NORNORM

Their Proposition:

NORNORM is a subscription-based furniture company on a mission to make workspaces better for people, businesses, and the planet. Not only does their solution tackle waste generated by single-use furniture, but it’s also beautiful, cost-efficient, and fully circular.   

They’re not just disrupting the office furniture scene; they’re flipping the script on how we see and manage workspaces that are both adaptable and sustainable.  

The business is backed by IKEA Development BV, Verdane, Philian AB and Coen van Oostrom, united in the belief that through using and reusing resources intelligently, businesses can offer flexible, affordable, and inspiring workspaces, without compromising on employee wellbeing and without a hefty price tag. NORNORM’s model is based on a simple premise: Don’t buy office furniture, subscribe to it.  

The Opportunity:

After a successful start in the Nordics and across Europe, NORNORM recently launched in the UK and the business was looking to infiltrate the London real estate sector.  

The business recognised the opportunity in the UK market to do things differently; workplaces are increasingly needing to be more flexible, with flexible leases now the norm, and that flexibility can be extended to furniture. Why commit to a piece of furniture that will look tired over time when you can subscribe to a service which can be scaled up and down as your business does, and comes with maintenance and repair as standard? 

Creating The Buzz:

The Buzz worked with the NORNORM team to outline how to effectively position and message NORNORM’s proposition to the UK Real Estate market, including positioning statement, messaging hierarchy, marketing tactics, and channels to test.  

 The Buzz discovery activity involved mapping competitor positioning to identify opportunity for differentiation, as well as interviewing contacts within the industry to ascertain their current approach, pain points, and how to make NORNORM’s proposition resonate. 

We identified an opportunity for NORNORM to educate the marketplace on the benefits of a subscription model. Whilst some companies talk about ‘furniture to hire’ it’s generally understood to mean short-term; what NORNORM are offering is a long-term, service-orientated relationship, not a one-off transaction. The service model means companies benefit from maintenance, and gain the flexibility to scale up and down as they need, without having to buy new or dispose of perfectly good furniture. 

We also felt NORNORM’s Nordic heritage is a key selling point: Nordic companies are renowned for design and innovation, with sleek aesthetics and functionality prioritised, and NORNORM certainly embody these attributes. 

We created a strategic plan which included a positioning statement, communications principles, content pillars and key messages, a communications strategy and recommended approach, key channels and tactics including targeted events, campaign ideation and suggested timings. 

Based on this strategic outline, we went on to create a targeted UK market pitch deck, customer case studies, and website landing page copy. 

“It’s a rare privilege to get the opportunity to work with a real disruptor in the marketplace and yet when you learn about NORNORM’s approach to furniture as a service, it’s hard to understand why this isn’t the norm. 

Flexibility isn’t just a buzzword in offices. Shorter leases and hybrid working means it can be difficult for businesses to predict how much space, and therefore furniture, they’re going to need in five years’ time. With NORNORM, they don’t need to. A fully circular, full-service, flexible solution, that doesn’t compromise on style or quality and is truly cost-effective – what’s not to love.  

NORNORM is already well established in other parts of Europe, so we’re excited to help them spread the word in the UK. It’s a pleasure to work with such a passionate team, committed to driving change for the benefit of businesses and the environment.” 

Rachael Evans, Marketing Strategist, The Buzz 

“We’re a scale up so our priorities shift at very short notice, so it’s wonderful to work with a marketing agency that understands that and gives you flexibility when you require it.” 

Brad Williams, Head of UK, NORNORM