Advertorial

Rebranded & REFRESHED

Smead has a new look, but its values and priorities remain very much the same

Iconic filing and organisation products manufacturer Smead recently unveiled a complete rebrand and refreshed positioning. The US-based vendor says its new identity is rooted in Smead’s three key drivers – heritage, innovation and people. OPI spoke to CEO Casey Avent to find out more.

OPI: Smead goes back a long way – tell me about the company’s history and evolution.

Casey Avent: Smead was founded in 1906 so we’ve been operating for over 115 years. We introduced the bandless file in the early 1900s – the first of over 1,500 filing products we produce today. From 1955 until fairly recently, Smead was led by the mother-and-daughter team of Ebba Hoffman and Sharon Avent. As a result of their strong leadership, Smead became and remains the largest filing manufacturer in the US.

Our most recent transformational move was the acquisition of stationery and consumer products company U Brands in 2017. It instantly expanded our product categories and diversified our channels of distribution.

Today, we compete in over 13 categories including presentation boards, writing, desktop organisation, journals, office tools and other accessories. Our ongoing growth strategy involves leveraging both Smead and U Brands in new categories.

OPI: Let’s talk about your rebrand. What prompted it and why was it needed?

CA: We felt it was important to modernise the Smead brand and do it in a way that reinforces our rich heritage. The tagline ‘est. 1906’ gives us instant credibility with consumers and allows us to use our brand equity as we position Smead in other segments.

But it’s not just about a new logo and tagline. The rebrand further encompasses a new visual identity, website and refreshed brand positioning. We have also updated our digital content across our portfolio of products.

The design and execution of the rebrand were all done internally. Our marketing team in San Juan Capistrano, California, is a very talented group of people and I’m proud of what they have done.

OPI: How would you describe the new look?

CA: It’s exciting and different. It’s modern, but it very much reinforces our craftsmanship, heritage and commitment to innovation.

In addition, it was important to me that we continue the rich tradition of the historic Smead plaid. Ebba Hoffman introduced the plaid design pattern in the late 1950s, thereby establishing Smead’s distinctive brand identity, and becoming one of the industry’s most iconic symbols.

There’s no question that the plaid has contributed to the company’s success for decades. The new logo remains ubiquitous and continues to lead Smead’s authenticity, strength and consistency. It represents the company, product quality and our promise to provide the best to all customers.

OPI: What early feedback have you had?

CA: I think our employees view the rebrand as a really positive investment in the future and as our commitment to still being relevant for the next 100 years.

Initial feedback from our customers has been extremely positive too. They will get the benefit of new packaging and improved digital content. The latter will further attract new consumers and allow us to upsell to more profitable solutions.

OPI: You mentioned U Brands. How does this entity fit into the rebrand?

CA: U Brands and Smead have unique brand personalities. Both represent quality: U Brands is fresh and modern, and fashion-forward focused, while Smead stands for craftsmanship, innovation and heritage.

The two appeal to different consumer groups with some overlap. Our efforts will continue to leverage both brands separately in new and existing categories.

OPI: You refer to a new website as part of the refresh. How is that being positioned now?

CA: The new Smead website certainly has a more modern look and allows us to reposition traditional filing products to be more appealing to today’s consumers.

Of course, consumers can shop directly from familiar outlets such as independent dealer sites as well as pureplay e-commerce resellers.

OPI: Are you saying you’re selling direct to end consumers?

CA: Yes, but it’s not our intent to compete with our customers. Our pricing is above market, so we don’t expect any channel conflict.

Consumers can purchase C and D items which may not be that easy to find through the traditional channels.

Casey Avent

Another aspect which differentiates us I believe is that most of our paper-based products are produced in the US now – we recently moved our operations out of Mexico and back to the US.

It’s important that we fully maximise our manufacturing footprint in this country and keep as many jobs as we can domestically.

OPI: This is OPI’s Green Thinking special issue, so it seems obvious to ask about Smead’s sustainability positioning. What can you tell us in that regard?

CA: We are committed to working with our suppliers to take collective action in terms of addressing the topic of sustainability. We are hard at work to bring our customers high-quality products while at the same time reducing our carbon footprint.

Smead is proud of the number of environmentally responsible products we make – as I’ve just said, mostly produced in the US. We pay close attention to factors that include:

The rebrand allows us to leverage Smead in new categories

OPI: Rebrand aside, what other plans do you have for Smead going forward?

CA: We will continue to be opportunistic by entering new categories organically or acquiring other companies or capabilities. Also, we believe we can grow globally. The breadth of what we offer today could be sold effectively in any country with the right strategic partners.

OPI: Do you have a specific country or region in mind?

CA: We are in the early stages of developing our global strategy. As such, we’re not ready to mention specific countries or regions.

OPI: How would you describe Smead’s core differentiating factor today?

CA: First and foremost, it’s our people. We have a very talented leadership team and employees who genuinely want the company to prosper for the next 100 years. • to harvest paper, wood, cork and MDF from sustainable forests; • to use recycled and post-consumer waste materials for both products and packaging; • to source all paper from Sustainable Forestry

Initiative-certified suppliers; • to reduce the amount of packaging used; • to reduce the amount of virgin plastic used; • to work with suppliers to decrease energy consumption wherever possible.

OPI: Finally Casey, what’s your vision for the new Smead?

CA: The rebrand allows us to leverage Smead in new categories while we continue to grow and expand our U Brands offering. We have a strong market share position in a few categories, such as filing, presentation boards, etc, but there are still significant growth opportunities across the 13+ product segments we market.

As we continue to invest in our brands and in category expansion, I am optimistic that we will bring more value and stability to our employees and customers.