Wormgear Case Study

Content, marketing strategy and rebranding for the leading U.S. vermicompost equipment manufacturer.

About Wormgear

Wormgear, originally known as Michigan Soilworks, is a leader in the vermiculture industry, born from a vision to enhance soil health through top-tier vermicomposting equipment.

Michigan Soil Works initially set out to produce high-grade vermicastings. Over time, they recognized that the true asset was the specialized equipment they had developed to create this premium product.

This realization prompted a strategic pivot to concentrate on building and continuously enhancing the design and functionality of their vermicomposting equipment, this later led to their decision to rebrand to Wormgear.

With a dedication to quality and customer support, Wormgear stands at the forefront of advancing the vermiculture practice, helping operators to efficiently and effectively produce high-quality compost.

About Dan Lonowski

Dan Lonowski, the driving force behind Wormgear, has applied his automotive engineering expertise to the realm of vermiculture. The inception of Michigan Soilworks in 2017 was the first step in what would become a journey towards creating Wormgear.

Recognized for his dedication to both innovation and sustainability, Dan’s leadership has been vital in developing equipment that aids in the growth of the vermicomposting sector, aligning with the industry’s ecological values.

Cooperating with Compost Marketing Agency

When founder Dan came across an article in BioCycle Magazine, co-authored by Matthew Karmel and Tim Steckel, the founder of Compost Marketing, about protecting one’s compost brand, he reached out for advice.

Tim and his team have since been working on Wormgear’s marketing strategy and tactics, produced hundreds of pieces of content and set goals to grow the business.

Objectives

1.

Digital Marketing Consultation

We started with an assessment of the status quo to understand where Michigan SoilWorks was and where it wanted to get to.

This translated into goals for the next 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 months.

The Compost Marketing Agency provided Wormgear with a tailored digital strategy that focuses on proactive outreach, content creation, and social media engagement.

2.

Rebranding including: CI, Logo, Style guide, font & color pairing

After the name change from Michigan SoilWorks to Wormgear, we created a comprehensive new brand identity.

Our process started with some ideas, rough sketches and outlines towards the new brand design. Having those first visualizations helps our clients to understand where we are headed and if our briefing is on point.

We have been excessively experimenting with generative AI tools like ChatGPT. They work well during the brainstorming process and may lay a rough base that we refine and polish, to achieve our high level of quality.

Those collaborative sessions have supported the process. In the end, it comes down to refining and human decision making.

The idea for Wormgear stems from their engineering background, precise manufacturing and the double entendre for gear, which can also be interpreted as someone’s technical outfit or possessions.

The goal is to refresh and modernize the company’s image, identity, and website, making it more appealing to both existing and potential customers.

The rebranding includes a new logo that features the stylized image of a commercial vermicomposting system – the Wormgear CFT – which is very straight, technical and clean cut. It is broken up by a worm that is entangled within. Those two elements separate from the letters W and G to subliminally hint toward the name Wormgear.

The color scheme is made up of two primary colors, a dark and a light green.
We’ve included a fresh and earthy salmon color to emphasize elements in our designs.

We want to give a huge shout out to our master designer Jen and chief typologist for composing this beautiful and fitting theme. Jen, poured all her expertise and creativity into shaping a truly representative theme.

3.

Relaunch website

It was clear that a new brand means a new website.
However, it was important to Dan that we kept some of the familiar elements.
We kept the platform, WordPress, and adapted it to the new brand guidelines.

We reviewed the existing content and concluded that a lot of keywords related to the niche of vermiculture and vermicomposting were missing. This meant that the website would not show up for high intent searches. Given the small niche, the amount of overall searches is relatively low compared to other niches and industries. This makes it even more important to capture those searches from people that are specifically looking for professional equipment to produce vermicastings.

We clustered the keywords in different categories and included relevant audiences. It was important to us to empathize and get into the minds of Wormgear’s ideal client. We wanted to understand why and how they would be searching for a company like Wormgear.

Once we had shifted our perspective to the potential new customers’ side, we were able to identify two key segments and craft copy around it.

4.

Customer Reactivation Campaign

To reconnect with former customers and gather their valuable feedback for product improvement. Acquired customer testimonials will be used to enhance their marketing initiatives and invite their customers to produce social media content, building a sense of community.

This strategy is a strategic blend of customer service, promotional activity, and product development. By valuing and showcasing customer feedback, we aim to reaffirm their significance to Wormgear’s brand and reignite their interest in Wormgear’s products, potentially leading to repeat business or referrals.

5.

Integration of compost toolshed

The Compost Marketing Agency implemented the Compost Toolshed with the goal of centralizing organization.

Customer relationships will be managed through an integrated system. This starts with taking in new contact information, streamlining communication channels and connecting marketing blueprints for a consistent customer experience.

Learn more about our Compost Toolshed.

Achievements

Managed Website

Rethinking the content on the website has helped to gain a significant amount of new search engine rankings for relevant keywords. This has led to an increase in organic search traffic.

The website’s relaunch integrated the new corporate identity; we changed the colors, fonts, logo graphics according to the brand guidelines we set.

Overall, the website projects a contemporary and informative aesthetic, enhancing the user’s browsing experience and reflecting the modernity of Wormgear’s approach to vermiculture technology.

Workflow Automation

Automation has transformed Wormgear’s approach to digital marketing and sales, with tasks like sending customized purchase confirmation emails now handled automatically. This shift allows for a professional yet personal communication touch.

Automation extends to managing website form submissions and inquiries, with immediate, tailored responses that maintain the brand’s voice. This not only preserves a personal connection with each interaction but also builds a detailed database of customer and prospect engagements.

Incoming inquiries can now be qualified and given a lead value that feeds into a sales dashboard. This is the base to track sales and enable reporting on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Successful Rebrand/Relaunch

The relaunch and rebranding of Wormgear were marked by substantial engagement and interest. Beginning with teaser campaigns and culminating in the final reveal, the response across all channels was impressive. This enthusiasm translated into a warm reception from our audience, who showed their support and excitement.

The success of this initiative not only reaffirmed Wormgear’s commitment to quality but also solidified its position as the leading provider of vermicomposting equipment, resonating clearly with our audience.