ercol

The ask

Outstanding British furniture maker, ercol, were looking for a strategic partner to help deliver a best-in-class, multi-channel, easy-to-manage web site for existing and potential clientele that could grow with the brand as it moves into new markets and would put them in a pioneering position within the luxury wooden furniture market.

But the challenge wasn’t simply to create a premium experience; it was to provide a platform that enabled ercol to tell the brand stories that makes them so unique, to present their wares in a manner befitting of their quality and to translate the physical and emotional feeling of walking into one of their showrooms.

Digital heritage

ercol produces some of the most iconic British furniture and they do so in 
England in their own factory. It's a very hands-on process to make this furniture 
– each piece is a real example of functional art. We were briefed on designing a 
site that lives up to this design heritage and makes it possible to tell deep stories 
about each product, the designers that made them and the company that ties it 
all together. We were picked in a pitch for the creative agency role for our ability 
to convey the quality of the products and create a brand hierarchy that makes 
deeper ties between the products.

Our Approach

ercol create highly crafted products and offer dedicated customer care of an exceptional quality. To differentiate from the competition and attract and build long-term relationships with new and existing customers we needed to migrate these aspects to the online space and invent new ones that complement and progress the brand. The customer is always at the heart of the ercol service, and we wanted to reflect this in how we designed the experience.

With an illustrious history and heritage, the brand is renowned for being awarded several Makers Guild Marks, the Manufacturing Guild Mark and Best in Furniture Award at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, New York. ercol is synonymous with a timeless style and unsurpassed quality.

To help us meet this challenge, we set out some guiding principles that acted as our compass throughout the project:

Get under the skin of the brand

In order to evoke 100 years of heritage of the brand we wanted to fully immerse ourselves in it. The first few weeks of the project saw us tour the factory workshop, visit the showroom, travel to stockists in Kent and Gloucestershire and listen to the incredible stories of carpenters, factory workers and the foundering family members who have lived the brand for decades. These experiences instilled a deep knowledge and respect for ercol in the project team that exudes from every page as you navigate the site.

Greater adaptability and creative freedom in shaping compelling brand narratives: According to trend reports, businesses that identified "Brand and Storytelling" as a competitive edge were six times more likely to witness e-commerce expansion in 2023.

Meaningful impact

• Now home to 39 Collections
• A growing global presence with 8 regionalised sites
• Retailer allocation