When Dover re-launched their catalog, my first impression was that I had received a beautiful book from a new equestrian company. As a former corporate brand and digital marketer, I was speechless as I quickly analyzed the immensity of the project and the amount of thought and work necessary to create an accurate representation of who the Dover customer is by respective discipline. The layout and copyrighting is now consistent and the photography succinct and beautiful. Additionally, shopping is easier because the layout is logical, the products are now the "heroes" on each page and their corresponding descriptions contain the necessary information to assist with a purchasing decision. Dover Saddlery set an incredible new standard for catalog shopping and re-connected with past customers and I would ascertain gained new ones. This incredible challenge was lead by the highly respected and experienced creative director, Sandra Ranke.
An authentic equestrian not only in sport, but also in way of life, Sandra has a robust resume spanning two decades that includes, but not limited to, studying at the Sorbonne in Paris and directing the creative of high profile brands including Banana Republic, Restoration Hardware, Sundance, Ann Taylor Loft, White House Black Market and many more. One of Sandra’s more recent endeavors was more personal in nature. She relocated from NYC to the heart of horse country near Culpepper, Virginia. Starting with a blank piece of bucolic property, she designed her vision of a perfect home complete with a modern residence located over an elegant and fully functional stable. She now freelances her creative direction and continues to lead a diverse book of clients in elevating their brand by uniquely documenting their products across all channels of business.
Salut!
In her own words...
How do you feel your authentic equestrian way of life influences your work for clients?
I moved from a career in NYC to gorgeous horse country Virginia. I’m still close to airports and cities, so it’s easy to get around for my freelance business. That was the genius with being in the Middleburg area.
I also realized being here is a great opportunity to help equestrian brands with executing photo shoots. There are amazing horse properties, riders, and countryside to get beautiful imagery. There is always something horsey to do here. Polo matches all summer lead to Fox Hunting through the winter, and you have horse shows and events,such as the Great Meadow International, which hosts an international evening competition. These events carry on throughout the year. The activities are non-stop and it is the most horse-connected place I’ve been to. There are as many horse trailers on the roads as cars, and you see people hacking out everywhere. It just makes me happy to see that lifestyle all around.
Besides riding, how do you connect with the equestrian lifestyle?
I am obsessed with architecture, and creating spaces that make you feel like you have been transported. I don’t like interiors overly packaged or too perfect, so homes whichare A to Z one style I find boring. When it came to creating my home for me, my 4 horses and 2 dogs, I mixed everything up. I basically had a blank slate to work with... an open field full of weeds. Staying respectful of the area with classic materials, I also combined modern lines and open interior spaces, which bring in lots of light and windows. My favorite space to be in is the barn, any barn, old and new. There is the height of the ceilings, the large barn door openings, the sound of horses while they are eating.
I designed and built a barn/house structure where we all live under the same roof. It’s actually a very old idea I got from visiting chateaus in the south of France. They were “U” shaped, with a courtyard in the middle, where one wing is for the people, the other wing is for the horses, and storage space in between. Perfect! While much smaller in scale (I’m not into big houses or square footage), my horses definitely got the better end of the stick on space. I have just two rooms and bathroom, but they are airy and have great light and good materials. My advice to all is spending the money on great windows!
I like being close to the barn as we are always tending to the horses from morning to night so it makes it easier. And there are great automatic flight spray systems now to keep it fly-free! This was exciting to build and I’ve completed Phase I, but I have my roadmap of the final picture. Its a work in progress like all properties, but I enjoy the process and feel a great responsibility putting something on this earth that should last and adds to the landscape, if any building can add to nature.
What inspired you to start your own freelance business? Did you originally see an opportunity within the equestrian marketplace for creative direction?
Having been a Creative Director in the fashion industry for many years, and a rider, I have always wanted to apply my experience to equestrian businesses. It seemed to me that most equestrian businesses were just getting by with what I call “documenting their product” but not BRANDING their product. They weren’t investing in what most fashion brands do: creating a unique look and point of view and carrying that out through all their channels of communication. They all want it but don’t understand the amount of work and thought that goes into creating what appears to the world as effortless and obvious. That’s what I do.
I love the challenge of getting into each project and finding the unique element that is just theirs and build the brand from there. Every decision that goes into what you put in an image or how you present your product is a communication of the brand... the face, body type of the model, the lighting, the hair and makeup, the expression, how the product is styled, is it a studio image on a white background or on location running through a field. There are a million decisions that go into every image, every page designed, the typeface used, and every word chosen. It all adds up to what a brand is.
How do you feel you can assist other equestrian related brands using your creative direction skills?
So you can imagine how excited I was to take on the rebrand of Dover Saddler. It was a great project and so much work. It definitely was harder to pull off than a basic fashion shoot, because of the horses! Dover also challenged me with insisting on using models that were riders, so everyone had to look good in front of a camera and also ride.
To get the shot where horse, rider, product, style of riding and lighting all look perfect was a challenge! To do this, you definitely need a horse person who understands in depth the intricacies of each discipline, from hunter/jumpers to eventing to dressage. Each has it nuances of which tack to use and how it fits, not to mention the trends within each discipline. I have competed in all those disciplines, not to mention started fox hunting and playing polo, so fortunately I know most of the differences.
To be authentic and taken as an authority, it all needs to be correct. And Dover definitely pays attention to all those details. Besides being a horse person, my years of presenting product helped in making the catalog more shoppable, easier to navigate and buy from. I know how people think and what they want to see. There is always the balance of art and commerce and knowing when to push one or the other. That is the craft of what I do.
There is also bigger strategic thinking that needs to go into the work. This is critical because without a long-term plan, a great idea doesn’t mean anything if it is used once. It needs to build over time, and takes several impressions for a customer to truly believe that you believe in what you are doing. And of course a brand constantly needs to evolve! Good marketing is repetition that reiterates a single message, and yet never is boring.
Final thoughts...
I feel that all my work, in design, building my farm, traveling and my life with horses contributes to what I give to every project. I have found what inspires me and believe that goes into the work, whether it’s a direct or indirect connection. To me, doing a fashion shoot is the same as designing interiors as designing riding boots--you apply the same aesthetic and thought to all. And maybe because I love it all. I look forward to more work within the horse industry, and I see people are at least starting to ask the questions. It’s an investment for them, which I completely understand, but I also see as vital to their success and growth.
When I heard from Dover that people were calling in after getting their catalog in tears, because the imagery reminded them of why they have horses in their life, then I knew we did something right. I can finally say with confidence after all these years, that yes; this approach to the work makes a difference.