Hillfoot

Helping a traditional steel industry business raise the bar in a competitive marketplace

Website Design + Website Development

Formed in 1923, Hillfoot is one of Sheffield’s survivors in an industry whose heritage is based on the import and processing of steel. The company operates in a challenging marketplace with the competing demands of import quotas, just-in-time manufacturing, and a highly sensitive pricing framework.

The challenge

Hillfoot appointed Applied to provide overarching marketing and brand asset support across all aspects of their business. Since being appointed in 2016, our core objectives have been to help them grow, place them in front of more customers, and help them to nurture a multi-dimensional brand - one that doesn’t just represent excellence in steel but demonstrates its responsibility as a 21st century business with a genuine commitment to sustainability.

Our response

In 2021 we helped them define their core offer with the development of a new website, where the focus was to promote their market offering around three key areas:

Steel stockholding
Trade
Contractual business

Essential to the success of this process was helping Hillfoot market itself as metallurgy experts who understands and adds value to their customers’ evolving needs. Hillfoot adopts a collaborative working relationship with its customers, and the new website makes it quick and simple for them to gain access to core product information.

Huddersfield-based Applied help Hillfoot to 'Raise the Bar' with new website

Selling steel products based on the values of a business with an unashamed family-approach to work might be considered a daring move, but with our new website and wider internal communications strategy we’ve helped Hillfoot instil its corporate values through every aspect of the organisation.

New website and internal communications strategy delivered by Applied

Hillfoot’s employee and customer awareness programme is another example of how they’ve actively worked to give everyone a 21st century mindset within an industry that has always been rooted in tradition. This programme shapes the way everyone approaches their work and commercial responsibilities. It also frames the way employees engage with customers as collaborative experts - with absolute dedication to offering the very best service possible. In 2021 we helped them encapsulate this with our “Raising the Bar” strapline, which brought together the many facets of this initiative into an all-encompassing campaign theme.

Website design, website development - delivered by Applied, Huddersfield

More recently, we have helped the company articulate its genuine commitment to sustainability which includes new initiatives towards paperless working, a company electric car scheme and solar panels on its plant roofing. We’ve also created a new video to promote the company’s support for Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team, and helped raise awareness of their support for a local children’s hospice.

Hillfoot is a perfect example of a client who sees Applied as a trusted partner. One that has used its knowledge and experience to envision and create brand and marketing assets to help drive a longer term strategic campaign to reposition a traditional business within a 21st century marketplace, and all in time for its 100th anniversary in 2023.

Video creative direction and production delivered by Applied

“

Over recent years, Applied has supported our business with many key projects including brand management and customer acquisition. Their approach is always one of professionalism and quality, yet with a warm welcoming personality.

They have taken the time to learn and understand our business so they can present solutions which are fitting with our objectives, values and the marketplace. Ideas are often highly creative and presented to us proactively, all of which bring benefit to our business, and deliver a satisfying end result.

Barry Akers

Commercial Director