November 5, 2003
Charles Marine and Industrial Group launches consumer product line
Rolling Meadows, Illinois based Charles Marine and Industrial
Group, a division of the telecommunications equipment manufacturer and makers
of recreational marine electrical equipment, unveiled their new consumer product
line at the July MAATS show.
Charles Marine designs and produces chargers, transformers, switches, inverters,
power cables and communication products for recreational marine use, and is
the recognized leader in the high-end recreational OEM marine equipment market,
with an extensive customer base of boat builders.
An opportunity to place a product line in West Marine, the country’s
largest marine retailer, motivated Charles Marine to develop a consumer-packaged
product line and retail strategy.
Torque,
a brand and communications launch firm, won the assignment to position
the new consumer product line and develop a packaging brand. Torque
was also asked to handle the management of retail, sales support and
general marketing planning and execution.
“There is a lot to work with in this company,” states Kevin Masi,
principal of Torque. “We leveraged Charles’ business DNA of American
innovation and US manufacturing excellence including Marine UL listing and ISO
certification, that meet the demands of applications for marine, military, law
enforcement and Federal homeland security. We found and gave voice to these and
other competitive advantages to differentiate and present Charles Marine as a
significant player in the market.”
“Solid Power,” the tagline resulting from this strategy, has been
embraced internally by managers and sales force alike. It has also been recognized
widely by the marketplace, receiving media coverage by Marine Electronics Journal
as well as positive feedback from competitors at the most recent suite of trade
shows in October, including: the National Marine Electronics Association convention
in Sanibel, FL, the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show, and the International Boat Exposition
in Miami.
With their brand in order, Charles Marine’s Solid Power product line
is ready for the upscale consumer market launch this coming January. But this
brand story has further life.
“The strength and energy of the positioning, as well as the consistent
application to packaging, trade shows, advertising and the catalog have given
us significant attention and have separated us from the crowd,” states
Lyle St. Romain, General Manager for the Marine and Industrial division. “The
Solid Power positioning speaks to the core of our business, and applies equally
to our industrial product line. New products, such as our 5000 SP series battery
chargers, recently approved by the US Defense Department for the M1 Battle Tank
(Abrams Tank) will also bear the “Solid Power” brand. We hope to
win more military and homeland security contracts with this approach.”
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