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Bernstein-Rein

What is Bernstein-Rein?

Ad agencies start with a problem and create an ad campaign. Weโ€™re different.ย Weโ€™re entrepreneurs who see a problem and then invent a better way. Weโ€™re an independent agency that does more than creating ads. We invent a better way.

Bernstein-Rein Services

Inventing a likable brand isnโ€™t just one thing. Itโ€™s everything.

CONNECTING

Channel Planning & Buying
SEO/SEM
Social Media
CRM
DR & Email Marketing
Attribution & Media Mix Modeling

CREATIVE

Strategy
Omnichannel Campaigns
Brand Identity
Website Design
UI/UX Design
Digital Content
Social & Mobile Engagement
Store Experience Design & POS

STRATEGY

Brand
Ecosystems
Product & Services Design
Consumer Journey Mapping
Consumer Segmentation
Communications & Content Planning
Advanced Data Analytics

Skills

Locations

Headquarter Information

4600 Madison Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64112, USA
816.960.5000

All Locations

Kansas City, MS

Bernstein-Rein Case Studies

We call it Finding the Undeniable

Nobody wants to be sold to, talked at, or urged to buy anything. Especially when there are limitless distractions at everyoneโ€™s fingertips. In todayโ€™s hectic climate, the only way for brands to stay relevant is to provide something of purpose and substance. So we invented a unique process to help brands form a meaningful, lasting connection with exactly the right audience, right where they already are.

Furniture Marekting Campaign

When Havertys first came to BR, sales were down. Their price-based promotional marketing strategy wasnโ€™t working. Because with very little to differentiate themselves from their larger, national competitors, they were being outpriced, outspent, and frankly, outdone.

In order for Havertys to survive, we needed to invent a new brand strategy. And we needed to find an entirely new customer segment to communicate it to โ€“ one that isnโ€™t influenced by price. Qualitative research helped us uncover a brand new target, The On-Trend Customer.

The outlook of the On-Trend Customer inspired our completely new brand positioning: Havertys doesnโ€™t sell furniture. It brings visions to life. No prices. No brand names. All customization. All about her unique vision.

The Results:
โ€”
The effort resulted in a huge triumph for a once-declining brand:
10% sales increase
24 months of consecutive positive sales results
418% growth in social mentions

Gold's Gym Campaign

Goldโ€™s Gym, an iconic fitness chain with more than 700 locations, was under attack. Crossfit gyms, barre classes, and trendy new approaches to exercise were taking over. To remain competitive in the category, Goldโ€™s Gym needed new members. And not just any new members. They needed new members who were actually going to stick around.
Our first step was to establish a Goldโ€™s Gym Best Member Profile. Why? We knew we needed to attract the type of members who were willing to pay for additional, high-margin services. The ones who would make it past the 22-week fitness cliff โ€“ quantitative research revealed that as the point at which the uncommitted throw in the towel.
Understanding that our target is searching for help and inspiration, we emphasized paid search. Previously, Goldโ€™s SEM strategy had been focused on search terms for other gyms and competitors. We reconfigured this strategy for searches for branded terms, types of classes, and finding gyms within proximity of their homes, and we found a much higher response.
Our efforts delivered unprecedented growth:
25% increase in leads
16% growth in new members
23% increase in site traffic
Goldโ€™s Gym was positioned to carry its legacy far into the future.

A better fast food look

With the rise of YouTube and Social Media came negative chatter about fast food. That it was all fake. Riddled with additives. Photoshopped. Manufactured. As the established leader in the industry, McDonaldโ€™s took the brunt of the finger-pointing. So, despite decades as a cherished brand, McDonaldโ€™s was suddenly perceived as a giant, deceptive corporation. It had lost its place in the hearts of Americans. And it was our job to get it back.
We needed to make McDonaldโ€™s feel real again. And show it for what it really is: an accessible and genuine part of real peopleโ€™s everyday lives. We found compelling ways to show where McDonaldโ€™s food actually comes from. In fact, we took a real person from Pollock, South Dakota to fish for Pollock in Alaska, just to show how real the Filet-O-Fishยฎ actually is.
By telling authentic, honest stories, we did the impossible. We turned the brand everyone knew and nobody trusted into the brand that everyone can relate to. Because anyone, no matter who they are, can now see a bit of themselves in McDonaldโ€™s.
And, weโ€™re happy to say, the brand has claimed its place in Americansโ€™ hearts once again.

A better kindergarten approach

At the beginning of 2018, the KC Chamber approached BR for help with a big problem. 1 in 3 children starting kindergarten wasnโ€™t prepared โ€“ setting themselves, and our city, up for a lifetime of hardship. Because helping children has always been a priority for BR, we were determined to assist in finding a solution.

First, we created and named the organization that would serve as a resource for early education throughout Kansas City. And then we created the logo design. Because the Kansas City community was completely unaware of the problem, we created an awareness campaign to wake the city up to it. Simple visuals on outdoor boards and print ads brought the disheartening statistic to life.

We made a game out of finding learning moments around the city with an illustrated poster distributed to parents and local businesses. It contained 10 simple challenges to be completed at locations around the city.

As children completed each of the challenges, they colored in the associated portion of the poster. So that after completing all of them, they had a unique piece of art all their own.

And parents had something to brag about.

Bernstein-Rein Mission

Weโ€™ve developed entirely new business models. And yes, weโ€™ve created some of the countryโ€™s best-known ad campaigns. Thereโ€™s always a better way. Take it from an agency thatโ€™s not just in the advertising business. But in the business business.