Building your catalogue well means building your customer relationship well
How do you turn your catalogue into a reference guide for all construction professionals?
Timber construction is a highly competitive market. To stand out, Gedibois – the specialist Timber, Panels and Derivatives network created by Gedex (Gedimat) in 2008 – has equipped each of its 45 points of sale with dual sales and technical expertise. The objective: to allow every tradesperson – a professional in the timber trades – to find the tools and shared expertise they need for the specific requirements of their project.
To showcase its offering, the network created "Solutions constructives" several years ago: a catalogue of around a hundred pages dedicated to technical systems. For its new edition, Gedibois wanted to modernise both the substance and the style of this strategic document, used by its teams and customers alike. The idea? To turn it into a self-contained tool of technical references and market information. A challenge Convergence rose to thanks to its specialisation in construction industry markets!
BrandGedibois
SectorConstruction – housing
BusinessTimber, panels and derivatives merchant
Website gedibois.fr
A multi-specialist operational tool
How to make it possible to find concrete information on installation and market intelligence
"The previous version of this catalogue brought together all the technical information relating to construction solutions, along with the corresponding Gedibois product offering. In that sense, it served to open a conversation between professionals (distributor and installer)," explains Geoffrey Saugeon, associate director at Convergence.
For the Gedibois teams, it is a technical reference guide and a source of solutions to offer the professionals they interact with (carpenters, fitters, joiners, cladders, drywallers, etc.). For the professionals themselves, it is a tool for finding concrete information on installation and market intelligence. A comprehensive 100-page document that nevertheless deserved a refresh!
"In this new edition, Gedibois wanted to highlight certain key, topical subjects such as the transition to RE 2020, the standards governing the use and treatment of timber, the material's advantages in construction, and the financial support the State makes available to private individuals. But while these subjects needed genuine clarification, the page count and the orchestration of the content also had to be optimised to make the catalogue more digestible as a whole"
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The Convergence solution: step 1
Introducing facilitating content
- Simple, short and useful content for professionals, so they can see at a glance all the changes involved in moving from RT 2012 to RE 2020.
- A range of arguments enabling professionals to specify, sell and install more effectively.
- Up-to-date information on the market, current standards and regulations… The objective: to enrich the knowledge of the Gedibois teams so they can better advise and support their customers.
- Technical selection guides: how to choose the right timber, the different treatments available…
"We went from 100 to 68 pages. Preserving the full richness of the information was a real challenge. The first 10 pages cover everything that timber trade professionals and Gedibois staff need to know about timber construction. The other 60 address the various construction systems while offering an immediate product answer. Throughout the pages, and depending on the topics covered, we also provided additional insight into the sector: spotlights on the timber-frame market in France, an analysis of thermal resistance, a focus on thermal insulation and the work that can qualify for support, a safety briefing…"
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The Convergence solution: step 2
Offering a playful layout that makes reading easier
To improve this catalogue and turn it into an operational, easy-to-grasp tool, the Convergence team put itself in the shoes of the pros who would be discovering it. The challenge? To structure the catalogue and the different types of content (marketing and technical) illustrating each section. To do so, Convergence chose to create two different reading entry points.
- The first: the professional has a project but doesn't know which materials to use for it. They can go straight to the "Solutions Constructives" pages, which offer advice and diagrams dedicated to the build, along with cross-references to the pages presenting the products. A highly visual section with numerous diagrams and 3D exploded views that showcases Gedibois's expertise and builds professionals' knowledge. They can easily picture the result and prepare the installation for their project.
- The second entry point: the professional knows exactly which product to use. They can then go to the "Products" solutions pages. Another highly graphic section, where each product has its own visual.
Under the magnifying glass
A visual, practical creative concept
- An accessible layout designed like a timber frame (with rafters and beams featured on every page of the catalogue).
- Four types of visuals: product photos, lifestyle photos, installation diagrams and 3D exploded views, designed by Convergence to offer an even more technical view and understanding of the products and their installation.
- Spotlights to highlight must-know information, particularly on the timber construction market.
- A more open layout with particularly clear signposting of the new headings and more comprehensible reading levels.
Results
This new edition allows the brand to reach a new milestone in terms of supporting professionals and sales support.
