Arch Chemicals, a "spin-out" of Olin Corporation, is a specialty chemicals company whose premier HTH brand was under-performing. Olin invented the category of dry sanitizers with the HTH product line, and dominated the market for decades until a combination of product innovation and channel and brand diversification led to significant competitive pressures and a precipitous decline in market share. The new company's CEO was committed to driving growth in the water treatment business, and to reinvesting in the declining HTH brand portfolio to meet that objective.
After shaping the division's growth strategy, Denneen & Company was engaged to lead the global brand development work for the HTH product line. This included leading a series of activities related to brand assessment, research, brand positioning strategy development, brand architecture and naming, and brand expression. Our positioning work began by conceptualizing HTH as a master brand and positioning it at the center of the brand architecture, and then creating a portfolio of sub-brands that would communicate specific product features and benefits. This effort entailed both migrating existing brands into the HTH portfolio, such as the PACE brand of sanitizers, and launching a new brand, Poolife, within the HTH portfolio that would compete in the specialty dealer channel. Denneen & Company led a team of agencies through the process of evolving the HTH master brand logo, developing the Poolife identity, and conceptualizing a packaging system to express the brand architecture and naming of more than 200 products.
Arch re-launched the HTH master brand across all channels within the category, and launched HTH Poolife as a new brand in the specialty dealer channel. The re-launch contributed substantial gains in volume, profit, and share, exceeding in-market business case projections.
