Bridging the Gap Between Digital and Physical Retail
Throughout 2024, The Faith Agency collaborated with longstanding client Adriatic Furniture to implement a game-changing transformation of their online customer experience. Recognising the fundamental shift in consumer behaviour, where online research increasingly precedes in-store purchases, we spearheaded the integration of Cylindo – a cutting-edge 3D product visualisation platform that’s revolutionising how customers interact with furniture online.
The modern furniture buyer’s journey has evolved dramatically. While the tactile, in-store experience remains the gold standard for final purchasing decisions, today’s consumers increasingly begin their research online. They want to examine products from every conceivable angle, visualise different colour options, and understand how pieces will look in their own living spaces – all before setting foot in a showroom. This digital-first approach to research means that brands failing to provide comprehensive online visualisation are essentially invisible during the crucial early stages of the customer journey.
Choosing World-Class Technology for Premium Results
Cylindo represents the pinnacle of 3D rendering and visualisation technology, trusted by the world’s most successful furniture retailers including West Elm, IKEA, and Williams Sonoma. For Adriatic Furniture – a brand that has built its reputation on quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail – partnering with Cylindo was a natural evolution of their commitment to excellence.
The platform’s sophisticated rendering capabilities go far beyond simple 360-degree product spins. It creates photorealistic representations that capture the nuanced textures of leather, the grain patterns in timber, and the subtle interplay of light and shadow that makes furniture come alive. This level of detail ensures that the online experience doesn’t just complement the in-store experience – it enhances it.
Strategic Implementation and Creative Excellence
The Faith Agency worked meticulously with the Adriatic Furniture team throughout the implementation process, beginning with strategic product selection. Rather than attempting to render their entire catalogue immediately, we identified hero pieces and bestsellers that would deliver the maximum impact for customers while providing valuable insights for future rollouts.
Our approach involved deep collaboration between our digital development team, Adriatic’s product managers, and Cylindo’s technical specialists. We analysed customer behaviour data to understand which products customers were most likely to research online, examined cart abandonment patterns to identify visualisation gaps, and considered the full customer journey to determine optimal integration points.
The platform’s comprehensive image creation capabilities proved particularly transformative. Traditional furniture photography requires extensive studio setups, professional lighting equipment, and significant time investment for each product variation. With Cylindo, we can generate stunning, photorealistic imagery that rivals – and often surpasses – traditional photography, all while maintaining complete control over lighting, angles, and styling.
Augmented Reality: Bringing the Showroom Home
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Cylindo integration is its augmented reality functionality, which allows customers to visualise furniture pieces within their own living spaces using their smartphone or tablet camera. This technology addresses one of furniture retail’s most persistent challenges: helping customers confidently envision how pieces will look and fit in their homes.
The augmented reality system uses sophisticated spatial recognition to accurately scale products within real environments, accounting for lighting conditions, room proportions, and existing décor elements. Customers can walk around virtual furniture pieces, examine them from different angles, and even see how they interact with natural light throughout the day.
The “Adriatic Reality” Campaign: Innovation in Action
Building on the success of the platform integration, The Faith Agency developed and launched the “Adriatic Reality” campaign – a multi-channel marketing initiative that showcases the brand’s technological innovation while emphasising the practical benefits for customers.
The campaign leverages the visual richness of the 3D platform across digital advertising, social media content, email marketing, and in-store displays. Early results have been exceptional, with engagement rates significantly exceeding industry benchmarks and conversion metrics showing marked improvement across all customer touchpoints.
Video content featuring the augmented reality functionality has proven particularly compelling on social platforms, where customers share their own experiences placing Adriatic furniture in their homes. This user-generated content creates authentic social proof while demonstrating the technology’s capabilities to prospective customers.
Measurable Impact and Future Growth
The implementation has delivered tangible results across multiple key performance indicators. Online engagement time has increased substantially as customers spend more time exploring products through the 3D interface. Cart abandonment rates have decreased as customers feel more confident in their purchase decisions. Most importantly, the quality of in-store visits has improved, with customers arriving more informed and closer to making purchase decisions.
The platform has also streamlined internal operations. Product photography timelines have been dramatically reduced, allowing for faster time-to-market for new products. Marketing campaigns can be developed and launched more quickly, with consistent, high-quality visuals available immediately upon product launch.
A Comprehensive Digital Transformation
The Cylindo implementation represents just one element of a broader digital transformation we’ve orchestrated for Adriatic Furniture throughout 2024. This comprehensive approach included:
ERP System Integration: Streamlining inventory management, order processing, and customer data management to create a seamless omnichannel experience.
eCommerce Platform Enhancement: Upgrading the entire online shopping experience with improved navigation, enhanced product filtering, and streamlined checkout processes.
Digital Marketing Expansion: Leveraging the rich visual content generated through Cylindo to enhance performance across Google Ads, social media advertising, and email marketing campaigns.
Physical Retail Support: Using 3D visualisations and augmented reality capabilities to enhance in-store experiences, allowing sales staff to show customers products not currently on the floor or demonstrate different configuration options.
Setting New Industry Standards
The success of this initiative extends beyond Adriatic Furniture’s immediate business objectives. By embracing cutting-edge visualisation technology and implementing it strategically, we’ve helped position Adriatic as an innovation leader within the Australian furniture retail landscape.
The project demonstrates how traditional retailers can leverage emerging technologies not just to compete with online-first competitors, but to create superior customer experiences that blend the best aspects of digital convenience with physical retail expertise.
Looking Forward: Continued Innovation
As we move into 2025, the Cylindo platform provides a foundation for continued innovation. Future enhancements will include expanded augmented reality capabilities, integration with virtual interior design tools, and the development of immersive room-planning experiences that help customers design entire spaces rather than just selecting individual pieces.
This case study exemplifies The Faith Agency’s approach to client partnership: understanding not just immediate needs, but anticipating future challenges and opportunities. Through strategic technology adoption, creative implementation, and comprehensive campaign development, we’re helping established brands like Adriatic Furniture thrive in an increasingly digital retail environment while maintaining the personal, high-quality service that defines their brand identity.
The success of this transformation reinforces our position as Melbourne’s leading full-service marketing agency, capable of delivering innovative solutions that drive measurable business growth while enhancing customer experiences across all touchpoints.
