Challenge Helena!
By Helena Crowhurst, Managing Director, Apogee International Ltd
Over the years at Apogee we’ve worked on numerous product launches, but many of these have (understandably!) been subject to NDA restrictions, ergo we haven’t been able to publicise them. In May this year, though, we had the pleasure of working with the team at Stephen Webster, the contemporary fine jewellery and homeware brand. Not only was it one of the most fun projects we’ve ever worked on, but also, the lovely people at Stephen Webster are happy for us to share what is a quite extraordinary tale of collaboration and resourcefulness…
We were contacted by the client ahead of the launch of a ring collection they’d produced in collaboration with US rock star, Machine Gun Kelly. They wanted a machine to vend the rings at a star-spangled event in central London. I was impressed by the written brief with which I was presented. It meant that I didn’t have to ask nearly as many questions as I usually do. They knew exactly what they wanted to achieve and this undoubtedly helped the project go so smoothly and quickly from day one.
Which was just as well, because the event was happening in ten days’ time…!
Challenge Helena! : Where to start? We had a selection of machines in stock that could potentially do the job but, as with all bespoke projects, the first thing we needed to do was to establish that the item would fit in the machine and would vend consistently. The client stepped up to the mark: they despatched a sample box , with a ring inside so that the box weight was correct, and it was with is within a matter of hours. Good job, too: when we saw the striking shape of the box we knew that we could never have mocked one up. So, by the end of day one, we knew that from which machine the item would vend beautifully.
The next thing we had to address was payment method. The rings will set you back £750, which is well beyond the limit for contactless and what’s more, we knew that we wouldn’t be able to organize a card payment system, given the timescale. So we went for tokens that guests could purchase from staff and then used to select their ring from the machine. (It sounds like a compromise, but the upshot was that it created the opportunity for additional staff interaction with guests – and more (priceless) one-on-one discussions about the new range…)
The next couple of days were spent finalising the layout of the machine and liaising between the teams at Stephen Webster and our branding supplier, to create and print a bespoke wrap. This was all signed off by day five and immediately put into production.
While we waited for the wrap to arrive we nailed down the logistics. Timescales for delivery and collection to and from the venue in London were pretty tight (not to mention the limited on-road parking). So we bit the bullet and decided to transport the machine ourselves. Samantha Chapman (Head of Global Marketing & Sustainability at Stephen Webster), had already received some short videos from us demonstrating how to use and fill the machine, and we also ran her through it onsite, while the other suppliers for that evening’s celeb-filled event were setting up. In fact, a completely blank warehouse-style building was being transformed into an exclusive evening venue around us.
Challenge Helena! : We were on call that evening to assist with any queries but the phone stayed quiet. Next morning, we returned to collect the machine and move it into Stephen Webster’s storage facility.
Judging by the well-heeled reactions on social media, the new range of stunning rings, the event itself and ‘the not-so boring vending machine’ were all huge hits – to the point that Samantha is already thinking about the machine’s next starring role…
Thanks for reading and if you’d like to find out more about…
Apogee, please click HERE
Carry on Vending, please click HERE
There’s more from Helena HERE on Planet Vending
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