Market4 Ward Overview

Solutions For Business Growth

Mark NowotarskiPrincipal Strategist419-344-4897

[email protected] www.market4ward.com

Marketing, Brand & Innovation Strategy

Innovate • Communicate • Change • Excel

Market4Ward, LLC4664 Rhone DriveMaumee, Ohio 43537



Market4Ward is a marketing and branding consultancy with the purpose of supporting and helping businesses to develop focused strategies that elevate and grow their business. Market4Ward uses “ICCE” to develop strategic marketing plans that will better position and differentiate companies in their market space and against competition.

▪ INNOVATE Innovation is not just about developing the next great product. It can also be a new approach to marketing, merchandising, or a program/service that becomes your unique competitive advantage.

▪ COMMUNICATE A critical component is how your strategy gets communicated.It starts with an internal plan to provide your employees a good understanding of the strategy. It supports the culture and providesthe basis for “living the brand”.

▪ CHANGE The right strategic plan with the proper communications and support creates positive change. It is subtle and gradual and supports what is required to grow.

▪ EXCEL The end result is sustained growth through innovation.



Mark Nowotarski is principal of Market4Ward.With over 30 years of marketing and businessexperience that includes product management,marketing management, brand strategy, andleading innovation initiatives for developingnew products, merchandising, marketing, andsolving business problems.

Over the past 28 years Mark has led productmanagement and brand marketing for severalbuilding product companies including ArtesianIndustries, MasterBrand Cabinets*, and Therma-Tru Doors*. * Fortune Brand Home & Hardware companies

“Being in the consumer durable goods industry where a lot of products are infrequent considered purchases, and in most cases result in a sizable investment, requires a marketing approach that can differ dramatically versus consumer packaged goods.” – Mark Nowotarski

NOTE: The examples provided are from previous work done when working for Artesian, MasterBrand Cabinets & Therma-Tru Doors



Mark Nowotarski’s Biography

Graduate of Michigan State University, B.S. in Packaging Engineering (Management Option).

Started career as Packaging Engineer for Berkley & Company, a leading manufacture of fishing and boating products, and was promoted to Product Manager for all boating products.

Joined Artesian Industries, a privately held plumbing products company marketing exclusively to regional and national home centers. Held positions as Product Manager and Manager for start-up product lines including faucets and tub & shower enclosures.

Joined Aristokraft, Inc., a Fortune Brand company that changed its name to MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc. after acquiring additional kitchen cabinet brands. Held positions of Product Manager, Marketing Manager, and Brand Manager for Aristokraft, and Director of Brand Management for all cabinet brands within the portfolio. Utilized consumer insights/homeowner segmentation to define unique brand positions.

Transferred to Therma-Tru Doors, a newly acquired Fortune Brand company to take on the role of Director – Marketing/Brand Management. Responsible for implementing consumer insights/homeowner segmentation work, brand strategy development, and brand architecture alignment.



Market4Ward offers a creative, innovative, results-oriented approach for developing key strategies and lead the planning for implementation to drive new business growth.

Marketing Strategy: Develop marketing strategies that better align with your corporate competitive strategy and business objectives to grow market share.

Brand Development: Expertise in using fact based research to define brand strategy, brand positioning, and brand architecture.

Customer Insights: Subject matter expert in consumer/homeowner segmentation, customer differentiation, and purchase behavior.

Innovation Initiatives: Proven success in leading change through both product and marketing innovation.

Brand/Product Marketing: Complete marketing plans for new product launches and elevating the brand position, promise, and image.



MARKETING STRATEGY

Business Case: MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc.

Between 1998 and 2000, MasterBrand Cabinets grew their family of cabinet brands to 14+, creating confusion in the market channels, sales, weakening equities in some brands, and a real challenge in marketing budget allocations. The business clearly needed to align brands based on their unique selling propositions and reasons-to-buy (believe).

Solution – Using consumer insights, channel alignment, and brand positioning, Aristokraft was positioned as the leading “value” brand, Diamond as the step-up “semi-custom” brand focused on innovative storage and organization, and Decora′ as a premium “semi-custom” brand leading in style trends. These brands were supported with increased marketingsupport while the other brands were allocated to “maintenance” support.



BRAND DEVELOPMENT

Business Case: Therma-Tru Doors, Inc.

For years Therma-Tru remained the leader in exterior entry doors, pioneering the fiberglass door category. During theirgrowth years, they had very little competition and strong distribution that focused on new construction. As the businessenvironment changed, channels grew more complex, and competition increased, Therma-Tru started diluting the brand bybranding products, technologies, and style names with no structure or guidelines. All this resulted in the weakening of theTherma-Tru brand, continued market erosion, and a danger of commoditizing the brand.

Solution – Define and develop a brand strategy that aligns and supports the new corporate competitive strategy and creates a brand architecture that clearly defines the rules and guidelines in order to start rebuilding the Therma-Tru brand.Provide the decision criteria for determining when a “sub-brand” is appropriate or when the business case warrants aunique brand not associated with Therma-Tru.



CUSTOMER INSIGHTS

Business Case 1: Master Brand Cabinet, Inc.

When the added complexity of a growing family of cabinet brands offered little perceived differentiation, it became essential to better understand what drives consumer purchasing behaviors in order to best determine how to position the brands and align with unique homeowner segments.

Solution – Conduct research focused on consumer’s attitudes and behaviors whenconsidering their purchase. Define the unique segments and determine which brandsaligned best with one or two key segments. Develop the brand positioning and marketingrequired to best connect to consumers “in-the-zone”.

Business Case 2: Therma-Tru Doors, Inc.

While Therma-Tru was a great trade brand, there was very little connection with the consumer. The goal was to take Therma-Tru from a great trade brand to an evengreater trade and consumer focused brand.

Solution – Consumer segmentation research was conducted and defined six distinct segments of which four were determined to be primary targets. Training was thendeveloped to educate sales, dealers, builders and contractors to better connect with thehomeowner resulting in upgrade sales and increased satisfaction.



INNOVATION INITIATIVES

Business Case 1: Diamond Logix®

Consumer insights discovered an unmet need that while homeowners were satisfied with the look of their new kitchen design, their need for improved storage and organization did not get resolved. In fact, while they expressed their desire for improved efficiency, the kitchen designer focused on style and overall looks.

Solution – Develop a line of kitchen storage and organization cabinets tested withconsumers that dramatically improved accessibility, organization, and doubled storage capacity.

Business Case 2: Therma-Tru Doors Display/Merchandising

Consumer insights discovered the shopping process for the homeowner was confusing and overwhelming. The shopper was looking for simple solutions. Instead they were bombarded with technical messaging that was difficult to understand.

Solution – Design new merchandising that assists the consumer in a logical approach to selecting the right door for their specific need. Simplify the approach and educate them on architecture style, door style and decorative options.



BRAND/PRODUCT MARKETING

THERMA-TRU DOORS

Generating more consumer appeal with new creative approaches.

MASTERBRAND CABINETS

Positioning Aristokraft as a “great value”, Diamond as the “storageand organization” leader, and Decora′ as always being “on-trendand in-style” cabinet brands.

ARTESIAN INDUSTRIES

Expanding the product portfolio with a proprietary line of faucetsincluding product designs, packaging and merchandising.



Looking for marketing results that will elevate your business and set you apart fromyour competition?

CONTACT:

Mark NowotarskiPrincipal StrategistMarket4Ward

419-344-4897

[email protected]

www.market4ward.com

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Market4 Ward Overview