With one man, one truck, and in one city, John Planes, Sr. founded Planes Companies as a local moving company in 1921. Today, Planes Companies is a thriving 3rd generation company focused on moving, warehousing, transportation, and logistics. With a global footprint, Planes can help a person move across town or help a company solve complex global supply chain problems.
Seeking External Expertise to Strengthen Growth and Strategy
Coming out of the covid epidemic in 2020, Planes Companies engaged CMO-OnLoan to help them with two marketing issues. First, they wanted an outside perspective on their growth strategy. Second, they wanted to bolster their marketing team’s strategy and execution by incorporating CMO-OnLoan’s depth of experience. Amy Connor, founder and CEO of CMO-OnLoan, shares the challenges of Planes Companies’ diverse and complex service offerings, as well as the confusion caused by promoting multiple brands with separate marketing strategies.
Simplifying the Brand Architecture for Greater Clarity
CMO-OnLoan recommended a revised brand architecture that streamlined the brands from nine down to two. Craig English, Planes Companies Executive Vice President, describes how they defined the two brands’ shared values and services, explored various iterations, and collaborated closely with CMO-OnLoan to ensure alignment. The simplification process led to operational benefits and clarity in their story, which strengthened their market identity and internal culture.
Building a Marketing Foundation to Propel Future Growth
Once the brand foundation was set, the teams moved on to a more operational focus. CMO-OnLoan helped Planes modify websites, create marketing and sales plans, set up KPI trackers, and redefine the marketing team’s roles and objectives. This process included reorganizing agencies and hiring new marketing team members. The partnership, built on trust and collaboration, allowed Planes to develop a stronger marketing infrastructure to support their continued growth.
Explore how Planes Companies brings its exceptional moving, warehousing, and logistics services to the Cincinnati area here.