Case Study · 04 of 6
Automotive · Performance aftermarket

IHI Turbo · SEMA Launch

IHI is one of the most respected OEM turbocharger names in the world — but the aftermarket-facing presence had not kept up. With SEMA on the calendar, the program needed to ship a credible brand, market-fit creative, and a real website on a timeline other agencies refused to commit to.

Brand + creative + web overhaul
Timeline
90 days
Stage
SEMA
Scope
Brand + Web
Challenge§ 01

What was actually broken.

IHI was signed up for SEMA — the biggest stage in performance — with no cohesive brand, no performance strategy, and no usable web presence. Other agencies wanted a year just for the website.

  • / 01

    SEMA — the largest performance aftermarket show on the planet — was already on the calendar.

  • / 02

    No cohesive brand, no performance-market positioning, no usable web presence to send buyers to.

  • / 03

    Other agencies had quoted a year just for the website rebuild.

What I did§ 02

The approach, step by step.

/ 01

Compress the timeline to 90 days

Built around the SEMA fixed date, working backward to a realistic but aggressive launch plan.

/ 02

Brand fit, not brand vanity

Positioning and creative tailored to the actual performance aftermarket buyer — builders, tuners, shops — not a generic OEM look.

/ 03

Ship the website that exists

Scoped the web overhaul to what could ship in 90 days and serve the SEMA traffic. No year-long redesign theater.

/ 04

Strategic counsel through launch

Stayed in the loop through the show, the floor activation, and post-event handoff — not just creative delivery.

Outcome§ 03

What changed.

Brand, web, and on-floor presence launched on the SEMA timeline. Became Ernie's go-to relationship for both creative and strategic counsel.

Result · 01

Brand, web, and on-floor presence all launched on the SEMA timeline.

Result · 02

New positioning landed inside the right buyer culture instead of feeling like corporate-OEM wallpaper.

Result · 03

Became the go-to creative and strategic relationship for the program going forward.

Scope of work
  • Performance-market brand positioning
  • Visual identity & creative system
  • Full website overhaul
  • SEMA booth & on-floor creative
  • Launch comms
In their words
"We executed and launched a new strategy with market-appropriate branding, and completed an entire website overhaul in just three months. Beyond his creative talents, I rely on Ernie as a confidant."
Operator quote (anonymized), IHI Turbo program
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