In this case study, you can learn more about a Drupal web development project to transform Rexel’s digital identity — a renovated website with a straightforward content management system, smooth navigation, and flexible structuring.

About The Client: Rexel

Rexel is a top-performing global company specializing in the multichannel distribution of electrical products and services.

Founded in 1967, the French company has expanded its offerings to provide innovative, bespoke, scalable, and sustainable electrical solutions in a myriad of fields such as technical supply, construction, and energy management.

Rexel first penetrated the Chinese market in 2000. Since then, it has established 53 branches and offices, 6 entities, and over 50 distributed brands.

In order to maximize its ROI and further establish itself as a key player in the energy market, Rexel partnered with IT Consultis (ITC), a digital transformation consultancy agency with expertise in Drupal, to transform its digital presence in China.

Objectives

With a fresh, professional, and unified visual identity across all digital entities, Rexel expected to:

• Increase its brand awareness in China
• Re-establish itself as the go-to global expert in the energy market

Solutions for Rexel

We devised an innovative Drupal web development solution for Rexel that perfectly aligned with its core values and expansion goals.

We revamped the brand’s multi-lingual website that can support both English and Chinese. Ultimately, we wanted to unify the looks of its outdated digital identities in China.

Functionality & Flexibility

One of the most significant enhancements made to boost the website’s efficiency was the introduction of an intuitive and streamlined content management system.

The new system could respond directly to Rexel’s needs. It enabled the brand to easily publish company information and other details to promote its products, services, and solutions.

In addition, users could enjoy clear and smooth navigation throughout the website. There were also light animations to break up the blocks of text, add a little bit of pep and energy to the site’s design, and enhance interactiveness.

The most significant achievement of this project was the exceptional flexibility built into the back office. With Rexel’s mid-term goal to unify the appearance of all its entities’ websites, we took a forward-thinking approach to support Rexel’s growth in China.

Design

With the introduction of their new logo, Rexel sought a website design that was modern, polished, and professional, while also reflecting the brand’s global visual identity and core values. To achieve this, we incorporated the latest design trends, including:

• Flat icons
• Widescreen pictures
• Play-on transparency
• Neat hover effects

For the core color identity, the two shades of blue from the new logo were utilized, complemented by generous white space to create a fresh and calming aesthetic.

Additionally, subtle touches of green from the previous logo were also retained as accent colors, adding contrast and a dynamic element to the overall design.

Technologies

On the technical front, we built the website using Drupal, a robust and scalable content management system. To further enhance the site, we leveraged HTML, JavaScript, and CSS to:

• Increase production efficiency
• Make consistent changes
• Improve the page load speed via minimal code input
• Increase the site’s adaptability

Together, these technologies provided the ideal solution for Rexel’s need to easily publish and manage promotional content.

Results

Ultimately, a modern suite of Drupal websites was delivered for Rexel in China, featuring an optimized user interface and enhanced interactivity. This project demonstrates that corporate websites can be engaging and visually appealing, rather than conventional or dull.

Marion Berger, the Communication & Sustainability Officer Asia Pacific of Rexel, also left a comment on our collaboration:

“It was a real pleasure working with IT Consultis, which has the qualities expected from a partner agency.
First, availability. IT Consultis was always ready to respond to our requests and did their best to respect our constraints and timing.

Second, adaptability and expertise. As a customer, sometimes our expectations and our objectives are not clearly formalized, and they evolve as the project goes on. IT Consultis helped us in our reflection, advised us, and has always met our changing needs.

Finally, one of the most important qualities is diligence. As a design agency, it is crucial to pay attention to details. Working with IT Consultis was pleasant and reassuring since we shared the same level of expectations in terms of aesthetics and quality, which is very valuable in the Chinese professional sphere.”