“In the highly competitive tool and equipment rental sector, we had to better position our brand and offer our consumers a richer, more rewarding experience.”
Jonathan Couture
Director of Marketing, Business and Market Intelligence, Simplex tool rental
The tool and equipment rental industry is fairly conventional and fiercely competitive. To secure a top-of-mind position in the minds of consumers who are looking for a more rewarding, modern customer experience, Simplex tool rental had to make a move in this direction to become the reference in the industry.
With the fifth generation of Véronneaus at the helm of the company, founded in 1907, Simplex wanted to launch a new growth phase: a timely transformation with consumer needs and expectations of the rental experience undergoing big changes.
Getting equipped for a better experience
Beyond its deeply human values, Simplex’s foremost objective is to simplify its customers’ lives and support them throughout their projects. The brand positioning had to be anchored in this vision while creating value for customers.
This simplicity is captured in the logo featuring an arrow, a core element of the visual identity, that encapsulates the company’s desire to support entrepreneurs and individuals in their various projects. The shape is found throughout the platform to guide and advise customers and create stronger brand attribution using motifs based on the arrow.
A better experience, online and offline
The redesign of the simplex.ca website had to meet three goals: generate business opportunities, improve understanding of the company’s clientele through business intelligence, and position the company at the forefront of its industry. Thanks to this new platform, designed for a mobile-first world, the customer is able to locate stores, find information on different products from the catalogue tailored to individual markets, consult the inventory in real time and make reservations directly online – a first in the tool and equipment rental business in Quebec. Not simply a website, the new platform is a pillar of a refreshed customer experience that is underpinned by a closer relationship with the consumer and a blending of the offline and online experiences.
Simplified visits
Our architecture team set out to simplify employees’ and customers’ lives by rethinking the experience at Simplex locations. Any new brand experience must include a thorough consideration of the customer path in-store. That’s why the store concept that was developed bears the brand’s new identity and tone at all of the company’s 34 stores. The promotional displays create a dynamic showcase for seasonal products, while the reorganization of the service spaces allows for a friendlier and more efficient customer service.
A new image to communicate
We also had to deploy the new brand identity in the company’s communications. With a position anchored in the notion of simplicity, the signature C’est aussi simple que ça (“It’s as simple as that”) was a natural fit. Ads were developed to show entrepreneurs that Simplex is the simple, quick solution to their problems. The campaign was launched first on radio before hitting the Web and social media.
The right tools for a simple, effective transformation
The comprehensive improvements brought to the brand experience, powered by the notion of simplicity at the service of customers’ projects, involved many of the agency’s areas of expertise and provided the broad support Simplex needed. The design and communications give a face to the company’s deep modernization, felt in its digital and in-store world.
Overall, the result of these various efforts is a brand experience that supports Simplex’s entire range of business activities, in addition to strengthening its relationship with its clientele. It’s a key metamorphosis that strongly positions the company for future long-term growth.
Client
Simplex Equipment Rental is a Quebec family-run company specializing in the rental of tools and equipment for construction professionals, industries and individuals. Founded in 1907 by Louis-Henry Véronneau, the company is today led by the fifth generation, with Euclide Véronneau at the helm. Employing 500 people, Simplex offers its customers over 55,000 tools and equipment through a network of 34 stores across Quebec and Eastern Ontario.
Since April, the company has taken part in our collective project #OnSeSerreLesCoudes, whose aim is to help restart the Quebec economy by encouraging consumers to buy locally.
