Project: Esgarden

2021 - 2024

Esgarden

By far my most challenging, fun and ambitious project ever. This project was initially conceived as a restructuring of the Esmunas Group with its original brands, leading to the regrouping and creation of a new brand.

"Strategic restructuring and rebranding driving the launch, positioning, and growth of a leading business group in Guadalajara."

Introduction

After extensive research and collaboration with the client, we restructured the brands and introduced a new one. The group now includes: Caessa, focused on construction, plumbing, and heating materials; Espool, specializing in pools and wellness for over 20 years; Filesport, offering sports equipment in partnership with the Cronos Group; Esmunas Store, a local shop in Azuqueca de Henares selling Caessa, Espool, and Esgarden products; and the new Esgarden, a garden center in Guadalajara sharing space with Espool to provide customers with a comprehensive 360º service.

Roles

-Project briefing
Rebranding
UX design for all group websites
Web positioning for all brands
Esgarden e-commerce launch and optimization
Design of promotional materials (posters, uniforms, vehicle wraps, billboards, magazine ads)
Cross-channel advertising campaigns
Blog and social media content planning
Data analisys
Project delivery and more

Team

Xanelum – Grupo Esmunas

Product ownership

ESMUNAS, S.A.

Group restructuring and rebranding.

The first task assigned to me after the group's restructuring was the rebranding of the corporate image for all Esmunas Group brands. Initially, due to my limited experience, we enlisted the help of a consultancy specializing in brand development. Unfortunately, the collaboration was far from successful. However, as the process unfolded, I gained a better understanding of how to align with the client's vision. A few months later, I took on the challenge of leading this pivotal milestone: a complete rebranding for the Esmunas Group. I created five distinct proposals, but I was confident that refining the first one would achieve the result both the client and I had envisioned.

Behind the scenes

Support and dynamism during the process

After months of collaboration, including the physical renovation of the Espool store, warehouse reorganization, and digitalization efforts, we prepared store signage, planned campaigns with Clara Más (visual merchandising specialist), and developed the first prototypes for the corporate websites of the group's new brands. In June 2022, the project was successfully completed, and the revamped store opened to the public with an inaugural event featuring major suppliers from the pool and garden industries.

The process was far from linear. As offline changes unfolded, we had to scale them seamlessly to the digital realm. My role encompassed a broad spectrum, including branding, content planning and creation, advertising across various media, web design and development, and negotiating collaboration agreements with local foundations and associations, as well as event planning. Moving forward, I will use Esgarden as a representation of the group's digital evolution, as it also served as a significant professional milestone for me.

Esgarden, my great challenge

Throughout the development of this project I had the great opportunity to challenge my skills, intuition, design methodologies, analysis, decision making together with my team and the client's staff. Definitely after this, nothing is ever the same.

Challenges

The main challenge was to position a new brand in the Gandens market. We started by doing it locally and then expanding the strategy.
Constructing a scalable, meaningful information architecture that facilitates the organic positioning of the brand.
New UI stiles and guidelines. Flexible easily custumizable interface. The issue was to generate common parameters applicable to all brands, thinking broadly about future objectives or particular challenges.
Establish a communication and brand strategy, with a narrative consistent with the group’s values and mission.

I have a base, how do I scale this?

After a year of working on branding strategies across all digital channels, we began the transformation of Esgarden. In 2023, we refined our strategies based on data analysis from 2022. As part of the strategy, we launched an experimental Click & Collect test to position key products and categories for the brand, which was later replicated for Espool. The primary challenge during this period was developing long-term, organic positioning strategies. To achieve this, we implemented tactics such as link building, interlinking, content marketing, and email marketing. As shown in the graphs, the organic channel saw an increase of over 1000% compared to 2022.

Traffic distribution by channel

2022 vs. 2023 traffic capture by channel

Traffic distribution by channel

2022 vs. 2023 traffic capture by channel

Problems and challenges

Usability & accesibility nightmare
Less than 10% ratio de conversion
Poor resposive and mobile experience
Poor code optimisation
There is no product search engine, this tool makes the user’s tasks easier and reduces frustration
Server performance
Problems in inventory management, need for ERP implementation; to connect online and offline activity efficiently