CASE STUDY
Tarkett | Johnsonite
m+ services provided
Product Design
Market Research
Marketing Strategy
Exhibit Design
Graphic Design
Environmental Graphics
Product Display
Information Display
Fabrication Observation
Installation Observation
Sharon Folliard and Jeff Krejsa, sale and marketing leaders at Tarkett l Johnsonite, hired m+ to develop a new approach to their tradeshow display and message communications. The goal was to reach a targeted section of the Architecture and Design (A&D) industry and to simplify the more abstract and high level messaging they were using on their ROI sell sheets. All of the installations utilize Johnsonite product applications in new ways and on as many surfaces as possible. This helps visitors to engage the product and provides multiple levels of information communication. The design team subsequently designed, developed and implemented multiple trade show components, systems, and installations for Johnsonite in the US and Canada.
tradeshows and exhibits
During the first year of designing the Johnsonite tradeshow space, we developed the concept of “concentric circles of engagement”. This marquardt+ approach allows for commercial presentations of any type, being successful with whatever level of information a client wants to present, while not overwhelming the customer by providing levels that matches their interests, revealed by the time and depth they invest in the experience. So in this case, those that just walked by (80% of most trade show audiences) walked away with a memorable brand impression in three seconds, while those looking to take that engagement farther were provided with a depth of information they felt was important to their needs the deeper they engaged the experience.
Tarkett / Johnsonite NeoCon Chicago exhibit with interactive information console
Tarkett / Johnsonite NeoCon Chicago exhibit details
Subsequent challenges included aligning the next year’s tradeshow exhibit with the company’s print and digital ad campaign.
Not wanting to just present ad panels within the product presentation experience, we created lenticular slices of the ads, made up with product itself, so as one passes from the outside or inside, various ads appear and disappear with the visual alignment of the product presentation towers.
Custom lenticular tradeshow exhibit at IIDEX Canada
Adapted lenticular tradeshow exhibit at NeoCon Chicago
New product colorway studies for survey
product design and consulting
Tarkett/Johnsonite began rethinking the color palettes and patterns for a number of their acquired sub-brands, including their Azrock VCT, VET and SVT product lines, and retained our firm to consult with their team on new color concepts, textures, patterns as well as the development of an A&D industry survey. Our team’s perspectives as both a marketing driven design practice and architecture/design specifiers, as well as our experience interpreting Tarkett/Johnsonite’s marketing and sales strategy need, led to a natural partnership to revising these product lines.
Working with Sharon Folliard of Tarkett/Johnsonite and Kathy Holdridge of Tarkett/Azrock, we were able to develop new methods of creating texture within their existing manufacturing facility in Athens, AL. Additionally, we created color/pattern test concepts and surveys for review and input by specifiers in the architecture and design industries. The feedback provided a foundation for our development of new color and pattern offerings for Tarkett to bring to market. The Tarkett team then finalized our concept work for production to create the resulting newly released product lines.
design team, marquardt+ (work performed as Design Collaboratives)
+ Tom Marquardt
+ Vince Gammino
+ Billie Knipfer
+ Kelly Ziegenhagen
+ Gretchen Miller
+ Gisele Gieger
Photography: marquardt+, Michelle Litvin Photography, Jayson Goranson Photography