GUTJAHR: one concept from academy to trade fair that makes products beneath the surface visible to architects

GUTJAHR makes products that become invisible once installed: systems for draining, venting and uncoupling coverings on terraces, outdoor stairs and indoors. They are essential to the construction but hard to communicate. GUTJAHR therefore wanted to address architects, especially the younger generation, and was looking for a coherent concept for architecture communication across all channels.

Alongside a clear strategy, GUTJAHR needed help with implementation, because internal resources were limited. We were to set processes in motion and create structures that would let the team continue the projects on its own afterwards.

A strategy workshop got things started. Together, we developed a roadmap with concrete recommendations and actions. Then we went straight into implementation.

GUTJAHR Akademie

The look & feel of the presentation templates for the company’s own online academy had become dated. The corporate design was to remain recognisable but look contemporary. We analysed the logo, colours, font sizes and styles, adapted them to the target group’s viewing habits and summarised them in a style guide. The team received a set of master slides that give the webinars a consistent, contemporary look. We also collected ideas for the webinar set, with sketches and a mood board for the background.

Online presence and newsletter

In parallel, we relaunched the landing page for architects and restructured the newsletter. The website gained a dedicated section for design practices, with reference projects, planning services, tips and a sample service. We revised existing content, put it into a new wireframe structure, wrote the copy and designed it, based on the existing CMS and within the project budget.

The newsletter already had a good foundation. With clear strategic decisions and a new look & feel, it has become a format of its own: three topics per issue, plus a piece of trivia, and it only goes out when there is something to report. On top of this came a recommendation for email marketing and marketing automation.

Trade fairs and exhibitions

So that architects would also hear about the new presence offline, we revised the trade fair and exhibition appearances. For architect@work in Berlin, we developed a stand concept designed for architects. For the raumprobe materials exhibition in Stuttgart, we designed an exhibit: an extruded material collage on which four different floor build-ups rise up in three dimensions.

1. Strategy workshop: analysis of the starting situation, target group definition and development of a cross-media roadmap.
2. Academy concept: style guide, master slides and a mood board for the set of the GUTJAHR online academy.
3. Architecture landing page: relaunch of the page for design practices with a new content concept, wireframes, copy and design.
4. Newsletter concept: new format, design and recommendations for email marketing and marketing automation.
5. Trade fair concept: stand concept for architect@work Berlin and exhibit design for raumprobe Stuttgart.
6. Social media concept: strategy for addressing architects on digital channels.

GUTJAHR specialises in draining, venting and uncoupling coverings on terraces, outdoor stairs and indoors.