Critical Tattoo Supply Rebrand
In 2017, Nexus Brands Group acquired Critical Tattoo Supply, a Nevada-based manufacturer of tattoo power supplies and accessories. At the time they had a reputation for producing quality equipment for nearly 12 years and had established a strong distribution network. They sold products that were intended to last around 10 years, but would typically be purchased every 3-6. An opportunity that Critical presented, was that up until that point they had done very little marketing. One of their challenges was that they did not offer consumables. The product development team would work with the Critical founder to generate a steady stream of product launches that both the creative and marketing teams I led would support.
“BEFORE” SAMPLES
Rebranding Strategy
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Website Redesign
As you can see in the final sample above, ( a screengrab from Critical Tattoo Supply’s old website ), they were overdue for an upgrade. They only had around 10 SKUs. My team and I had migrated and built multiple 1000+ SKU websites and we were very confident we could create something strong that was modern, clean, and informative.
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Content Creation
One of the main areas of focus in taking the Critical brand to new heights was content creation. We would provide photos, videos, graphics, and copy that would be distributed through various channels including a new monthly newsletter and ramped-up social media. I also worked with their in-house team to generate behind-the-scenes style content.
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Social Media Activation
Tattoo artists use Instagram significantly more than any other platform. Critical’s account had very few posts, around 8K followers, and had not been active for a few months. I created a social media plan, worked with their team to execute it, and provided them with a steady stream of different content. Their Instagram jumped 30k+ followers within the first year.
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Logo & Packaging Update
My goal when it came to branding Critical visually was to communicate power, innovation, and technology. We created a new logo set that did just this and would also be legible if used on a product. We updated all existing packaging including sourcing better quality boxes and a full redesign that would follow the new brand guidelines.
BE CRITICAL
BE CRITICAL
Innovation. Quality. Reliability.
In preparation for product launches different forms of content were created and distributed to the Critical team as well as their large distributor network.
My team and I coordinated event attendance and sponsorship at strategically selected shows for the Critical brand. We created displays and collateral, as well as implemented tradeshow internal operating procedures. Products were sold, emails were collected for a monthly newsletter and the brand for the first time had a physical presence with its customers.
Project Team
Project Team
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Erica Kopelow
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Erica Kopelow & Darryl Royo
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Erica Kopelow, Darryl Royo, Alex Derrick
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Darryl Royo
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Alex Derrick