Catch has been working with Caterham Cars since mid-2011 on a number of projects aimed at developing the Caterham digital presence and building an engaged fan base through social media channels and developing content around product launches. In late 2012 we began discussing the possibility of combining a number of the Caterham online properties into a single site, one that could cater for and support the current true global expansion that Caterham are undergoing.
Caterham Cars is at an exciting junction in its development. From humble beginnings in 1957, Caterham Cars and its iconic flagship model - the Seven - have gone from strength to strength, growing a dedicated following of owners and fans. As they continue to develop their offering and expand into new markets a need for a new, more flexible and impactful international website was identified.
Our core objective was to update and refresh the Caterham Cars digital presence, but at the same time go through a consolidation exercise to bring the previously disparate digital portfolio together into a central hub but not at the expense of the 'accessible' and friendly feel of the organisation which would be lost of we created something cold in the mould of a traditional corporate site.
Right from the outset we were aware that this would be a project where we would be able to challenge some of the pre-conceived notions about the brand and the organisation, and begin to develop the digital platform to support the continued emergence of Caterham as a lifestyle brand, rather than a niche sports car manufacturer. Cultivating the image of a lifestyle brand opens the organisation up to a new type of customer, widening the fan base and ensuring that we can stay relevant in the digital space as consumers become more sophisticated and expect more from brands.
From a technical perspective we knew we wanted to take advantage of the latest responsive design techniques in order to ensure compatibility with a wide range of devices and platforms. Built in Drupal 7, the site has expansion built in from the ground up, with localised sites for France and USA coming soon, we look forward to adding more content for other markets over the coming months.