Norfolk’s leading independent holiday cottage company unveils a fresh new look.
Since 1992 Norfolk Country Cottages (NCC) has been established as the leading holiday cottage company in Norfolk. NCC was founded in 1992 by Richard and Lesley Ellis, who have since grown their portfolio of local holiday cottage companies across the UK. A genuine family business, their children Tom and James, and son-in-law Tom, have since joined the team.
Under the guidance of General Manager, Heather McCraith, the last 22 years have seen continued growth, both in terms of bookings and their property portfolio – which now tops an impressive 440 throughout the county.
However, just like a mum who’s children are flying the nest, NCC took a look in the mirror and realised they were starting to look a little tired, dated and lacking the va-va-voom of former years… time for a makeover. With this is mind, Heather secured the permanent services of Lucy Downing, an experienced marketing and brand professional with a strong track record in tourism. Her past roles include working as Brand Manager at Visit North Norfolk and Marketing Manager at the Jarrold Department Store.
After a tendering process, Norwich-based brand consultancy, The Click, was commissioned to work on the rebranding project, having previously branded Norwich Cathedral, UEA’s Sportspark and the National Centre for Writing (to name but a few). The brief was to create a new look that would stand out from the competition and to ensure the new brand successfully translates across a multitude of marketing channels, whilst continuing to reflect the friendly, trusted and professional service Norfolk Country Cottages has established over the years.
Heather McCraith, General Manager of Norfolk Country Cottages said, “Refreshing the brand has been long overdue. It’s not simply the case of changing the logo. Rather like comfy old slippers, the outgoing look has served us well up to now and contributed enormously to the overall Norfolk Country Cottages reputation of providing exceptional customer service for home owners and holiday makers alike.”
“The new look stays true to our roots whilst adding a new dimension to our marketing and communication activity across traditional and new media channels”.
The Click’s Creative Director, Bobby Burrage, explains, “To achieve what we have with the new brand relied very much on the client being brave and willing to trust our recommendations. Considering the very traditional look Norfolk Country Cottages had, the new identity scheme is a bold and confident step forward – making a clear statement of intent. The new logo makes reference to the physical structure of a cottage, an ’n’ for Norfolk and a doorway.”
Lucy Downing, Brand Manager at NCC, adds, “It’s an honour to develop a new look for such an established, trusted yet progressive company as Norfolk Country Cottages. I have relished working with Bobby at The Click, who has great vision and truly understands the importance of branding. Norfolk is a fabulous county that is beginning to attract the attention it deserves. It has amazing landscapes, rich wildlife, impressive heritage and culture and exceptional local food and drink. Our aim is to help people explore Norfolk properly, by offering them beautiful places to stay. Our new branding will help us to achieve this.”
The new brand ties in with the launch of a new website, and will roll out across brochures, advertising, social media and other exciting marketing ventures over the coming months.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
