The Stako brand dates back to the 1960s. Years of reliable work have made Stako an autogas industry expert. Today, it is the world’s leading manufacturer of automotive LPG tanks installed as standard in passenger cars from the largest makers, including Renault, Fiat, Opel, and Hyundai.
Challenge – strategy In 2011, Słupsk, Poland-based Stako was acquired by a new owner, the U.S. corporation Worthington Industries. According to its corporate policy, individual brands were to be phased out to make room for one multi-brand: Worthington Industries. This process also concerned Stako, which had been an undisputed world leader in automotive gas tank production for years.

Was this the right choice? The company’s management asked us this question almost a decade later. This project was a great challenge for us from the start. We had to learn about a new industry and conduct thorough desk research, while showing a great deal of patience and humility.

The first stage involved fully understanding the situation of both the Stako brand and its market environment, including its history. By conducting in-depth interviews with the management and staff from key departments we were able to draw initial conclusions. The next stage involved strategic workshops, which brought us closer to understanding how to carry out marketing and communication activities so that they effectively support business growth and help meet the objectives. We gained the required knowledge, which formed a basis for further work. Our diagnosis: the Stako brand remains strong and, despite 8 years of phase-out, it is still firmly rooted in customers’ minds. Stako products are world class LPG tanks that are the first choice for the automotive industry and installers.

The company needed a new positioning that would be in line with market and customer expectations. Thanks to our efforts, the Stako brand was successfully relaunched in the B2B market. We effectively prepared and implemented brand positioning and strategy in a way that fitted the company’s position as the manufacturer of world-class gas tanks. It is reflected in the new brand claim: “Proud to be the first choice for the automotive industry for years.”

Naming: Due to the multitude and technological sophistication of Stako products we had to come up with comprehensible names that would help efficiently introduce products to different customer groups. Rio Creativo’s work included participation in developing a communication strategy for product portfolio, naming individual products and product groups as well as specifying the rules of correct name usage to ensure maximum effectiveness and message coherence.

Principles behind the new visual identity: The new visual identity system combines elements most associated with the stako brand, while emphasising its innovative and technological qualities. The primary colour continues to be orange as it both evokes stako’s legacy and symbolises positive energy. Stako can be proud of its brand, which has grown over the years and became famous in the automotive industry, and at the same time it can boldly look into the future and reach for new goals.

Implementation of Stako’s new strategy and visual identity: Stako’s rebranding required us to create all of the company’s promotional materials from scratch. The corporate website designed by rio creativo remains the number one touchpoint with the customers. However, we did not forget about stako being a global brand with strong local identity. Over half a century of legacy has tied the brand closely to the słupsk region so employer branding activities will be a crucial part of our future cooperation.

Scope of work: In-depth interviews with the management, Strategic workshops strategic concept and positioning, Naming, Visual identity, Corporate website, Advertising materials, Employer branding and TBC: