Revitalizing a Global Brand: Cannon Group's Digital Transformation

Introduction 

The Cannon Group, Inc., a family-owned company established in 1984 and based in Westerville, Ohio, specializes in global supply chain solutions across various industries. With a strong presence in flexible packaging, food service products, personal protective equipment, and sourcing, Cannon operates globally with offices in Vietnam, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and China, along with eight distribution centers throughout the U.S. As Cannon Group continues to expand its operations and diversify its services under its subsidiaries—Saneck, PDI Plastics, Pine Creek International Sourcing, and Saneck Safety—the need for a modernized digital presence became paramount. This case study explores the comprehensive website revamp executed by CreativeHub Software to enhance Cannon’s online visibility, improve user experience, and streamline content management across all its brands. Visit The Cannon Group Here 

Overview of Subsidiary Websites for The Cannon Group, Inc.

PDI Plastics is a longstanding leader in the newsbag manufacturing industry, with a rich history dating back to 1984. As the premier supplier in the U.S., PDI Plastics has distinguished itself through its commitment to high-quality production and customer service. Despite the industry's shifts and competitors moving their production to China, PDI Plastics has thrived by maintaining exceptional quality and adapting to market changes. This resilience has solidified its position as the trusted market leader in newsbag solutions. Visit the PDI Plastics site here.

Saneck International specializes in delivering comprehensive packaging solutions across the retail, grocery, supermarket, and restaurant industries. With over 1000 product types distributed throughout the U.S., Saneck offers an extensive selection of high-quality packaging products including plastic bags, bakery bags, deli bags, zipper bags, food containers, and cutlery. Headquartered in the United States and with a global presence including additional supplying factories around the world, Saneck stands out for its commitment to customer satisfaction and its pioneering approach to packaging solutions. Visit the Saneck site here.

Saneck Safety has rapidly become an industry leader in safety solutions, particularly known for its high-quality personal protective equipment (PPE). The division is built on a foundation of extensive industry experience from its executive team, bringing decades of knowledge to the protective gear domain. With a commitment to excellence, Saneck Safety designs products that meet the highest standards of safety and comfort. Their ISO-certified manufacturing processes and rigorous quality inspections ensure that they remain a trusted provider of safety solutions, focusing on the well-being of their end users. Visit the Saneck Safety site here.

Pine Creek International Sourcing (PCIS) excels in providing tailored product sourcing solutions, ensuring that each client's specific needs are met with precision and care. Their dedicated team engages in detailed discussions and needs assessments to craft customized sourcing strategies that perfectly align with client goals. PCIS handles all aspects of logistics and delivery, managing shipping, customs clearance, and efficient distribution. Their commitment to quality assurance through robust control measures and adherence to international standards makes them a reliable partner in global sourcing. Visit the PCIS site here.

Challenges 

Cannon Group faced several challenges that hindered its digital growth and market engagement:

Outdated Website Infrastructure: The existing websites for Cannon and its subsidiaries were outdated, leading to a poor user experience and limited functionality.

Inconsistent Branding Across Subsidiaries: Each subsidiary had a separate website with varying designs and user interfaces, resulting in inconsistent brand messaging.

Content Management Difficulties: The decentralized content management system made it difficult for Cannon to update and manage content efficiently across multiple websites.

Solution Overview

To effectively address the digital challenges faced by Cannon Group and its subsidiaries, CreativeHub embarked on a comprehensive website revamp project. This initiative involved a strategic redesign of all websites, leveraging the capabilities of Next.js for the frontend development. Next.js was chosen for its ability to ensure a uniform, responsive, and highly interactive user experience across all platforms. It also facilitated server-side rendering and static site generation, which significantly improved site performance and SEO.

For the backend, we implemented Strapi, a flexible headless CMS. This choice was driven by Strapi's capability to provide a centralized content management system that allows for seamless content updates and robust customization options across all the subsidiary websites. Strapi’s API-driven approach ensured that content could be dynamically distributed and managed from a single source, enhancing the efficiency and scalability of the group's digital assets.

This integrated solution not only streamlined content management processes but also delivered a consistent and engaging digital experience tailored to meet the diverse needs of the Cannon Group’s global audience.

Enhanced Technology Overview for The Cannon Group, Inc. Website Revamp

Frontend Technologies:

• React and Next.js: The front end of the websites was developed using React coupled with Next.js (version 14.2.5), providing a robust framework for building user-friendly, interactive UIs that are highly responsive and optimized for performance. Next.js, a powerful React framework, offers server-side rendering and static site generation, which helps in achieving faster page loads and an enhanced SEO footprint.

