Gas Certification Institute

Challenge

The Gas Certification Institute (GCI) of Houston came to Pierpont with a dilemma that many companies and organizations face.  They offer a valuable, high-quality service to a well defined public, but had no consistent marketing procedures for reaching that audience and lacked a cohesive brand for the company as a whole. GCI, a leader in equipment testing and gas certification classes, looked to Pierpont to help unify its brand and provide effective, professional marketing materials to get its message to key audiences.

Strategy

Pierpont started the campaign by creating a unique and relevant brand platform for GCI.  By defining the characteristics and archetype for the company’s niche services, Pierpont was able to establish a brand strategy that would direct all marketing communications. The brand positioned GCI as an essential tool that allows gas companies to test and prove the quality of their equipment and employees in a real-world environment before “going into battle.”  This “field tested, battle proven” brand platform then served as the basis for all materials and copy developed for GCI.

Pierpont then used the brand and key words to completely redesign GCI’s Web site. The big challenge was that most of their materials (course curriculums, calendars, course descriptions, bios, etc) were outdated, and needed to be completely rewritten before the site could go live. For example, Pierpont revised the format, design, and copy of their weekly “Register Now” e-mails, which serve as the company’s most important source of program registrations.  

In order to help establish the company as an industry leader and to provide field supervisors with an added incentive for registering, we advised GCI to create a “Certification in Gas Measurement” program, which they could easily do based on the courses they already offered.  Lastly, Pierpont helped create professional brochures for GCI’s different certification offerings.  These brochures are an essential tool for use at tradeshows, conferences, and as support materials for sales efforts.

Results

GCI relied on Pierpont to completely create its brand and manage all communications in the process. From bi-weekly calls to an entire action document complete with timelines and status updates, Pierpont was able to keep the client informed while keeping track of progress and results. Registration for GCI courses increased notably once the new site was launched and awareness by target gas companies increased through the consistent email newsletter and other strategic communications.  Pierpont continues to manage content on the company’s Web site as well as oversee its new marketing program.