The C2 Group partnered with ACCO to devise and execute a comprehensive e-commerce strategy, culminating in the creation and implementation of Helix. Playing off the concept of genetic code, Helix symbolizes ACCO's commitment to making digital core to its business strategy.

‍

The solution encompassed:

• Strategic Planning & Platform Consolidation: An initial planning sprint solidified the strategy and business requirements. The chosen platform, Optimizely DXP, provided ACCO with a powerful opportunity to simplify its entire marketing and e-commerce technology stack. This move significantly reduced expenses by eliminating redundant platforms and successfully united all brands on a common, robust content and commerce solution.

• Reusable Digital Framework: Helix leverages a sophisticated design system, including style libraries and Atomic Design principles, paired with a shared, reusable code base. This foundation of templates, blocks, and integrations drastically reduces development time and dramatically increases speed to market for new brand sites.

• Rapid Brand Rollout: New brand sites, complete with optimized product pages, streamlined checkout experiences, compelling brand storytelling pages, and essential integrations (PIM, ERP, payment gateway, fraud protection, tax, transactional email, user-generated content), can now be launched in as soon as 60-90 days from kickoff. This agility saves hundreds of thousands of dollars per brand on development scope.

• Empowered Internal Teams & Enhanced User Experience: The user-friendly Optimizely platform empowers ACCO's brand teams to manage and update site content without constant IT intervention, fostering greater autonomy and efficiency. It also includes powerful personalization and visitor intelligence capabilities, allowing ACCO to tailor experiences for end-users across both B2B and B2C audiences.

• Parallel Implementations: The e-commerce implementation ran seamlessly in parallel with critical PIM and ERP system integrations, ensuring a holistic and synchronized digital transformation.

To date, 16 market-leading brands have successfully launched within the Helix program, including Kensington, Mead, Swingline, and GBC, consistently delivering superior online experiences and driving significant revenue growth across the ACCO Brands portfolio.

‍

ACCO Brands is aglobal supplier recognized for its vast portfolio of market-leading academic, consumer, and business products. Committed to innovation and quality, ACCO Brands connects with consumers worldwide through iconic names like Mead, Five Star, Kensington, and GBC. Their mission revolves around providing essential tools and solutions that support productivity, creativity, and organization in homes, schools, and offices. With a diverse product range serving both B2B and B2C audiences, a robust and unified digital presence is paramount for ACCO Brands to effectively showcase its extensive offerings, streamline the customer journey, drive direct sales, and maintain its competitive edge in a global marketplace.