Design-led strategy hits back at cut-price Far East competition
Background
Harrison Fisher is a Sheffield knife maker that has been operating since 1838. Much of its market in recent years has been concentrated on supplying supermarket and department store own-brands.
Problem
Sheffield cutlery is renowned, but manufacturers have become vulnerable to low-cost competition from Europe and the Far East and Harrison Fisher was finding it difficult to compete on cost.
Response
The Designing Demand design team found that Harrison Fisher reacted to the demands of powerful buyers from supermarkets and department stores rather than carving out its own design strategy. They urged the business to develop a strong consumer brand and product range.
MD Alastair Fisher said: ‘Ultimately I want to be in a position where if the retailers don’t want us to do own label it’s not a crisis.’ With the help of the Design Associate, Harrison Fisher developed a ‘brand language’. It decided its Taylors Eye Witness sub-brand should be contemporary but take into account the company’s heritage.
They commissioned local consultancy Ledgard Jepson, which produced logo and packaging concepts. These were launched at Spring Fair, the UK’s leading gift and home trade event, in 2004. The new designs focused on lifestyle instead of competing on price. In addition, through a consolidation of the packaging types, the company reduced the number of packs from 30 to six, saving money and enabling more efficient management.
For the product redesign, the company and design team agreed it was important to work with up-and-coming talent.
Design Associate Jonathan Ball explains: ‘We wanted a signature designer – someone like Phillipe Starck – but didn’t want the signature to overwhelm the brand.’
Through a competitive selection process the company commissioned Sam Hecht, whose clients include retailer Muji among others. He developed a third generation of the Chantry knife sharpener, launched at Spring Fair in 2004 and the Ambiente Fair in Frankfurt, where it received a design award. A very close relationship developed between the company and Hecht. Following the Chantry, he designed a new high quality kitchen knife range and a further contemporary range.
Tags: designing demand, harrison fisher, immerse
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