A couple of months ago, our client Roche Bobois International presented us with a sizeable challenge: to put forth a communications strategy aimed at design professionals.

The Background

We’re seeing an increase in the number of interior decorators who are not the end users of the furniture they recommend or buy. While it originated in North America, the trend has started popping up in Europe as well.

Increasingly taking on the role of advisor, these individuals represent—directly or indirectly—an interesting new target market, forcing brands to promote—in addition to the value of their product offering, their status, and creativity—all the benefits for those who recommend them.

The Objectives

The main objective was to turn Roche Bobois into a household name among these targeted professionals, and to give them access to the entire line of Roche Bobois’s highly customized products. It was also imperative to promote the scope and creativity of the Roche Bobois line.

In short we needed to provide professionals with new communications tools that would make them develop the “Roche Bobois reflex,” conditioning them to always think of RB when making recommendations to their clients.

Our Solution

We presented Roche Bobois with a communications strategy geared towards interior design professionals that is a riff on the traditional Roche Bobois communications strategy.

From the outset, the proposal focused on a variation on the Roche Bobois signature dedicated to professionals: Roche Bobois id.

“Id.” (for idea and identity) enhances the Roche Bobois signature without detracting from it.

The signature is universal; in other words, it reads perfectly in all the languages in which Roche Bobois intends to use the service. Furthermore, the notions of “identity” and “idea” are intrinsic to the DNA of an interior decorator or architect.

Creativity (idea) and personal relationships (identity) are the two main selling points of the Roche Bobois id. program, and the two axes around which we suggested the signature’s reputation be built.

In terms of communications, the bulk of the actions (taken and to be taken) revolve around a unique and universal communications platform: the Roche Bobois id. Web site.

The first version of the site (“Do you have your id.?”) was launched on June 9. www.rochebobois-id.com

Everyone is welcome to come in and look around; however access is limited. Some pages are reserved for professionals who have signed up as members. The site mirrors the Roche Bobois image—simple and efficient—to optimize the member process for professionals on one hand, and to encourage repeat visits on the other.

The main objective of the site—to be deployed in upcoming months in Europe—is to build the first virtual community of professionals around the Roche Bobois brand.

Subsequently, various actions are planned to strike up virtual and real conversations with these professionals, using (among others) the Roche Bobois store network as a meeting spot.

To be continued . . .