I am particularly pleased about this for several reasons. Firstly EB is a British company, and one now of only a handful still designing and making its tableware and giftware pottery products, in Stoke on Trent. A general decline in manufacturing during the 80’s and 90’s saw a dramatic decline in the potteries, and many well known names in fine ceramics move their manufacturing to the Far East.
Secondly EB is a family run business this year celebrating 25 years of creating quintessentially British designs. Emma Bridgewater the oldest daughter in a large family gained much of her inspiration for design from her mother, who filled their large kitchen with colourful, mismatched china, pretty cups and saucers and large pottery jugs filled with flowers.
Married to Matthew Rice, theatre designer, bespoke furniture designer and artist, they met when both selling their products at London trade fair Top Drawer. Matthew joined forces with Emma in 1987 and collaborates on designs in partnership with her. Matthew’s mother the designer Pat Albeck also features in the EB product offering with her distinctive and colourful textile designs.
Working with ‘family’ businesses is both challenging and rewarding, as I discovered some years ago when Rennie Randell Associates handled the PR for Portmeirion Potteries.
From the perspective of coming up with marketing and promotional ideas, access to the key decision makers is often easier, the receiving of ideas much more receptive, and the decision making process much faster, than in many large companies where there are multi layers of management.
Working once again with a tableware and giftware client enables the agency to utilise all its experience of the key markets it serves and to be more creative in its thinking and ideas.
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