How PGT’s Return-Ready Rebrand Turned Storm-only Talk Into a 40% Sales Lift
The Growth Stall No New SKU Could Fix
By early 2023 PGT Custom Windows & Doors had slipped 3 share points in its Florida stronghold. Homeowner surveys framed the issue in one sentence: “Great in a hurricane but who cares the other 361 days?” Market share erosion, shrinking margins, and national brands entering the market forced a rethink.
Step #1 – Surface the Hidden Gems Hiding in Plain Sight
I pulled every service log, lab report, and customer review into a claims spreadsheet and ranked each stat by buyer pain and pay-back potential. 3 hidden heroes emerged:
Always-On Security: Glass withstands debris impacts at 50 ft/s and meets UL 972 break-in standards.
Zero-Prep Storm Readiness: Requires 0 minutes of shutter prep—versus 30 minutes to 4 hours for plywood boarding.
Daily Comfort: Cuts outdoor noise by up to 65% compared with standard windows.
They became the backbone of the Hidden-Hero Scorecard in the RRR framework.
Step #2 – Recast the Narrative
Using the message framework, we flipped the story from survive hurricanes to “Freedom to live where & how you want.” This brand promise let every audience see a personal win:
Homeowners: lifestyle upgrade without compromise
Dealers/Contractors: confidence selling a premium, reliable solution
Architects/Builders: design flexibility with proven performance
Step #3 – Build a Content Engine That Could Prove It
To keep the proof alive after launch, we created:
1. Map → Recast
Asset: Messaging Map
Real-world use: Journey-based messages that tie pains, “reasons to believe,” and quantified claims to every buyer persona (source: PGT Message Framework).
2. Recast
Asset: Content Pillars
Real-world use: Three lanes—Forever Home Living, Function & Performance, Future Facing—that anchor every article, ad, and dealer deck (source: PGT Content Marketing Strategy).
3. Broadcast
Asset: Channel Plan
Real-world use: Paid, social, earned, and owned touchpoints mapped to each pillar and funnel stage so every dollar carries the same story (source: updated Message Framework).
4. Sustain
Asset: KPI Dashboard
Real-world use: Live metrics on share-of-voice, qualified leads, dealer NPS, and OTIF—because you can’t tune what you don’t track.
Every piece of collateral, dealer deck, rebate ad, and Instagram reel laddered back to one of those pillars so the proof stayed consistent from TV spot to showroom counter.
What the 90-Day Campaign Delivered
Sales Revenue +40 %
Home-owner Leads +46 % (2,356 vs. 1,611)
Lead Value +62 % ($8.3 M est.)
Unaided Brand Awareness 2× lift in first 90 days
Positive Customer Sentiment +12 %
The launch doubled Google search impressions, spiked search interest above all competitors, and reached 340M impressions across paid, social, earned, and owned channels.
How It Maps to the Return-Ready Rebrand Framework
Unearth
What we did: Built a detailed claims spreadsheet and proof hierarchy using service logs, lab data, and dealer feedback. PGT Message Framework A…
Take-away: Your ops data beats any copywriter—mine it first.
Map
What we did: Modeled ROI: every 1-point lift in unaided awareness was worth ≈ 40 bps in margin. Denine Harper_PGT-Case-…
Take-away: Finance funds stories that print cash; quantify the upside before you pitch creative.
Recast
What we did: Switched to the “Freedom to live where & how you want” promise, anchored by three content pillars. PGT Message Framework A…
Take-away: One clear headline can power hundreds of posts and earned stories—consistency scales, complexity stalls.
Broadcast
What we did: Fired a four-channel burst—TV, social, dealer webinars, PR—so every audience heard the same proof points.
Take-away: Consistency > cleverness; repeat the claim set everywhere.
Sustain
What we did: Built a live KPI dashboard and a quarterly “Hero Hunt” to keep discovering new proof.
Take-away: Feed the story or it starves—refresh proof and metrics on a set rhythm.
3 Things You Can Steal Tomorrow
Run a 48-hour Hidden-Hero Jam
Put a virtual whiteboard in front of plant managers, service techs, and dealers. Your best claims are probably stuck in a field memo.
Anchor every creative review to one quantified promise
If a slide can’t beat 65 % noise reduction, it dies.
Build pillars before posts
Pillars focus your writers, save media dollars, and let you measure what matters, not vanity metrics.
Ready to Put Your Proof on Payroll?
DM me. I turn overlooked data into market dominance.