Duckback

Duckback Products, a Comex Group subsidiary, had a long history of innovating premium wood and concrete stain products using high-quality ingredients. Unfortunately, the company’s branding was not conveying this level of quality, nor were its rational, product-focused messages helping to differentiate Duckback’s products from those of competitors. Duckback and its parent company, Comex, realized that its branding and communications could work harder on behalf of its business and opted to move forward with a rebranding effort.

MBLM worked with Duckback to understand the competitive landscape of staining products, how professionals and homeowners experience the staining process, and Duckback’s reputation. Conversations with DIYers provided insight into the rich emotions associated with outdoor lifestyles, helping confirm that Duckback could distinguish its products and build greater relevancy with end users by focusing its efforts around an experience rather than a product. We created a new Duckback brand promise: “Live the Outdoors,” which captures the positive qualities of the outdoor lifestyle enabled by the company’s products. A stronger masterbrand identity and visual system reflecting this promise were developed and implemented in all of the company’s communications including product labels, collateral and POP. Product labels were also streamlined and the information on each was clarified to make it easier for customers to select among products.

Duckback rolled out its new branding in early 2011. Steve McGarr, Duckback’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, had this to say in the March 2011 edition of Paint & Decorating Retailer magazine: “We’re not only experiencing good feedback from our existing customers, but we’re also gaining new customers as a result of our efforts. Ninety-eight percent of the people we talk to love the new look. They’re telling us that the new labels and marketing materials are more reflective of the quality we have in the can.” He added that the industry has validated Duckback’s success in accomplishing its goals for the rebranding. “They get what we’re trying to do…this is not just about a new label or a new brochure or sign. It’s a whole new mindset.”