The Client
William Turner & Son have been crafting premium schoolwear ties and corporate accessories in the UK for over 100 years. The craftsmanship is top-tier and the brand credibility? Undeniable. But the marketing hadn’t aged quite as gracefully.
This is a classic case of what happens when manufacturing excellence runs circles around digital relevance. While the product side was still buttoned-up and thriving, their brand voice and buyer journey were stuck in a time warp. And in today’s digital-first world, marketing for manufacturers is critical for survival.
With B2B buyers expecting digital-first experiences, clear positioning and genuine value upfront, William Turner & Son needed a strategic shake-up. One that respected their heritage while dragging their digital presence firmly into the now.
- 46%YoY revenue increase
- 2xsales uplift in selected SKUs
- 31%email open rate
- £20000+Annual savings on marketing
The Challenge
The marketing setup was a bit of a muddle.
There was no clear direction, no consistency, and absolutely no structure. The brand was split awkwardly between “William Turner & Son” and “Unicol,” with outdated visuals that felt more cartoon network than craftsmanship. For a manufacturer with premium, UK-made products, the branding didn’t reflect the quality on offer. And that’s a problem.
Internally, things weren’t much better. There was no campaign calendar, barely any lead gen activity, and digital? Purely reactive. The marketing materials felt disjointed, inconsistent, reliant on external input, and impossible to scale.
0 formal campaign plans in place before the project began
For any business serious about growth, especially in the world of marketing for manufacturers, this kind of fragmented setup makes it incredibly hard to drive real momentum.
The Project
This wasn’t a tidy-up job. It was a full-scale marketing for manufacturing transformation from brand identity to lead generation. Built with a clear strategy and a no-fuss, practical approach that actually worked for a busy manufacturer.
1. Rebranding That Actually Meant Something
We unified the brand under William Turner, finally retiring the confusing “Unicol” split. Out went the dated cartoon visuals. In came premium, lifestyle-led photography that matched the quality of the product.
A full design system rolled out across everything: brochures, packaging, PR, social, even internal templates. And those beloved character illustrations? We gave them a new lease of life in POS and retail displays where they still held emotional weight.
2. Built the Marketing Engine from Scratch
We developed a full annual strategy tied to the business KPIs, introduced a live campaign calendar and structured reporting to track progress properly.
External agencies were managed with clearer direction. The in-house designer was supported to take on more and stretch creatively. Content delivery from brochures to event materials was brought in-house and made consistent.
“Hayley has been instrumental in the digital transformation of the company. From rebranding and international sales support to modernising our materials and internal processes, she’s made a lasting impact. I would have absolutely no hesitation recommending her.”
Sales Manager, William Turner & Son
3. Digital with Purpose
We implemented a structured email marketing strategy, from refreshed design and segmentation to regular campaigns for launches and business updates.
The website was migrated to a new CMS to enable better content management. Social media, which had barely existed, was given purpose, building an engaged presence from the ground up.
4. Sales and Global Support
We created sleek, modern brochures and catalogues in-house to reflect the product quality. Sales materials were built with distributors in mind, clear, persuasive and easy to localise.
Exhibitions were better coordinated, and we brought the company’s first open day to life, giving customers real access to the team behind the product.
From shelf displays to corporate decks, everything was designed to sell – without shouting.
The Results
- 46% year-on-year increase in Q4 revenue via targeted email conversion optimisation
- 25% of January corporate sales generated through new marketing activity
- 31% average open rate on segmented email campaigns
- Countertop POS display led to 2x sales uplift in selected SKUs
- Significant export growth supported by modernised visuals and sales materials
- Brand now consistent across all platforms, online, offline, B2B and retail
- + £20k annual saving from Marketing design and production now handled fully in-house