CUSTOM HANDCRAFTED WOOD FURNITURE DESIGNED FOR LIVING, BUILT FOR LIFE
LIFE HAPPENS AROUND A TABLE
Front & Center worked with Salt Wood Co. on a full brand revamp to include messaging, website design with ecommerce component, social media overhaul with ongoing management and photography/styling.
MEET SALTWOOD CO.
Saltwood believes in three essential qualities that make for furniture built to stand the test of time - strength, substance and a story. Blending new with nostalgia, Salt Wood Co. is a bespoke furniture company outfitting residential and commercial spaces with custom pieces handcrafted from reclaimed wood.
Established in 2013, we are proud to design and build personalized furniture here in Charleston, SC for our clients across the country. Through our signature service, quality construction and innovative solutions, Salt Wood Co. is making a tradition out of modern rustic furniture.
From designing a solid dining room table for your whole family to creating a retail space
with character, Salt Wood Co. can build it.
THE VISION
The primary goal was to modernize this brand and take the business to the next level. Salt Wood Co. had a cult following and sterling reputation, but they hadn’t done much by way of marketing and hadn’t turned over any digital stones.
Salt Wood Co. made a table for Mary Beth years ago (her first big-girl piece of furniture) - we’d circled each other for a while, but it was a recommendation from Rhapsody Fitness that sealed the deal.
Along with a face-lift and message that felt more align with what the shop was truly about, Founder Vann Cochran’s objective was to diversify his revenue through ecommerce/digital leads and sales, expand his client base/reach some new customer types, and streamline his lead-to-production process.
SCOPE OF WORK
BRANDING CONSULT
MESSAGING / VOICE
PHOTOGRAPHY / STYLING
WEBSITE DESIGN / WITH ECOMMERCE
SOCIAL MEDIA OVERHAUL
Front & Center did messaging, website with an ecommerce component, photography/styling with Valerie & Ed Photography, and a major social media overhaul with subsequent management with the Social Language.
Fortunately, there were less challenges, more opportunities in that the client wanted to nod to the nostalgia/history while dramatically modernizing the brand. We had to strike that balance.
We also had to be mindful that their main competitors weren't necessarily other local furniture shops/makers - it was the IKEAs and Pottery Barns.
This meant we had to speak to the value, experience and difference of investing in a handcrafted piece versus going on Overstock or Amazon.
We started with brand/messaging before pivoting to website and ecommerce. In parallel, we brought The Social Language in to develop the social media strategy, so we were locked and loaded when it was time for the launch.
THE EXECUTION
Front & Center has a signature discovery process that begins with our proprietary questionnaire coupled with client interviews and outside research. The questionnaire is designed to help the client take a deep breath, step back and look at their business from an outside perspective.
It hits the brass-tacks of the 4 W’s (who, what, where, why…), brand vibe, marketing plan, growth/scaling goals, sales strategy, desired clients, etc… while also creating space for
the feels, inspiration, vision, hopes/dreams.
Salt Wood Co. is an art, craft and story - it is about making something you use and enjoy for life.
Vann is a busy guy (SWC is one of three businesses he owns/operates) so our strategy was to work efficiently and, largely, independently with intentional, but limited, check-ins and client reviews.
As a happy SWC customer and having clients who were happy SWC customers along with knowing Vann for some time, we came into this with context.
Vann also wasn’t completely sold on all the recommendations we had for him (understandable), so part of our job was to educate as well as execute, which turned out to be phenomenal for building trust as we went along.
A moving target, we had more success going onsite, touring the shop and interviewing Vann in person versus doing our traditional discovery questionnaire virtually.
THE IMPACT
+12K increase in sales,
increase in IG following by ~1K
A good month for Salt Wood Co. is $20K in sales; in May 2021 they were at $32K in sales halfway through the month. The brand revamp also attracted the attention of an interior designer who wants to private label with SWC for a custom line - launch coming soon.
We have increased SWC's Instagram following by ~1K since we took over about a year ago, but bigger win is engagement, DMs and clicks through to the website. People “shop SWC” through social media now, which never happened before.
SWC is now a retainer client, so the work continues. Stay tuned.
