Case Study

Premier Design + Build Group is a full-service construction and remodeling firm serving residential and commercial clients across the greater Chicago area. When I came on board, the brand had strong word-of-mouth but virtually no digital marketing infrastructure to convert that reputation into measurable leads online.

The Challenge

The specific objective: build a cohesive brand identity and digital marketing presence from the ground up within 12 months, targeting a 25% increase in qualified inbound leads generated through digital channels. A time-bound milestone was set at 6 months to have all primary brand assets and the website live.

My Role

As Graphic Designer and Marketing Specialist, I handled the full brand rollout — logo design, brand standards guide, print collateral, photography direction, and all digital marketing assets. I also managed paid social creative on Meta and designed project case study pages to showcase completed work.

What We Achieved

  • Delivered complete brand identity system — logo, color system, typography, and templates — within 3 months (6 weeks ahead of milestone)
  • Grew organic social following from 0 → 1,200+ followers across platforms within the first year
  • Increased inbound digital leads by 32% year-over-year, exceeding the 25% target
  • Produced 8 project case study layouts that became the primary conversion tool for proposal meetings
  • Designed and printed 3 trade show displays used across 2 regional home-improvement expos
Process

How We Got There

Discovery

Audited the competitive landscape for Chicago-area remodeling firms, identifying visual and messaging gaps that a strong brand presence could fill.

Brand Identity

Designed the full brand system — logo suite, color system, typography, and usage guidelines — delivering in 3 months, 6 weeks ahead of the milestone.

Digital Presence

Built the website and set up social profiles with the new brand identity, establishing a consistent digital footprint across all channels from day one.

Paid Social

Designed and managed Meta ad creative, testing multiple asset formats to identify what drove the highest-quality inbound lead volume for the firm's offer.

Case Studies & Collateral

Produced 8 project case study layouts and 3 trade show displays, creating the sales enablement materials that now anchor every proposal and expo conversation.

Reflection

Lessons Learned

A great brand identity is the most scalable sales tool a small firm can have

Premier's 32% lead increase followed the brand rollout, not an ad spend increase. Credibility and visual consistency did the heavy lifting that cold outreach never could.

Deliver the milestone early by starting with the highest-risk piece

Logo and brand system were the riskiest approval items — the ones most likely to require revision cycles. Starting there, not with templates, is what created the 6-week buffer.

Case studies close deals that portfolios can't

The 8 project case study layouts became the primary conversion tool in proposals because they told a story of transformation with before/after evidence — not just a gallery.