A step up for all the right reasons
Transforming a Singapore footwear pioneer for strategic growth in Indonesia
Reframing the premise for affordable, quality footwear into brand experiences that connect with customers across Indonesia’s diverse social strata.
SUPPORTING ASPIRATIONS FROM DAY ONE
In 1979, Everbest Shoes was founded on a simple insight – everyone, regardless of their station in life, needed a good pair of shoes to get ahead. Through the years, Everbest found success with its combination of quality, style and affordability.
As Everbest approached its 40th anniversary, its operations in Indonesia had grown substantially. However it was facing increasing competition from international brands, and appointed &Larry to revamp Everbest’s branding and develop a stronger positioning to address the changing expectations and needs of an increasingly affluent and aspirational middle class.
TAKING MEASURED FIRST STEPS
Our journey with Everbest began with a series of in-depth interviews with the brand owners and key management. It continued with a research plan developed in collaboration with Design Sojourn that included on-site observations of customer-staff interactions, quantitative customer surveys and customer interviews at two retail stores in Singapore and six in Indonesia.
What we learned was that Everbest’s customers saw their weekend outings as social occasions to dress in their ‘Sunday best’, and that putting on Everbest shoes had become part of that ritual. Despite its relatively higher price, it was perceived to be an aspirational brand — a step closer to the still out-of-reach luxury brands. These findings and insights were shared with senior management during a series of hands-on workshops.
STAND TALL IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGES
Besides the founder’s original premise for Everbest, we had discovered a strong company culture of mutual respect, camaraderie and robust efforts to help staff develop themselves professionally and personally. &Larry then proceeded to develop a clarified brand story based on these authentic and important data points.
The result is a new Brand Essence expressed simply as “To stand tall in life”. It speaks to both the heritage and accomplishments of Everbest as a brand, and stays true to the aspirational premise that originated in 1979.
From here, a full Brand Story comprising the new Vision, Mission, Values and Positioning affirmed Everbest as a footwear brand that understood why customers sought out its high-quality and elegant designs – not just as shoes but as extensions of the best version of themselves.
A new Brand Strategy was developed to capitalise on the core brand strengths, with actionable recommendations to increase the competitiveness of Everbest. This included changes to the loyalty programme, as well as suggestions for service innovation to be rolled out its flagship stores, and the need to publicise its CSR efforts in championing social causes and giving back to society.
BUILDING ON THE STRENGTH OF CHARACTERS
After reviewing the existing brand assets, we set out to create a new brand identity that would not only serve as a corporate emblem with unisex appeal but also as a versatile resource that could be productised with ease.
Instead of relying solely on the letter ‘E’, we devised a new symbol that merged ‘E’ with ‘B’. The interlinked characters expressed brand attributes such as uplifting and supporting customers, to the deep connection with customers, and a sense of continuous innovation and improvement.
The rounded forms of the new symbol influenced how we customised the letters ‘E’ and ‘B’ in the new word mark for Everbest. Together with the new colour palette and overall identity system, Everbest took on a bolder, more confident and livelier persona across the full range of brand touchpoints.
ELEVATING THE BRAND EXPERIENCE
Beyond the corporate collaterals for Everbest, &Larry was also consulted on the design of the Mobile App interface, the Loyalty Programme, Retail Collaterals, Packaging Design. We also consulted on the spatial branding of the Everbest flagship store, designed in collaboration with BrandsBridge.
Located in Pondok Indah Mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, the flagship store was revamped redesigned in-store touchpoints such as displays, shelves and seating, all taking direction from the new branding guidelines. A key new feature is the ‘Make It Mine’ corner that offered product personalisation services. This was to become a signature brand experience for Everbest, highlighting its dedication and support for customers as their needs evolved with the times.
ROLLING OUT THE ‘RISE ABOVE’ LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
The new branding for Everbest was launched with a campaign that &Larry directed. Themed after the brand essence, ‘Rise Above’ was a stylish and elegant take on the Everbest lifestyle, featuring carefully coordinated models, and a fresh layout that allowed the new branding to shine.
While the global pandemic affected lives everywhere, the new Everbest found favour with even more customers in Indonesia and reported exceptional growth over the three year period from 2020 to 2022.
Successful
re-launch of EVERBEST in Indonesia
3x
revenue growth annually in the 3 year period from 2020 to 2022
Elevate
standards for future in-store experiences
42→53
increase in retail stores
