The Hidden ROI of LinkedIn
How RAI International Built Brand Equity
Client:
RAI Global Distribution
Independent distributor of plastic raw materials and chemicals, with a global footprint and a broad portfolio including standard/specialty polymers and sustainable products.
Agency:
Performance Stimuli
A performance-driven digital marketing agency that blends data, creativity, and technology to help brands grow across every digital touchpoint—from SEO and paid media to social and lifecycle marketing. The agency specializes in building targeted campaigns, compelling content, and conversion-optimized experiences that turn visibility into measurable business outcomes.
Context:
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RAI publicly marked a brand transformation with a refreshed identity and campaign, stating the goal of reflecting its evolution and a strategy focused on global customers, suppliers, and partners.
The Challenge (LinkedIn Specifically):
In B2B distribution, the category is often seen as “functional” and price-driven. The real commercial advantage comes from trust, authority, reliability, and relationships—but those are intangible unless consistently expressed. RAI needed LinkedIn to do more than “post updates.” It needed to:
- Signal credibility at global scale (to customers, suppliers, partners, and talent)
- Translate the rebrand into daily proof (so the new identity wasn’t just a launch moment)
- Build distinctiveness in a market where offerings can look similar
Objectives:
- Turn LinkedIn into the brand’s front door: a sharp, current, credible representation of RAI.
- Codify a consistent editorial system that matches the new brand story (and scales across markets).
- Increase brand value signals: trust, expertise, partnership strength, and modernity—measured through engagement quality, follower growth velocity, and inbound intent.
1) Brand narrative → content pillars
RAI’s rebrand messaging emphasized transformation, “bonds,” and being a catalyst that unlocks potential.
We translated that into a repeatable set of content pillars:
- Market authority: polymer insights, application education, procurement/supply chain perspectives
- Commercial proof: market expansion posts, “trusted source” narratives, regional team visibility
- Partnership & trust: collaborations, events, supplier/customer moments
- Sustainability & responsibility: credible participation and actions (not vague claims)
- Culture & employer brand: leadership moments, team stories, “life at RAI” ecosystem tie-ins
2) Page foundation and credibility upgrades
We optimized the LinkedIn presence to communicate scale and legitimacy quickly:
- Clear “About” positioning and category framing (what RAI is, what it distributes, why it matters)
- Consistent use of campaign language (“Bonds That Shape Us”) and aligned brand visuals
- Strong cross-linking to the website ecosystem
3) A cadence designed for B2B attention
Instead of irregular bursts, Marrow implemented a calendar that balanced:
- Always-on authority posts (education + perspective)
- Timed commercial posts (market announcements, events, region-specific offerings)
- Cultural moments used strategically to reinforce the brand platform (bonds, community, relationships)
4) Design system for instant recognition
RAI’s LinkedIn feed shows consistent, branded creative—campaign-led layouts and repeatable formats (event cards, celebration posts, partnership photos, and branded education). This is crucial in LinkedIn’s scroll environment: recognition builds familiarity; familiarity builds trust.
Execution: What we actually did on LinkedIn
Content formats engineered for outcomes
- Regional growth + market enablement posts (helping specific markets and teams generate inquiries)
- Example: targeted market messaging (“trusted source for polymers in Ivory Coast…”)
- Industry education with a point of view (not generic “polymers are important” content)
- Partnership storytelling (photos + narrative that signals scale and credibility)
- Event presence (to place RAI among the industry’s serious players)
- Brand moments (New Year, national holidays) used to reinforce the “bonds” platform, not just seasonal posting
Brand value drivers embedded into every post
We used a simple internal rule: every post must deliver at least one of:
- Proof of expertise
- Proof of scale
- Proof of reliability
- Proof of relationships
- Proof of modernity (design, clarity, consistency)
Results (observable + KPI framework)
Publicly observable indicators
- RAI’s LinkedIn audience sits at ~6,916 followers at the time of review.
- The feed reflects consistent brand system use (visual identity + narrative continuity across post types).
- The brand platform (“Bonds That Shape Us”) is expressed across LinkedIn and corporate messaging, linking campaign → content → identity
What we typically reported
We used a simple internal rule: every post must deliver at least one of:
- Follower growth rate (month-on-month)
- Engagement rate per pillar (authority vs. partnership vs. culture)
- Click-through rate to key pages (products, contact, careers)
- Inbound intent: DMs, comments indicating procurement needs, partnership requests
- Talent signals: job view uplift, applicant quality, employee advocacy participation
Why this increased brand value (not just vanity metrics)
In B2B distribution, brand value is the compound effect of:
- Perceived reliability (reduces risk in buying decisions)
- Authority (supports premium positioning and margin defense)
- Partner confidence (improves supplier/customer willingness to commit)
- Talent attraction (improves capability—critical for service businesses)
By turning LinkedIn into a disciplined publishing engine—rooted in the rebrand story and delivered with consistent design and messaging—we helped RAI convert visibility into trust at scale, which is the real currency in global distribution.
