Wheelwrights/
Where they were/
Wheelwrights is an independent Lake District holiday cottage company run by locals with a passion for the area. With two distinct audiences; holiday cottage owners and holiday-makers, they needed a brand loved by both. A recent takeover meant that reparations were necessary in relationships with their cottage owners to undo damage by the previous owner to restore the company’s reputation. Additionally they needed to ensure they could increase demand from tourists for cottages during the off-peak seasons. (Demand in peak season is never a problem in the Lake District!)
Where we took them/
Most people who want to find their perfect holiday cottage in The Lakes will start with a Google search. This put Wheelwrights at a disadvantage, being up against numerous large national companies with significant budget to invest in SEO. Wheelwrights couldn’t compete in this area, being a small independent with a very limited budget, so our aim was to create a brand that their regular customers love, to keep them returning year-after-year and recommending to their friends and family.
The brand proposition “Looking after you in the Lakes” worked for both audiences built on the following truths; Wheelwrights offer a more personal service than many competitors taking the time to get to know customers and be extra helpful; they offer a tailored service rather than a one-size fits all by understanding their customers’ needs and being flexible in their response; they have ‘insider’ Lake District knowledge and are able to recommend lots of special ‘hidden gems’ to their guests; they have high-standards and take the time to get the details just right – essential in the hospitality sector.
The new ‘W’ identity is based on the beautiful grey slate, unique to the Lake District, complemented by an earthy colour palette to give the feel of the great outdoors. It’s a really felxible device that can be applied in mutliple ways across a variety of materials, yet still retain its distinctiveness.
We created two sub-identities; “On a budget” and “Wheelwrights Select collection” to match different types of visitor with the different styles of cottage in their portfolio.
As well as developing the user-interface for the website, we also recommended lots of ideas to provide a better user-experience. For example, a ‘cottage types’ search function with categories such as “pet friendly”, “stone’s throw from a pub” and “with a log fire” – all to make it a little more personal and start to deliver on their new brand proposition.
We suggested much smarter cottage manuals to bring-to-life each property’s characteristics, facilities and the surrounding area. Plus the idea of a ‘Top Trumps’ feature for each cottage to convey its best asset – this included anything from a roll-top bath or hot tub, to being around the corner from the best pork pies in the region.
Wheelwrights needed to build strong relationships and find ways of keeping the brand front-of-mind once holiday-makers had returned home, so we recommended lots of ideas for engaging social media content.
“My favourite..” was one simple blog idea that the whole team (and their families) could get involved in, offering their most loved things about The Lakes, from best Sunday lunches and places to watch the sun set, to hidden waterfalls and secret wild swimming spots. They could be regularly shared across all digital platforms, reminding their audience what they’re missing (and can look forward to next time). And if compiled into A4 facts sheets – something different to hand-out when making recommendations from their Elterwater office.