Backend Technology:

• Node.js: Utilized for the server-side logic, Node.js is a lightweight, efficient platform perfect for data-intensive, real-time applications across distributed devices. Its non-blocking, event-driven architecture was chosen to handle multiple connections simultaneously, ensuring a smooth data flow without bottlenecks.

Content Management System:

• Strapi: As a headless CMS, Strapi offers flexibility and developer-friendly API options which were crucial for managing content across multiple websites efficiently. It allows the Cannon Group’s marketing team to update content dynamically across all platforms without needing developer intervention.

Analytics and Optimization:

• Google Analytics GA4: The latest version of Google Analytics was integrated to track and analyze user interactions, providing deep insights into user behavior and website performance. This data drives continual improvements and personalized marketing strategies.
• Google Tag Manager: Used for efficiently managing JavaScript and HTML tags used for tracking and analytics on websites, GTM makes it easier to integrate and manage various marketing services and analytics tools without modifying the code.

JavaScript Libraries:

• AOS (Animate On Scroll): Implements animations on scroll, which were used to enhance the visual appeal and user interaction on the websites. It helps in creating a dynamic, engaging user experience as content loads while users scroll through the pages.

Implementation of Technologies

The combination of these technologies facilitated a seamless, cohesive digital experience across The Cannon Group’s main website and its subsidiaries. React and Next.js provided the foundation for a dynamic and scalable front-end, while Node.js and Strapi ensured robust backend operations and efficient content management. The use of modern analytics tools like Google Analytics GA4 and Google Tag Manager allowed for advanced tracking and data-driven decision-making, enhancing the overall strategic approach to digital marketing.

By integrating these advanced technologies, The Cannon Group not only enhanced its online presence but also set up a scalable, future-proof platform that can adapt to evolving business needs and digital trends. This comprehensive technology stack underscores CreativeHub’s commitment to delivering state-of-the-art digital solutions that drive business success and operational efficiency.

Website Re-engineering Across the Cannon Group 

The revamp project encompassed the main website for The Cannon Group and individual websites for its subsidiaries—Saneck, PDI Plastics, Pine Creek International Sourcing (PCIS), and Saneck Safety. The focus was on creating a cohesive digital identity while maintaining the distinct branding and content requirements for each subsidiary.

• Scope: 5 websites, including the main Cannon Group website and 4 subsidiary websites.
• Frontend Development: The frontend was developed using React Native, ensuring consistency in design and responsiveness across all devices. Each website was tailored to reflect the unique identity and offerings of the respective subsidiary while adhering to the overarching brand identity of The Cannon Group.
• Backend Development: Strapi was chosen for the backend, allowing for a unified content management experience. This centralized system enabled Cannon’s marketing and content teams to efficiently manage and update content across all websites, ensuring consistency in messaging and up-to-date information.

Innovative Digital Solutions 

In addition to the technical revamp, CreativeHub implemented several digital strategies to enhance Cannon’s online presence and market reach:

Social Media Strategy: Integrated social media links and feeds across the websites to increase engagement and drive traffic from various platforms.

Performance Optimization: The websites were optimized for speed and performance, ensuring fast load times and smooth navigation, which are crucial for user experience and search engine rankings.

Results 

The website revamp for The Cannon Group and its subsidiaries yielded significant improvements in both operational efficiency and market visibility:

Unified Brand Presence: The revamp provided a consistent and professional digital presence for The Cannon Group and its subsidiaries, reinforcing the brand’s identity across all online platforms.

Enhanced User Experience: The responsive design and intuitive navigation improved user engagement and satisfaction, leading to a higher rate of return visits and longer time spent on the websites.

Streamlined Content Management: The centralized content management system reduced the time and effort required to update and maintain the websites, allowing Cannon to focus more on strategic initiatives rather than operational tasks.

The digital transformation of The Cannon Group, Inc. highlights CreativeHub’s ability to deliver comprehensive web solutions that address complex business challenges. By leveraging advanced technologies like React Native and Strapi, we not only revitalized Cannon’s digital presence but also empowered the company with the tools needed to manage their content efficiently across multiple platforms. Engage with CreativeHub to explore how our digital solutions can elevate your brand in the global marketplace.