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Wedgwood has remained one of the globe’s greatest luxury lifestyle brands for almost 250 years. Its fine ceramics and gifts effortlessly grace the tables of palaces, parliaments, leading hotels and homes the world over with modern classics and unsurpassed fashionable lifestyle accessories all encompassing the best of English heritage, quality, craftsmanship and international design.

Market giftware and stylish tabletop products to exactly how products are crafted during remains a market leader in luxury the luxury sector of the market. With its unique factory tours. lifestyle within the ceramics industry. Part superlative standards of craftsmanship, A new £10 million museum is also due to of the Waterford Wedgwood Group, it quality, record of innovation and bespoke open in 2008 at the company’s greenfield distributes to more than 90 countries timeless design, it maintains a leading headquarters on the rural outskirts of Stoke- worldwide providing premier fine bone position in every one of its key markets. on-Trent. The museum, being built by the china, and its unique Jasper With multi-million pound sales during independent Wedgwood Museum Trust, will stoneware, together with a range of silver 2006, it employs more than 2,000 people in house thousands of priceless artefacts from and crystal accessories, textiles, gourmet its manufacturing, sales and distribution the last 250 years of the company’s history. foods, specialist teas and bespoke prestige operations worldwide. In total, the new galleries will house in the items influenced by the company’s Holders of the Royal Warrant from Her region of 6,000 Wedgwood pottery artifacts, unparalleled archive records. Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, it includes among 75,000 manuscripts and 680 pattern books – Its key markets are the UK, North America, its past customers the White House, the alongside the results of 10,000 trials Western Europe and Japan, with a rapidly Kremlin, the House of Lords and numerous conducted by a young Josiah to develop expanding operation both in China and other governments and Royal Houses. ‘new’ ceramics, such as the now world- Russia and a thriving corporate, sporting, Such is its popularity and heritage, this famous Jasper. The museum will also house hospitality and governmental portfolio. classic English brand attracts almost 100,000 a host of other exhibits, from the portraits of visitors a year to its multi-million pound Josiah and his wife Sarah by Sir Joshua Achievements visitor centre in where people Reynolds and paintings by George Stubbs, Wedgwood has almost two and a half can immerse themselves in the history of through to a fire engine used at Wedgwood’s centuries’ experience of supplying beautiful the company while seeing for themselves original . 1759 1773 1774 1789 1902 1940 The Wedgwood Empress Catherine After thousands of Wedgwood successfully President Theodore The Wedgwood factory Company is the Great of Russia experiments Josiah reproduces in Jasper, Roosevelt orders moves from Etruria in founded by Josiah commissions a 952-piece Wedgwood perfects the now iconic Portland a 1,282-piece Stoke-on-Trent to a new Wedgwood. dinner service, known as the world famous Vase, a copy of the fine bone china 300 acre greenfield estate the , for her Jasper ceramic. ancient Barberini Vase banqueting service at . The factory imperial palace. It is now a currently housed in the for the White House. remains the company’s Russian national treasure. British Museum. headquarters.

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Product Wedgwood’s product range has grown significantly in recent years. Beyond its designer , it encompasses a nursery collection, cutlery, crystal glassware and jewellery as well as a comprehensive collection of gifts providing a diverse portfolio of lifestyle items such as clocks, photo frames and table accessories. Throughout its history Wedgwood has pioneered innovation in the ceramics industry. The founder, , was given the title of Potter to Her Majesty in the 1760s after he developed cream coloured earthenware and provided a service for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. After thousands of experiments he also developed the now iconic Jasper, along with a Black Basalt body. Innovation continued with the development of the pyrometer – the first time the temperature in kilns could be accurately measured. But it is not just technical innovation that Wedgwood is famous for – design is also Recent Developments product portfolio to ensure continued central to the brand. Innovation plays a key role in the development relevance to today’s discerning customers. Wedgwood seamlessly blends its own of Wedgwood’s product. Wedgwood has Very astute in its self promotion, the design expertise with that of international experimented with clays from as far away company targets its key knowledgeable designers to provide a constant flow of as China, the Cherokee (Ayoree) Lands in audience through top magazines and contemporary classics. In recent years, America and Australia to find the perfect newspapers, with the majority of its American bridal designer Vera Wang, recipe for its diverse portfolio. Most modern promotion through careful product placement clothing designer Jasper Conran and clays, however, continue to be drawn from in films and magazines. interior designers Barbara Barry and Kelly high quality deposits in Devon and Cornwall. In addition, Wedgwood sponsors premier Hoppen have each in their own unique Recently, contemporary colours including fashion events and sporting competitions way partnered with Wedgwood to create delicate taupe and romantic chocolate have such as the World Golf Championships, the fashionably relevant products for the been created for the company’s iconic World Sailing Championships, horse racing, modern consumer. Jasper ware, as well as a unique lead free tennis and selected charitable events. lustre glaze which adds both glamour and sophistication to its already opulent armoury Brand Values of products. Wedgwood has a reputation for timeless Independent compression tests show the luxury developed through its high standards strength of Wedgwood fine bone china is of authenticity, quality, heritage, innovation, already among the strongest ceramic in the design, craftsmanship and customer service world, with an average of 17,597 pounds per square inch needed to break it. www.wedgwood.com

Promotion The company’s marketing dates back to Things you didn’t know about the early days of the company with the Wedgwood introduction of the first money back guarantees in the early 1770s, pre-dating Wedgwood fine bone china was first John Wanamaker, who is normally given introduced in 1812 with the famous credit for this concept, by nearly a century. Chinese Dragons pattern. Recently the speed of innovation has not lessened. The company is forging sales Josiah Wedgwood’s son, John, (1766- opportunities by partnering new distribution 1884) was one of the founders of what channels and new agreements with key retail was to become the Royal Horticultural partners to develop the width and scope of its Society. He suggested the idea to the appeal while maintaining its classic modern King’s gardener William Forsyth in 1801. brand heritage. It is also contemporising its In 2006 Wedgwood used 260 kilos of 22 carat gold and platinum at its factory 1953 1986 1994 2009 in Staffordshire to decorate its products. A 1,200-piece dinner Wedgwood merges The Russian Government Wedgwood will service in Wedgwood with Irish crystal orders a 47,000-piece mark its 250th A vase with decoration designed by the Persephone is chosen producer Waterford fine bone china service, anniversary with Prince of Monaco and manufactured by as the tableware for the to form the believed to be the largest global celebrations. Wedgwood’s special skills department at coronation banquet for luxury Waterford banqueting service ever Her Majesty the Queen. Wedgwood Group. produced, manufactured Barlaston, Staffordshire, raised £400,000 at for use in the Kremlin. an auction for children’s charities in 2006.

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