Rick Hart Outlet were seeking a full re-brand and repositioning of the brand as they were currently only perceived as an in-store clearance outlet store.
Rick Hart is an iconic WA name with nearly 50 years of retail experience. The Hart Group own and operate the premium kitchen appliance brand Hart & Co in addition to Rick Hart Outlet.
Rick Hart Outlet’s previous brand identity wasn’t in line with the vision the family had for the company. With strong online growth opportunities and more store openings planned, the new brand identity had to represent the strong product offering and unique selling points of the business.
In appliance retail, everyone’s fighting on price. Rick Hart Outlet had genuine differentiators that weren’t coming through or attracting their ideal customers with their brand.
We knew customers wanted value, sure. But dig deeper, they wanted confidence. They wanted to know that an $800 dishwasher would actually fit their space and last longer than the warranty. In a sea of similar prices, trusted advice became the ace up Rick Hart’s sleeve.
We kicked off with our brand strategy workshop, getting the whole Hart family around the table. Our Brand Strategist Kate dug into what made Rick Hart Outlet tick, where competitors were winning, and who their ideal customers really were.
Plus, usually consumers would need to compromise on either clearance prices or reputable tailored advice. We’re the one option with both, so let’s shout it.” – Kate Wright, Senior Brand Strategist
The resulting brand positioning strategy and roadmap covered everything: brand identity concepts, themed creative system, comprehensive style guide, and the full logo suite.
Our senior designer Katja Lambert translated the strategy into three distinct creative directions – each one vibrant, youthful, bold and decidedly modern. When we presented to the Hart family and team, the energy in the room shifted. They saw their business reflected back in a way that finally felt right. One concept resonated immediately, and we had our direction.
The new brand tagline we created was ‘Best Advice. Better Deals’. This was representative of the brand’s combined strengths in offering low and competitive prices with outstanding customer service and product advice.
The new logo brought together bold, contemporary typography that speaks to different customer segments. But the real magic? The new heart brandmark.
It’s a nod to the Hart heritage, yes, but more importantly it signals the warm, human service you’ll actually get in store.
Brands can fall flat if they don’t have textures or graphical elements that allow the brand to pop across multiple channels, especially a website. For Rick Hart Outlet, we created a modern heart that could be used in an abstract format across different mediums.
We showed the client how this brand would live and breathe:
Every application reinforced the same message: this isn’t a typical clearance outlet experience.
Rick Hart Outlet now has a brand identity that matches their ambitions. No longer trapped in the clearance corner, they’re positioned as the trusted specialists who combine killer deals with advice you can count on. The new identity tells the true story of a WA family business that’s been getting it right for nearly 50 years.
The result? A retail brand that’s genuinely differentiated in a market where everyone else looks the same.
No more missed opportunities. No shoehorning, railroading or using a jack hammer to crack a walnut. No more wasted branding, web or marketing dollars.