Since the end of January 2020, Gedibois staff and their customers – professionals in the timber trades – have been enjoying a comprehensive, practical document bringing together all the information relating to the timber trade and the network's offering. This new edition allows the brand to reach a new milestone in terms of supporting professionals and sales support. Gone is the simple product catalogue: Gedibois has distributed to its 45 points of sale a tool that answers every question about the market.
Everything is now brought together in a single catalogue, easy and pleasant to use, to find out how — and with what — to carry out a timber construction project.
Our finest collaborations, told by the people who know them best
In CONVERGENCE we found much more than a marketing agency: a true strategic partner, able to understand our challenges, take ownership of our objectives and turn them into impactful campaigns, always delivered with professionalism, creativity and positive energy.
Nadine C. & Marion C. Marketing and Communications Officers
When the time came to unveil our new brand platform, Convergence found just the right words to create a clear, impactful identity for us. Clients and employees alike embraced it immediately.
Priscille T. Operational Marketing Manager
Convergence's specialisation makes all the difference! I particularly appreciate their responsiveness, their ability to listen and the thinking they bring to our projects. Their strategic and operational support makes for a valuable, effective collaboration.
Virginie Q. Operational Marketing & Communications Manager
Convergence stands out for its agile, professional support, offering excellent expertise across all of our launch projects. Strategies are tailor-made to our objectives and communication is always transparent!
Juliette T. Communications Manager
Working with Convergence makes a real difference on the various topics that concern us as a construction manufacturer. We don't need to train them — they already know the market.
Stefen W. Communications Officer
Thanks to Convergence's expertise in the construction sector, we were able to move forward much faster, developing tools perfectly suited to the specific needs of our B2B audience.
Rami J. Marketing and Communications Director
Convergence has been able to adapt to our organisation and has become a genuine day-to-day support as a hyper-specialist in communication for the construction industry.
Maxime B. Communications, Marketing and Specification Manager
Thank you for your support — a successful campaign on every level, with KPIs that put a big smile on our faces 🤩
Anaïs G. Digital Specialist
Convergence has supported us for 5 years, on one-off projects as much as on more strategic challenges. Their knowledge of the sector, of our clients and of our challenges is genuine added value, and our collaboration grows richer project after project.
Aurélie B. Client Marketing and Communications Manager
Beyond the support we receive throughout a project, what is particularly valuable when working with Convergence is the upstream phase: they take the time to analyse the environment and the target audiences, and to take a step back. That is very important for our strategic projects!
Nicolas B. Client Marketing and Training Manager
The Convergence teams supported us in defining and structuring our new range. They helped us design a universe, messages and tools perfectly suited to our target audience, to convey the key information clearly and powerfully.
Alexandre P. Product, Communications and Digital Manager
Working with Convergence means being able to put yourself in the hands of an enthusiastic, efficient team that understands our business challenges perfectly. Thank you for bringing our projects to life.
Alizée E. B2B2C Marketing Project Manager
A responsive, available and highly rigorous team, with solid expertise in the construction sector and consistently sound advice. Their creative approach gave our catalogue a real boost. A big thank you to the whole Convergence team for their commitment and the quality of this great collaboration.
Lauren C. Publishing Manager
Convergence imagined and delivered the tools best suited to the launch of our Elixair range, thanks to their knowledge of our sector, the quality of their work and their ability to push our thinking ever further. A true partnership of equals where we challenge each other to keep improving!
Katerina V. Global Communication Manager Pam Building
A great day-to-day collaboration: the team immediately understood the PUM universe, while bringing innovative ideas to the table. Special thanks to Véronique for the quality of our exchanges and her responsiveness, which make projects smooth and efficient.
Lea C. Commercial Communications Officer
Since I arrived in the construction sector, working with Convergence has been a real asset. Their understanding of the market and its customers, their creativity and the quality of their support bring genuine added value to our campaigns. A trusted partner who is a pleasure to work with.
Valentine G. Marketing Manager
Attentiveness, responsiveness, expertise and creativity are the words that best sum up our collaboration with Convergence. The agency has supported JELD-WEN in developing the brand for several years and has created a genuine campaign tone that quickly became the brand's signature.
Anne R. Marketing and Communications Manager
Convergence provides us with high-quality support, delivered by a responsive and fully committed team. Their excellent understanding of our challenges and specific needs, combined with their creativity and ability to deliver, is a real asset.
Eugénie C. Communications Manager
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