A revolution
in construction
in construction
Brand strategy, identity, and communications for PIK Group's Uber-style startup
PIK.PRO is a digital platform that connects developers directly with skilled tradespeople. Contractors work on PIK Group construction sites without foremen, receiving assignments through a mobile app. Quality control engineers inspect the finished work.
Tradespeople work as independent contractors or registered sole proprietors. They get paid for each completed assignment, with no fixed cap on earnings: the more work they complete, the more they earn. This model substantially increased contractor earnings, improved finishing quality, and brought the work into the formal economy.
Tradespeople work as independent contractors or registered sole proprietors. They get paid for each completed assignment, with no fixed cap on earnings: the more work they complete, the more they earn. This model substantially increased contractor earnings, improved finishing quality, and brought the work into the formal economy.
Our process
1
Research
Qualitative research to uncover the audience's core practical and emotional needs.
2
Brand strategy
Defining the brand's personality, values, and positioning.
3
Brand identity
A visual identity for external communications,
a website, and promotional materials.
a website, and promotional materials.
4
Communications strategy
Developing and launching advertising campaigns.
Managing the brand's online reputation, launching social channels, and partnering with creators to attract tradespeople and build awareness of the platform.
Managing the brand's online reputation, launching social channels, and partnering with creators to attract tradespeople and build awareness of the platform.
Research
What we learned from our audience research
Together with the research agency Radost Ponimaniya, we explored the practical and emotional needs of tradespeople in Moscow and the surrounding region.
The study included 37 tradespeople across different specialties, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
We identified four recurring problems when looking for work:
The study included 37 tradespeople across different specialties, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
We identified four recurring problems when looking for work:
- an industry rife with deception, off-the-books pay, and unpaid wages
- a lack of stability
- unfairly low pay
- little respect for the profession
Brand strategy
The values behind the brand
Tradespeople are platform users, rather than PIK customers or employees.
We chose to give the platform its own distinct visual identity, separate from the parent PIK brand.
Core motivations: purpose / security / control
We chose to give the platform its own distinct visual identity, separate from the parent PIK brand.
Core motivations: purpose / security / control
Brand personality:
To show how this way of working differs from the rest of the industry, we defined the brand as:
- Forward-thinking / Digital
- Confident
- Honest
Positioning:
PIK.PRO is a revolutionary platform for working in construction.
Brand identity
What a revolutionary platform looks like
The logo captures the brand's confident, digital personality.
Bold, angular letterforms and the platform they rest on convey confidence.
The signature color signals progress and security.
Bold, angular letterforms and the platform they rest on convey confidence.
The signature color signals progress and security.
The company website brings the brand to life, lets contractors estimate their earnings, and makes signing up quick and easy.
Communications strategy
The three principles behind our communications strategy
Trust at the core
Real PIK.PRO contractors became the faces of the campaign.
We produced a series of short documentaries in which tradespeople shared their firsthand experiences, explaining the platform's benefits and how it works.
We linked to their real social media profiles below the videos so viewers could reach out to them directly.
We produced a series of short documentaries in which tradespeople shared their firsthand experiences, explaining the platform's benefits and how it works.
We linked to their real social media profiles below the videos so viewers could reach out to them directly.
PIK.PRO: A contractor's perspective | Carpenter Vyacheslav Korotkov
Honesty is the best policy
To explain this new way of working, we followed a real contractor through a typical day.
In the video, he shows how to accept assignments on his phone, work without a foreman, and track his earnings in the mobile app.
In the video, he shows how to accept assignments on his phone, work without a foreman, and track his earnings in the mobile app.
A day on the job with PIK.PRO
Digital tools with a clear advantage
We used facts and data to show why the platform is more convenient and secure than joining an informal construction crew.
PIK.PRO: How to work for yourself and earn more as a finishing contractor
Social media
Attracting tradespeople
through content marketing
through content marketing
The goals of PIK.PRO's social channels:
attract tradespeople through content marketing and give them a reliable way to reach the team.
Our blog builds brand awareness, shares product benefits and updates, and strengthens loyalty to the platform.
Audience: current PIK.PRO users and tradespeople in Moscow, the surrounding region, and nearby areas who haven't joined yet.
After engaging with our content, a contractor should
- understand what PIK.PRO is
- feel positive about the brand
- recommend the platform to other tradespeople
Results from the first month and a half:
- 40% of leads came from promoted posts
- Organic audience growth: 2,000+ tradespeople joined PIK.PRO communities with no paid follower acquisition
- The second-most active channel for contractor communications, with 50+ inquiries a day
Creator partnerships
Attracting tradespeople
through trusted voices
through trusted voices
As an additional channel, we tested partnerships with creators who cover different ways of working.
- 48,000 views
- 3,200 likes and 177 dislikes
- 3,453 clicks on the link in the description
- 340 leads
- Cost per lead: RUB 400
I spent a full day working with Vyacheslav, who's been using PIK.PRO for a year. His Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Reputation management
Addressing negative feedback and building a positive reputation
Alongside responding to negative feedback across review sites, we encouraged real contractors to share honest reviews, with no compensation.
In three months, we substantially improved PIK.PRO's online reputation.
Top 10 search results for "PIK.PRO reviews"
on Google: 2 positive and 8 neutral results
on Yandex: 7 positive and 3 neutral results
Dropouts during sign-up due to negative reviews fell by 80%.
