When Elite Insulation asked us to help them compete against big box retailers like Bunnings and Mitre 10, they thought they needed better product messaging. What they actually needed was to recognise the goldmine they were literally surrounded by.
Walking Into the Answer
I arrived at Elite Insulation’s new Auckland offices for what seemed like a routine messaging consultation. As they toured me through their facility, we walked through room after room packed with insulation products. Turn a corner—more stock. Enter another area—even more stock.
“We’ve got one of the largest insulation stockholdings in New Zealand,” they mentioned casually, as if it were just an operational detail rather than a potential game-changer.
That’s when it clicked. While they saw warehouse space, I saw a solution to a problem every builder in Auckland faces.
The Builder’s Dilemma
Through our conversation, Elite Insulation described their typical customers: builders halfway through a job who’ve miscalculated and need just two or three bales to finish. DIYers who want to complete their weekend project. Contractors who can’t afford to wait for special orders because the next phase of construction is waiting.
“They need to get in, get loaded, and get back to work,” the team explained. Their new location made this even easier—positioned for quick access with plenty of room for vehicles to pull in and load up.
The frustration was palpable when they described these customers’ experiences at big box retailers. Despite their size, stores like Bunnings and Mitre 10 juggle thousands of products. Bulky insulation that demands significant floor space often gets limited stock allocation. The result? “Sorry, we’ll need to order that in for you.”
The Strategic Pivot: From Stock to Promise
Here’s where having massive stock became more than an operational advantage—it became their market position. One of the owners had previously worked somewhere that guaranteed stock availability on key items. That sparked our breakthrough.
“What if we guarantee stock on your core products?” I suggested. “Not just ‘usually available’ but genuinely guaranteed.”
We workshopped what this meant. What if someone drove across Auckland expecting stock and found empty shelves? The answer came quickly: Elite Insulation would deliver it free to their Auckland building site that same day. The probability was minimal given their stock levels, but the promise removed all customer risk.
Crafting the Message
“Guaranteed Stock Items” became more than a tagline—it became their battle cry against the big boxes. We developed:
- Clear visual indicators: A simple tick mark on guaranteed items throughout their website
- Explicit promise language: No wishy-washy “subject to availability” disclaimers
- Focused product selection: They identified their core range that builders rely on most
The beauty was its simplicity. Elite Insulation didn’t need to change their operations. They were already holding the stock. They were already committed to availability. We just helped them recognise this as their unique value proposition.
Reframing the Competition
This positioning brilliantly sidesteps price-only competition. While big box retailers compete on having everything under one roof, Elite Insulation now owns a different space: the insulation specialist who guarantees you’ll never face delays.
They’re not trying to be a smaller version of Bunnings. They’re being something Bunnings can’t be—focused, specialised, and absolutely reliable for builders who can’t afford delays.
Your Hidden Advantage
While Elite Insulation’s new positioning is just going live, the transformation in how they see their business is immediate. They’ve gone from competing on price against giants to owning a unique position in the market.
This journey raises an important question for every business facing larger competitors: What asset are you surrounded by every day that you’ve stopped seeing as remarkable?
For Elite Insulation, it was rooms full of stock that represented reliability and speed. For your business, it might be your depth of expertise, your location, your process, or even your size itself.
The key is to stop seeing these as operational realities and start seeing them as competitive advantages waiting to be messaged.
Ready to Discover Your Hidden Advantage?
Elite Insulation’s transformation started with a simple conversation—a Marketing Message Audit that revealed the competitive advantage hiding in plain sight. This structured process helps businesses step back and see what they’ve become blind to through daily familiarity.
A Marketing Message Audit examines your current positioning, uncovers your unrecognised strengths, and identifies the unique value you’re not yet communicating. It’s often the first step in transforming how you compete in your market.
Curious what advantages might be hiding in your business? Learn more about our Marketing Message Audit and start your own messaging journey.
