Brand / Web

One Brand,
Two Audiences, Built on Research

When Christy Crook brought Ignition Canvas in to support Phoenix Masonry, the company had a portfolio most subcontractors would envy — Stanley Marketplace, Wadsworth Storage, the pedestrian bridges at Fox and Federal — and no website to show it on. That gap was strategic, not just cosmetic. Crook knew the larger general contractors she wanted to win work from operated in a digital-first environment. She also knew that roughly 80% of her field employees spoke only Spanish — meaning the same brand had to do two very different jobs at once.

Phoenix Masonry Commercial Masonry Contractor

About this engagement

Phoenix Masonry

Woman-Owned Commercial Masonry Contractor

Founded in 2010 by Christy Crook in Thornton, Colorado, Phoenix Masonry is one of a small number of woman-owned masonry contractors in the United States. The company specializes in commercial masonry across small jobs, apartments, repairs, renovations, remodels, and additions, with a portfolio that includes Stanley Marketplace, Wadsworth Storage, and the pedestrian bridges at Fox and Federal. The team of approximately 40 brings decades of trade craftsmanship to every project.

Ignition Canvas

Middle-Market Marketing Built on Research

Ignition Canvas serves owner-led and mid-market companies that need strategic marketing depth without the overhead of building it internally. Every engagement begins with research — into the client’s customers, their competitive landscape, and the gap between where the brand is and where the evidence says it could be. Execution is handled by an in-house team across strategy, design, paid media, content, web, HubSpot, and PR — coordinated under one roof.

The Challenge

Two Audiences, One Brand

For most subcontractors, marketing is treated as an afterthought. Phoenix Masonry’s growth — staff up 30% between 2017 and 2019, with a portfolio of high-profile projects — had been built almost entirely through networking events, traditional invitations to bid, and word of mouth.

That model had limits. Crook had two specific ambitions the existing approach couldn’t support.

The first was upmarket client work. Phoenix had earned a reputation among Colorado contractors but wanted access to larger national general contractors — the kind of buyer who researches before they engage and expects a credible digital presence as table stakes.

The second was talent. As Phoenix grew, recruitment became one of the most strategically important functions in the business. The challenge: roughly 80% of the company’s field employees spoke only Spanish, while the office team operated in English. A brand that worked for one audience didn’t automatically work for the other.

“Client acquisition and talent acquisition share a brand but require fundamentally different messaging. Most agencies treat them as separate engagements. Ignition Canvas treated them as one strategic problem.”

Mike Black, CEO, Ignition Canvas

The Approach

Two Audiences, One Research-Driven Brand

The engagement opened with structured research: internal interviews to surface what Phoenix’s leadership believed made the company different, competitive analysis to identify what other masonry subcontractors were and weren’t claiming, and explicit attention to both audiences from the start.

For the general contractor audience, the messaging needed to position Phoenix as a fully invested partner. For the talent audience, the messaging had to land in two languages. Phoenix’s actual operating culture — that the company viewed employees as family, that retention and care for the team were central values — had to be translated into Spanish-language content that demonstrated those values weren’t lip service.

The brand also leaned into something Phoenix had previously underplayed: Crook’s identity as one of the few woman-owned masonry contractors in the country. That positioning wasn’t an angle imposed from outside — it was a real differentiator surfaced through interviews and made central in the messaging architecture.

“The biggest difference is that we’re viewed as a more professional company and one that people want to partner with.”

Christy Crook, President, Phoenix Masonry

The Work

Built for Both Sides of the Business

From research to execution, every deliverable served one of two distinct audiences — or both simultaneously. The work ran over approximately 17 months, from October 2019 through March 2021.

Primary research: internal interviews, competitive analysis, dual-audience strategy
Professional website built around portfolio and partner credibility
LinkedIn presence positioned for general contractor discovery
Spanish-language employer brand reflecting actual company culture
Bilingual careers page and recruitment-focused content
Woman-owned identity surfaced and made central to brand positioning

“That required cross-cultural marketing work most agencies don’t do, and the kind of research depth that surfaces what’s true rather than what’s expedient.”

Mike Black, CEO, Ignition Canvas

The Results

Client Demand, Talent Pipeline, Reputation Lift

Over approximately 17 months, the new infrastructure produced measurable shifts on both audience fronts.

Total website traffic increased by 489%.

Careers page traffic increased by 1,658% — the strongest signal that the bilingual employer brand was reaching the audience it was built for.

“Contact us” page traffic increased by 379%.

Improved retention of higher-quality employees, supported by employer branding that resonated with the field workforce.

“The biggest difference is that we’re viewed as a more professional company and one that people want to partner with.”

Christy Crook, President, Phoenix Masonry

“Messaging derived from real research into both audiences, not category templates applied to a contractor.”

Mike Black, CEO, Ignition Canvas

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One Brand,Two Audiences, Built on Research