New pledge repositioned company image from
office equipment seller to customer solutions provider

HPS Office Systems, a 67-year-old Indiana office equipment company, saw the need to partner with an integrated marketing company to create a new brand and a positioning statement that would reflect its emerging position as a solutions provider rather than an equipment seller. To survive, it had become important for HPS to leverage its knowledge and its time, as well as sell equipment. With its Unlocking the Power of Your Pledge® formula MillerWhite created a new company pledge for HPS based on the results of consumer research: “HPS Office Systems - Valued Solutions, Responsive Service.”

To implement this pledge, MillerWhite recommended changes in the internal culture of HPS that would help employees embrace the company’s new position as a solutions provider. MillerWhite developed a Message and Action Guidelines (MAG) document to help create a common internal culture for HPS management and staff. The culture change supported the external efforts developed by MillerWhite to differentiate HPS as a business solutions provider in the marketplace. Television and radio spots, direct mail and print ads were created based on the theme, “HPS speaks the clients’ language, hears their needs, and sees the solution to their problems.” The campaign offered an online incentive designed to collect eMail addresses of clients and potential clients, which were used to send out online promotions and an eNewsletter.