ControlAir: Unified Digital and Print Presence for 5 Business Units
TL;DR:
- Challenge: Unify 5 business units under one brand across digital and print
- Approach: 30-page custom website with CMS, product catalog, CAD downloads, dealer locator, and high-end printed brochures
- Result: Consistent brand presence that gave sales teams self-service tools and technical buyers direct access to specifications
At a Glance
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Client | ControlAir |
| Industry | Manufacturing / HVAC Controls |
| Challenge | 5 business units with fragmented branding across digital and print |
| Solution | 30-page website, CMS with 7 plugins, product catalog, and printed brochures |
| Digital Scope | Product catalog, spec sheets, CAD downloads, dealer locator, case study PDF generation |
| Print Scope | High-end brochures with magnetic closures for each business unit |
The Challenge: Five Units, No Shared Identity
ControlAir manufactures precision HVAC controls across 5 business units. Each unit served its own market segment. Each had its own materials, its own collateral, its own way of showing up.
The products were sophisticated. The brand presentation was not. Nothing looked like it came from the same company.
Their audience made the stakes clear. Engineers specify equipment based on technical data. Contractors compare manufacturers at trade shows. Neither group tolerates a brand that looks inconsistent or unprofessional. For a manufacturer competing on precision, the gap between product quality and brand presentation was costing credibility.
ControlAir needed a unified presence across digital and print, one that matched the sophistication of what they actually built.
The Solution: One Brand, Two Channels
We designed and built a system that brought all 5 business units under a single visual identity, delivered through both a custom website and high-end printed materials.
Custom Website (30 Pages, CMS with 7 Content Plugins)
The website served as the central hub for all 5 units. Thirty pages covered product lines, applications, technical resources, and company information. A custom CMS with 7 content plugins gave ControlAir's team the ability to manage product data, documentation, news, and dealer information without developer support.
Product Catalog with Technical Resources
Technical buyers got direct access to what they needed:
- Product specifications organized by type and application
- Downloadable spec sheets with complete product data
- CAD files for design integration
- Search and filtering by key parameters
An engineer specifying a pressure regulator for a building automation project could find the right product, pull the spec sheet, and download the CAD file without making a phone call.
Dealer Locator
Customers searching for local distributors could find them through a dealer locator integrated into the site. This supported the distribution channel and shortened the path from research to purchase.
CMS-Driven Case Study PDF Generation
This was the operational win for the sales team. Reps could build branded case study PDFs directly through the CMS. Select the project, add the details, generate a print-ready document. No design requests. No waiting. Sales teams walked into meetings with polished leave-behinds they created themselves.
High-End Printed Brochures
Each of the 5 business units received its own printed brochure, designed with the same visual language as the website. These were not standard trifolds. Magnetic closure packaging communicated the quality of the products inside. When a contractor picked up the brochure at a trade show and later visited the website, they saw the same company.
The Results
- Brand credibility restored: Digital and print presence matched the sophistication of ControlAir's products. Five business units looked like one company for the first time.
- Sales team self-service: CMS-driven case study generation removed the bottleneck between sales and design. Reps built their own branded materials on demand.
- Technical buyer access: Engineers and contractors pulled spec sheets and CAD files directly from the site, reducing inbound calls for routine technical information.
- Operational independence: The CMS and its 7 content plugins gave ControlAir's team full control over product data, documentation, and dealer information without ongoing developer involvement.
Key Takeaway
When a manufacturer's products are precise and sophisticated, the brand has to keep up. Unifying 5 business units under one visual identity across digital and print did more than fix a branding problem. It gave sales teams tools they could use without waiting on anyone, and it gave technical buyers the direct access they expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you unify branding across multiple business units?
Unifying brand across multiple business units requires a shared design system that flexes for each division while maintaining visual consistency. This means a common website architecture with unit-specific sections, printed materials built from the same design language, and a CMS that lets each unit manage its own content within brand guidelines. The goal is one identity that accommodates operational differences without fragmenting the brand.
What should a manufacturer's website include for technical buyers?
A manufacturer's website for technical buyers should include a searchable product catalog with specifications, downloadable spec sheets and CAD files, a dealer or distributor locator, and application-specific content. Engineers and contractors need to find the right product for their project without calling a sales rep. If the information requires a phone call, the site has failed its primary job.
How can a CMS generate case study PDFs for sales teams?
A CMS with structured content types and PDF generation plugins allows sales teams to create branded case study documents on demand. Reps select the project, add details, and the system generates a print-ready PDF that matches the company's brand standards. This removes the dependency on design teams for routine sales collateral and keeps materials current without a manual production cycle.
Why do manufacturers need both digital and print brand materials?
Technical buyers engage through multiple channels. Engineers research products online, but sales teams hand brochures to contractors at trade shows and job sites. When digital and print materials share the same design language, the brand presents one coherent identity regardless of how a buyer first encounters it. Inconsistency between channels signals a lack of attention that technical buyers notice.
Technologies Used
- Custom content management system with 7 content plugins
- Product catalog with specification database
- CAD file management and download system
- Dealer locator functionality
- Case study PDF generation engine
- High-end print design with magnetic closure packaging
- Responsive website design (30 pages)