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Independent Builders Merchant Group

Securing the future of the independents

Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Graphic Design
Web Design & Development
Other Services

From brief to go live, I was delighted with the partnership created with Silverback to launch our new brand and website, which has been met with favourable feedback from our target audience. The process which was focused, agile and a had a sense of urgency helped us deliver a brand new site in under three months.

Ian Kenny

Head of Marketing

Two RGB Building Supplies staff in high-vis vests standing among stacked building materials in a builders merchant yard
A Combilift sideloader forklift truck parked beside a yard worker among racked timber at a builders merchant
IBMG logo shown in full colour, white, and reversed variations on white, navy, and yellow backgrounds

Discover

Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG) is the largest builders merchant in the South of England, operating as a house of brands, working together to fulfil all building needs. Ian Kenny, the Group Head of Marketing, approached us with the main focus being on building the group, brand visibility and presence in the industry. IBMG is passionate about the local community, with a clear vision of ‘becoming the best local merchant to work for, and do business with’ – which was one of the main focus points when it came to bringing their brand strategy to life and shifting more focus to people and relationships, as opposed to products and services. To achieve this, we held a brand discovery workshop allowing us to really understand the business inside out, from those with the knowledge, bringing it all together in a brand strategy containing a new vision, mission and values.

Cover page of the IBMG brand guidelines document, featuring a Combilift forklift truck and yard worker

Design

Taking this information we created a series of concepts that really represented IBMG for presentation, from a development of the existing brand to more adventurous concepts introducing new fonts and colours, across multiple touch-points to really give the client a feel for each concept at the presentation stage. Feedback was received and the chosen design was finessed and developed, through to a final version everyone was happy represented IBMG going forward. This was then applied to a brand guidelines document, showcasing their ‘house of brands’ and giving clear instructions on how to use brand correctly and keep it consistent.

The IBMG website shown across desktop, tablet, and mobile screens, including company statistics and a branch location map

Develop

We then started working on developing the IBMG website, the existing website that was in place did not convey the brand values and services. The video banner on the homepage is engaging and focuses more on the staff, humanising the business and making it more personable, representing their values. Different divisions on the homepage include custom animations, which relate to the staff in action, the imagery and stats throughout the website brings the brand to life, as well as being educational. ‘Our Story’ has an interactive timeline that informs consumers of the acquisitions since the year 2018. With the addition of an interactive map, it’s also clear and easy for consumers to see merchants both in their area and at different locations.

Collage of pages from the IBMG brand guidelines, including logo variations, brand values, and house of brands overview
A forklift operator wearing a face mask and hi-vis vest driving a counterbalance forklift through a builders merchant warehouse
A yard worker in high-vis using a radial arm saw to cut a length of timber in a builders merchant yard

Deliver

With the brand refresh now complete, IBMG has a solid foundation on which to secure the future of the independents. We continue to work with IBMG, with their first ever Suppliers Day planned in 2023 and future acquisitions on the horizon, we look forward to playing our part in the continued growth and success of IBMG.

If you’re looking for help revitalising your brand identity, get in touch and see how we could help!

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