I have received this press release from a cottage holiday company based in Reepham that has rebranded. It offers holiday cottages countrywide.

Press release: 9 August 2017, Reepham, Norfolk

“Reepham’s Cottage Holidays rebrands to Original Cottages

A family of local self-catering agencies: truly local, wherever you stay

Today, Original Cottages, is revealed as the new name and new website for one of Norfolk’s most exciting family businesses. The Ellis family started Norfolk Country Cottages in 1992 and have grown it to a group of local self-catering agencies around England and Wales. Genuinely original in its field, it is proud to be the largest UK holiday rental business, listing more than 3,700 properties, that remains in private ownership and family run.

Family values…

Richard and Leslie Ellis have been steadily creating and acquiring these agencies for more than 25 years, more recently with the help of their sons Tom and James, and son-in-law Tom Thornley. Everyone of the 21 agencies has at least one in-region office providing truly local, destination and property knowledge. The Original Cottages hub in Reepham, Norfolk, provides additional resource and customer contact hours. Longest serving employees in Reepham are Ash Everson (imagery assistant) and Heather McCraith (business development manager).

A national brand with a unique offering, not just a search term…

The rebrand reflects the need to move from a company name that’s also a competitive online search term (Cottage Holidays) to being a recognisable and distinctive player in an increasingly competitive market. The Original Cottages name recognises the company’s unique marketplace ability to offer national reach alongside local, in-destination, expertise for home owners and guests alike. Hence the tagline, Truly local, wherever you stay.

On the rebrand…

Sonia Holman, marketing director for Original Cottages, says: “Family is at the heart of Original Cottages. We’ve retained that essence despite our growth to 21 agencies and 3,700 properties across England and Wales. By having local people in local places, the personal touch craved by consumers is there. Complemented by the consistency of standards and the security of national scale that consumers seek, we offer the best of both worlds. The rebrand provides an opportunity to demonstrate this.”

Richard Ellis, company founder and executive chairman, says: “After 25 years, we realised it was time to market the extent and success of our family of agencies better. Each of our agencies is a success story in itself. But we’re really very excited to bring them all together, more coherently and more obviously, as part of one big, family owned, nationwide brand. So that together they can take more holidaymakers on yet more memorable holidays via our truly local agencies.”

Love local…

The local offering extends beyond in-destination knowledge to a handpicked selection of holiday extras from trusted local partners that make the holiday experience both ‘truly local’ and unique in the cottage holiday industry. Extras include discounts with a Norfolk based cake company and a Suffolk vineyard tour and tasting, and specially curated food and drink parcels from hamper companies across Wales.”