A brand is a lot more than just a product, and for retailers, the "brand experience" extends well beyond the products themselves to the look, feel and ambience of the store environment.
The architects, designers, and graphics experts at FRCH Design Worldwide help retailers around the globe get that experience just right. as FRCH's Kevin Dugan says, "The dominant brands of the next ten yers will become so by leveraging experience." FRCH helps its clients create those experiences in the retail environment.
FRCH client Starbucks, for example, became one of the world's most popular brands not just by selling premium coffee, but by immersing its customers in the Starbucks experience, created partly through the store's lighting, paint, interior decorations and flooring, and also through the sights, smells and sounds inside the stores. FRCH has also created in-store brand experiences for clients such as Macy's, Tiffany & Co. and Hilton. In Cincinnati, its clients have included the Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Mills shopping mall, Great American Ball Park and Kenwood Towne Centre. The firm recently worked on the heart of downtown, revamping both sides of the Fifth Third building on Fountain Square to bring a more vibrant sense of energy to the environment.
As more and more companies seek to differentiate themselves and capitalize on their brands, FRCH has grown, doubling in size since 2004 to nearly 300 employees and $45 million in revenue. The downtown-based firm also has an office in Las Vegas. In 2006, it won a Growth Award from the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber for its investment in the region and its job creation. Last year, it was named one the "2007 Top Small Workplaces" in the Wall Street Journal. "Rapid growth is usually kind to the balance sheet, but it can tear a company's culture apart," the Journal wrote. "FRCH Design Worldwide is trying to keep its heart -- and to keep its employees happy -- despite its fast growth."
Writer: David Holthaus
Photography provide by FRCH