A look inside the double-edged sword of Calgary's transportation and warehousing industries' expansive growth and how to leverage it in your favour.
There is no shortage of articles praising investment + development in the 'hottest' or 'fastest' growing industries, but as a business owner, is it really such a good thing to be in one of the fastest growing industries?
The rise of Calgary's transportation and warehousing industry is a tale of rapid growth and fierce competition. With a remarkable growth rate of 5.7% from 2019 to 2020, it stands as one of the fastest-growing business sectors. But is this rapid expansion a double-edged sword?
The growth spurt in this sector has been a boon for the city's economy, signalling robust economic development. It's a landscape ripe with opportunity, especially for smaller businesses that now have access to more 'pieces of the pie.' For entrepreneurs and job seekers alike, it's an industry with open arms.
However, with growth comes growing pains. The influx of new businesses has intensified competition, making it increasingly challenging to carve out a niche. Transportation and warehousing, by nature, are industries where standing out requires more than just showing up.
132 new businesses in the transportation + warehousing industry popped up in 1 year in just Calgary alone (totalling 2,468 businesses in the industry in 2020). With services that are essentially the same, how can companies leverage this growth in their favour without getting lost in a competitive landscape?
The strategy for leveraging being in a 'fastest growing industry' can simply be doing what the large companies of today did when they were first starting. "In these rapidly expanding industries, the 'tired and true' methods that are seen as status-quo in more established industries are the secret to establishing your company as the industry leader -- even if you're not (yet)" says Bujou Studios CCO, Maggie Bowles. "A power play can be branding mixed with really out-of-the-box awareness campaigns -- and if done right, they can propel companies to top-of-industry spots just through being front of mind for a large segment of customers".
Case Study: PDL PRO's New Brand Identity
The focus of the new branding was to create an intangible effect on potential customers that shouted capable, professional, and customer-centric without having to say anything. "We wanted to project this innate feeling of 'oh, these guys can definitely handle this' that was appealing to both corporate professionals that need support in large-scale shipping + logistics projects as well as truckers/industry professionals -- the result was this really cool blend of modern + ruggedness in the design."
Check out the new site at www.pdlpro.ca
With a strategic new visual identity + conversion-focused website, PDL PRO is positioned to be a leader in Calgary's rapidly growing transportation and warehousing industry based on first glance.
In the dynamic arena of Calgary's transportation and warehousing industry, investing in branding is not just beneficial; it's imperative for survival. Branding is the art of storytelling, a way for a company to narrate its unique tale in a market saturated with similar services. It's about creating a memorable identity that captures the essence of the business and communicates it effectively to the target audience.
For these companies, branding is the beacon that guides customers through the fog of options. It's what makes a business recognizable and relatable. By investing in a strong brand identity, companies can differentiate their services, foster customer loyalty, and command a premium in the marketplace.
Building Awareness that Lasts
"One of the strategies we love for the transportation industry is experiential campaigns ---- there is so much opportunity to drive interest in these services just because msot people don't get to interact with them!" says Maggie Bowles. "A campaign we've been dying to create is an all-glass shipping container placed in a high-traffic area where people can see the dispatch agents with their big screens actually doing logistics. The visual alone would be so interesting and impactful."
If you're looking to keep your brand at the forefront of this growing industry, book a free consultation with one of Bujou Studios' founders to get recommendations + rates for your unique business.
Calgary Economic Development. 2021. Face Sheet: Calgary Small Business. Calgary Census Metropolitan Area (CAM) 2021 Edition. Sourced from: FactSheet-SmallBusiness-2021-Edition-2021-10-V2.pdf (calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com)
Bujou Studios. 2024.
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