Kruger Products transformed its B2B division earlier this year with a human-centric marketing update. Early internal performance indicators point to positive momentum in the wake of February’s Kruger Pro rebrand.

Stephen Blythe, VP of marketing at Kruger Products, tells strategy that the division has tracked a 1% year-over-year increase in shipments as of the Kruger Pro rollout. More notably, revenue and average case prices have risen.

The bump in business comes despite softness in the away-from-home tissue category due to cautious consumer spending and work-from-home initiatives.

“We’ve been successful through this transformation to the new Kruger Pro brand to use it as leverage, as a springboard, to really promote our proprietary solutions and change the mix within our portfolio,” Blythe says. “So I think there are some real, tangible measures to signal that we’re on the right track here.”

The Kruger Pro title streamlines the messaging from the less-focused Kruger Products Away From Home. Blythe says a tagline update to “making business more comfortable” from “performance in every fibre” acknowledges the human element to which Kruger Pro is appealing.

“We call it business to business, but it’s really business to humans,” Blythe says. “We understood the need to break through a crowded space by creating a brand that really is that balance between the functional and that emotional connection.”

The launch also makes a number of household staples available in the away-from-home category. Early this month, Kruger Pro launched Cashmere and Scotties in Canada and White Cloud in the U.S. for use in public spaces such as hotels and restaurants.

Packaging for White Swan products was also updated with a green colour palette and nature-inspired imagery to reinforce the brand’s eco-friendly positioning.

Looking ahead, Blythe says Kruger Pro is planning to update its online platform to include a new CRM system and cost-in-use tools. Product launches aimed at expanding the company’s portfolio and penetrating underdeveloped distribution channels are also in the works.

“The Kruger Pro name, I think it’s more relevant than it was before,” Blythe says. “We’re really staying true to Kruger Products’ roots and reputation by elevating innovation and prioritizing our partnerships and our relationships. And I think, at the end of the day, that really is the epitome of comfort.”