Windham Designs

Diamond Brand has been the leading specialty outdoor gear store in Asheville, North Carolina, since its inception. For decades its market dominance was unchecked, but change was coming as a national box store competitor (REI) was going to open a storefront near them. To brace for, and combat its arrival, Diamond Brands owner and CFO hired Windham Designs to rebrand the store’s identity and image.

Branding • Marketing • Sales

Logo Design • Catalog Design • Sales Collateral • Merchandising • Point-of-Sale • Website Design • Lifestyle Photography

Starting a project of this size began with stripping away the nonessential colors, marks, symbolism, and clutter in Diamond Brand’s logo and marketing, and we returned to the company’s origins. After all, Diamond Brand was Asheville’s original and trusted store. We decided to build on this foundation and put it front and center, reminding the community that Diamond Brand was (and is) Asheville’s trusted locally-owned outdoor retailer.

This was one of our most rewarding projects. Not only has Diamond Brand been a company I had long been familiar with, but it allowed me to work with and around the outdoor sports I’m so passionate about. We revamped everything. We updated the store signage, merchandising, advertising, website, and messaging. We established marketing initiatives to keep consumers engaged and reached out into the community, supporting athletes, events, and seasonal promotions.

Diamond Brand survived the impact of REI’s market dilution and has maintained its top-level community presence as the leading outdoor outfitter in Western North Carolina.