Roofing systems producer benefits from innovative branding
The EBRD has helped Depaco, a roofing systems producer from Romania, strengthen its product brands and launch a new one for its latest roof innovation, the best-in-class Wetterbest Gladiator.
Established in 1999 in Baicoi, Depaco has grown steadily to become one of the key players in the Romanian roofing market, thanks to their Wetterbest product portfolio (metal roof tiles and accessories).
With €19 million in turnover, 30 modern production lines and 5 production halls in operation in 2014, Depaco went one step further and invested €1.2 million in new equipment, including a production line unique in Romania and South-East Europe.
Using this advanced technology, Depaco developed an innovative roofing system – the Wetterbest Gladiator – designed to be the star of their product portfolio. To secure the product’s success, Depaco decided to build a strong brand for Gladiator, one that faithfully reflected its quality and innovation.
But why stop there? Depaco also took a closer look at their existing brand portfolio and decided to further invest in defining and promoting the Wetterbest identity.
In a donor-funded project using funding from Austria, the EBRD's Advice for Small Businesses in Romania connected Depaco with Zet Communications & Media, a local marketing consultant specialising in branding.
The consultant analysed the company’s overall brand positioning and individual product brands and used the resulting insights to develop market-responsive identity books for three main groups of products: Wetterbest, Wetterbest Wind and Wetterbest Plus.
Working along these new-and-improved branding lines, the consultant and Depaco created Wetterbest Gladiator, a premium brand for a premium product.
The product was formally launched in September 2015 and Depaco plans to deliver 200,000 m2 of Gladiator roofing by this autumn.
“By launching this new product we became the only Romanian producer to bring four distinct roofing systems to the market”, said Dragos Irimescu, General Manager.
“We would like to thank the EBRD for their involvement and for supporting us in this marketing initiative. We will continue to invest in quality products and innovation, and to focus on consolidating our market position.”
And they are staying true to their word. One year after completing the project, the company’s marketing activities are better structured and built around a strong brand.
The new identity books have optimised promotion and communications, helping the company stand out among its competitors.
Wetterbest has achieved country-wide recognition (more than doubling their geographical reach) and customer loyalty has increased, as did the number of customers, now up by 43%!
Building on the success of the first project, Depaco has come back to the EBRD for a second advisory project, this time using the expertise of an international adviser to optimise operations and start export activities.
We look forward to seeing what the future holds for one of our best-in-class clients!
