William Blyth Brand Transformation
Transforming A Heritage Manufacturer Into A Brand Built For The Future
Sector:
Heritage Manufacturing
Location:
Barton-upon-Humber
About The Client
William Blyth, one of the UK’s oldest handmade clay tile and brick manufacturers, approached the Mackman Group at a pivotal moment. With nearly 200 years of continuous craftsmanship and a loyal trade customer base, the business recognised that its brand and digital presence no longer reflected its exceptional quality, heritage, or ambition.
Working closely with owner Harry Harrison, Mackman Group’s Managing Director Paul Mackman led the business through a strategic brand transformation and brand foundation programme, designed to reconnect the brand with its purpose and position it for sustainable growth.
What began as a focused transformation initiative has evolved into a trusted CMO level partnership, with Mackman Group now delivering ongoing marketing and communications activity to build on the foundation programme. A story of accelerated growth and shared ambition. Together we grow.
Website: https://www.williamblyth.co.uk
Our Approach
Mackman Group delivered a strategic foundation programme that combined consultancy level brand development with executional delivery through our Mackman Branding & Marketing division.
Through a series of strategic workshops, we worked closely with the leadership team to uncover William Blyth’s core purpose, values, and audience motivations. These insights informed a clear direction for long term growth and led to the creation of the Golden Thread. This unifying framework connects purpose, values, and tone of voice across every aspect of the brand, ensuring that each decision, from messaging to design, reflects the story of sustainable British craftsmanship.
We then developed a new mission and strapline, “Crafted For Generations”, capturing the continuity of craft, care, and community that defines William Blyth. Alongside this, a refined tone of voice was established to communicate with warmth, integrity, and quiet confidence across all channels.
The visual identity was carefully evolved to reflect the textures, tones, and character of handmade clay. From logo refinement and typography through to colour palette and pattern development, each element reinforces the brand’s heritage while supporting a more contemporary and cohesive presence.
A new website was designed and built on WordPress to balance visual storytelling with practical usability. Improved navigation, SEO optimisation, and a scalable structure ensure the platform performs effectively while supporting future growth, including e commerce opportunities.
To support consistency across all communications, we created a comprehensive brand and marketing toolkit. This includes templates, messaging frameworks, and clear usage guidelines, embedding the Golden Thread at its core and enabling the internal team and partners to communicate with clarity and confidence.
With this foundation in place, Mackman Group continues to support William Blyth through an ongoing programme of marketing and communications activity, designed to build awareness, strengthen engagement, and deliver measurable growth.
The Impact
Within the first month following launch, the new William Blyth brand and website delivered clear, measurable improvements. Digital visibility increased by 4.11%, website traffic rose by 6.6%, and average search position improved by 6.54%. Alongside this, sales enquiries have grown steadily, with consistent performance across key geographic markets.
In a challenging sector, these early results demonstrate the value of strategic clarity and authentic storytelling, reinforcing William Blyth’s position for sustained growth.
Key Takeaway
Strategic clarity creates commercial confidence. Built around a strong Golden Thread, the William Blyth brand demonstrates how heritage and family-owned businesses can thrive when guided by purpose, consistency, and a long-term strategic partner.
Considering a brand transformation? Explore our Brand Strategy services.