“We’ve worked with Dave and Ol, from about the time we bumped into them in a lift in 2015. It’s been awesome working with a pair of guys that take the time to listen and exercise their creative talent in a way that is very rare. Their enthusiasm and skill in helping a client realise their full potential when it comes to communicating to prospective and existing customers is phenomenal.

In 2017, Dave, Ol and I started an informal chat about one of our businesses and the vision we had for it. That set the ball rolling for many more chats until we had a scope of work defined. This was a monster of a project – from a rebrand to 1200+ store designs. About three months later, when the initial designs were revealed to us, I fondly remember jumping off my chair and high-fiving these guys.

They’ve been great to work with; extremely professional but also plenty of fun, laughter and banter. The quality of their work has been to the highest standard, time after time. I’d definitely recommend them to anyone!”

Arjunan Ramachandran, MD

Project Overview
From initial rebrand, to an overhaul of their entire digital infrastructure, this project has taken us around the globe, and back again. The results are impressive. A vast redesign of Taro's 1200 stores, a 90% time saving in the sales process, incoming calls up by 450%, and conversions rising from an average of 25% to 75%.

Deliverables

Strategic Research Trips
Brand Audit & Customer Profiling
Competitor Insights & Consumer Testing
Brand Strategy & Re-Positioning
Brand Identity & Guidelines
Bespoke Typefaces
Messaging & Tone of Voice
Assets, Documents, Stationery
Packaging, Booklets, Manuals
Product & Lifestyle Photography
Videography & Animations
Website Design & Build
Bespoke Internal Software Design & Build
Franchise Store Redesign (x1200)
Bespoke Furniture Design
National Ad Campaigns

Taro Pumps

In 2017, we embarked on an epic research trip across India. The 2 years of thinking & making that followed resulted in a revolutionary approach to sales and digital communication, that propelled Taro Pumps to become the market leading innovators of their field.

With a rapidly growing 1.3 Billion residents, and an ever-unpredictable climate, India’s demand for water pumps has never been higher.

A thorough range of over a thousand pump varieties ensures they have the entire market covered, from a 20 acre field, to a 20 story apartment block.

The Taro story began in 1956, and with it, we had to consider over 60 years of brand equity and history, before making any radical changes.

Research

Our research revealed 6 core areas of focus, with clear and attainable actions for each. From communication, to digital infrastructure to speed of sales. All aspects of the organisation were considered, and scrutinised.

Through ground-research we uncovered the purchasing behaviours of our target groups. They ranged greatly from 70 year old farmers, influenced by word of mouth, to tech-savvy, mobile-first twenty year olds.

We started with a re-naming and product segregation exercise, to iron-out some brand confusion. Separating out the main areas of business (Domestic, Industrial & Agricultural) allowed us to approach each demographic individually.

Rebrand

An overhaul of the old identity system gave us a solid foundation to build on.
It needed to portray their values, strengthen consumer trust and stand apart from a very crowded market.

The research undertaken showed many competitors used glitzy endorsements from Bollywood or Cricket stars to help push their products. Because of this, and Taro’s deep-rooted people-focused values, the rebrand became centred in honesty and clarity.

Each key demographic got its own identity and communication style, to maximise their impact.
The research phase led us down a ‘life’ focussed path, with emphasis being placed on the vibrancy of what the product produces (the crops!) rather than focussing too much on the product itself.

Taro Kohinoor

We designed a bespoke package of fonts for Taro, with a lead display-face that evoked the feeling of flowing water.

We then worked with the Indian Type Foundry to create a combination of fonts that would allow consistent communications across this country of multiple languages. Having their own brand typeface has made communications instantly recognisable and much easier for their internal team to produce.

Speed of Sales

With over 1000 variations of pump, the time to pick an appropriate model specification was over 45 minutes. By removing the ‘catalogue’ sales method & taking it to a fully digital platform, the dealers can now complete a sale, with greater accuracy, within just 3 minutes. This dramatic reduction in time has resulted in increased sales, higher customer trust and a more measurable process.

To prepare the customer for a smooth in-store transition we redesigned and rebuilt their online presence, which has given them a much more user-centred base. We preempted rural connection issues, with the latest pre-loading techniques, a nation-wide CDN and mobile-focussed load speeds.

Store Redesign

Since 1956 the Taro franchise model has grown steadily, and now includes over 1200 dealerships, across India. Each store had grown organically, without any strict guidelines, which left us with a plethora of variation to contend with.
The financial outlay of each franchisee was diverse too. Some required a ‘back-to-brick’ overhaul, others needed a more basic level of change.

Our approach was to simplify the whole process, making it accessible for all 1200 dealerships, regardless of complexity or budgetary restraints. Everything from the furniture to the wall graphics was modular. We designed 40 hard-wearing pieces, including desks, stools, benches and display cabinets.

We produced prototypes of the furniture, from weld joints through to wood finishes in our UK studio, before shipping them over to India, for more affordable production.

Connecting India

The initial research uncovered the digital infrastructure holding the company together was dated and had potential for significant improvement. Taro’s business consist of 4 Factories, 20 Distribution Warehouses, 200 Repair Centres and 1200+ Dealerships, spanning the whole of India. We redesigned the entire end-to-end stock ordering system, which has revolutionised the speed and reliability of the organisation’s working operations.

The agile system is constantly growing, and now includes a performance management suite, interactive knowledge base and bespoke scanning software, to further increase their delivery capabilities.

We brought onboard the development team at Nimble, to deliver a complex assortment of skills, and knowledge of the latest digital product technologies.

Our design for the software was user-focussed, removed all clutter and delivered a seamless custom solution never before seen in this marketplace.

Ad Campaigns

With a population second only to China, India’s booming economy is considered the next global superpower. In a country so densely populated, we needed a backbone to our campaign that would cut through noise, and deliver clear communications in such a fierce marketplace.

Every Taro Pumps campaign is now rooted in 3 core values: honesty, purpose and a celebration of life.

The latest campaigns feature India’s first bio-based billboards. A range of tactile typography, created on a huge scale using luscious vegetation to draw-attention and hint at results of a Taro Pump. It accompany’s a fleet of ‘living display vehicles’ that roam the Indian countryside, informing consumers of best practise, and new agricultural techniques.

Naturally, all advertising materials are spread over multiple languages, and multiple platforms for maximum impact.

Our relationship with Taro continues to flourish, with more big developments on the way in 2020.