Case Study: Walman

Out of many, one brand.

Relaunching an iconic optical company for the next century.
The Issue

Although Walman was the largest independent ophthalmic company in the U.S., they operated under many brand names and divisions, so few knew of their wide-ranging optical expertise.  The lack of a consistent brand and unified message was confusing in the marketplace and made it difficult to serve B2B customers across their divisions.

The Insight

After conducting stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis and industry research, Spyglass discovered that the name “Walman Optical” was primarily associated with their lab/lens business, versus all the synergistic businesses owned by Walman Optical, which included their contacts, instruments, designer frames, coatings technology and their buying group companies.

The Solution

Spyglass recommended that Walman consolidate wherever possible, then rebrand the parent company as simply Walman: the entity that owns many companies in the optical industry — all guided by a singular mission and a consistent set of core values. By creating a visual brand link between all of the companies, those relationships could be leveraged as needed without creating confusion in the marketplace.

Walman header
The Walman Difference
Walman Logo

“The work Spyglass did with us was outstanding and positioned us perfectly to establish ourselves among the most trusted brand names . . . for the next 100 years.”

Marty Bassett
CEO
Walman

BEFORE
AFTER
Walman logo after
New set of Walman family logos
Walman Website
Walman Optical website
Walman Imagewear website
Walman Instruments website
Walman ADO website
Walman X-Cel website
Walman Ultra Optics website
Walman Space Design
Walman business cards and door
Walman brochure
Walman folder and hat
A vision for the next 100 years

With the momentum of the rebrand, a 100-year milestone was perfect timing. Not only did the positioning give the internal team the opportunity to celebrate, but it gave the Walman team a reason to reach out to customers and share how they are prepping for the next 100 years.

Results

We think Marty Bassett, Walman CEO, said it best.

“You helped us understand answers to important questions. Where does marketing fit, strategically? Where does our brand fit, strategically? And in our branded marketing, how does it drill down into how we communicate with clients through materials, vehicles, website, etc.? We ended up much better than we even expected.”

Walman Nouveau Eyewear logo

After the initial launch, Walman continued to acquire new companies, including Nouveau, which was easily brought into the Walman brand family using the existing brand structure.

Deliverables
  • Logo
  • Identity & Brand Guidelines
  • Website
  • Exhibit Design
  • Print and Digital Advertising