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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1505828
opened doors for fresh perspectives and innovative ideas within the company," Lee says. Today, he and Burscough remain in- volved with the business, and as the Rove brand approaches $1B in lifetime cus- tomer sales, Lee points to loyal customers and a talented, agile team under united leadership for the secret to Rove's success. VISIONARY LEADERSHIP As CEO, Lee didn't only bring unwavering determination and strategic vision to the leadership—he went out into the far reaches of creativity and possibility for answers to how to drive growth and success. Suddenly, the brand was about more than furniture. It embraced new opportu- nities, expanded its reach, and capitalized on emerging market trends. The Rove Members Program offers up added perks, deep discounts, co-branded giveaways and invitations to VIP meet and greets. The Rove AR Planner lets you plan and furnish your dream home with augmented reality. Wondering if your new sofa will hold up to pets and kids? Check in with real cus- tomers for feedback on any Rove Concepts product—or better yet, schedule a virtual tour of their home—through the Rove Host program. "Our visualization tools are game changing for space planning," Lee says. "The Studio X program allows 3D plan- ning of a space with the ability to drag and drop Rove items into the space. This reduces what typically requires weeks, thousands of dollars and a professional with software to something free that any individual can do in a day." While forever changing the landscape where tech and home furnishings col- lide, Lee also navigated the challenges of scaling the business, attracting more clients and exploring new markets with tenacity and vision, and from 2018-2022, it literally paid off. WATERSHED YEARS In 2018 and 2019, Rove Concepts experienced its watershed moment in history—Lee led a product and marketing strategy revamp while restructuring the brand's digital marketing architecture. Up to this point, the company was bringing in $17M USD in sales, and by 2022, annual sales grew to more than $200M USD without any investor growth capital. The crux of this monumental shift was Lee's stark realization that the brand needed to veer sharply from its course—barrelling down a path of reproductions and competing on lower prices—and redirect toward one, simple oasis: design quality. Taking a new path meant discontinuing some key, revenue-generating product lines that no longer fit with the brand's direction. The results have been astounding. "Rove has in-housed its own product design team and revamped its marketing and creatives team to reach new capabilities in design aesthetics and digital marketing excellence," Lee says. "The growth that followed is a testament to the quality of planning and execution of the new brand vision." INTO THE FUTURE Never one to forego opportunity, Lee has an ambitious future planned for Rove Concepts. The way forward will find new, creative ways for customers to discover and interact with the Rove brand. These include notable Capsule Collection partnerships with Maria Sharapova, selling sunset's Oppenheim Group; social collabs with Serena Williams and Selena Gomez/Rare Beauty; and corporate partnerships with Revolve, TED, F1 Grand Prix, Roger's Cup and TIFF. And the company is only getting started. Rove is also building out a highly creative Rove Residence program—a virtual brand experience in the rental market where "wise" is often "poorly finished". "It is usually a given that in order to sell a property and make it appealing, one should dress it up and stage it nicely," Lee says. "This generally has not carried over to the high-end rental market and we are going to address that." Look for the Rove Showroom Experience to be available in many more cities across North America. "We are currently serving Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles and Miami, but Soho New York, Melrose, Los Angeles, and other cities, like Seattle, San Francisco, Austin, Dallas and Chicago are all on the road map to bring Rove closer to its customers," Lee says. Learn more at roveconcepts.com @RoveConcepts @RoveConcepts @rove-concepts Created by the Canada Wide Media Advertising Department in partnership with Rove Concepts Art Lee at the West Point Grey Faith Wilson Group x Rove Concepts show home. Mary Bonnet (Fitzgerald), Art Lee and Jason Oppenheim at the Rove Concepts x The Oppenheim Group event in Vancouver.