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Q&A with Danish fashion accessory Brand Becksöndergaard

Q&A with Danish fashion accessory Brand Becksöndergaard

Q&A with Danish fashion accessory Brand Becksöndergaard

’Tis the season for retailers’ sales! So how do you go about servicing B2B customers during this time? We sat down with Cecilie Pram Kjølbye, Head of Marketing and Julie Asmus, PR & Marketing Coordinator for the Danish fashion accessory brand, Becksöndergaard, to hear how they creatively supervise their retailers, via their Image Bank.

Hi Julie & Cecilie, thanks for chatting with us. First of all, could you tell us a bit more about Becksöndergaard? What is your main focus within marketing, and finally in which markets do you have retailers?

Becksöndergaard Copenhagen is a Danish fashion accessory brand – specializing in scarves, bags, socks, as well as knitwear, underwear, and beachwear. We believe in designing fun, feminine and unexpected items for the empowered and the independent woman.

Working in marketing, we focus on all social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram – and with a natural approach to influencer marketing. Our primary goal is to have a strong visual identity, where our aesthetic is aligned with our brand universe throughout all our channels. In other words, we are keen on communicating our brand universe clearly through all our product categories and newsletters as well as with B2C and B2B.

We consequently try to adapt to the newest trends and furthermore inspire and guide our followers/customers/retailers. Having a strong brand awareness plus a strong brand identity enables us to have happy retailers.

Becksöndergaard has retailers in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Australia, UK, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Holland and so forth. 

 

You discovered VOCAST in 2017 and implemented the Image Bank into your marketing strategy. Has your digital presence changed in any way since the transition and how does the team run PR & marketing today?

In general, it’s easier to share our images with the press and show our brand universe. We found VOCAST to be a useful tool for sending out newsletters and press-releases, bringing awareness to our brand Becksöndergaard. The platform is also useful in discovering new media contacts, in which we might have missed or are unfamiliar with. Because we do everything in-house, the platform has been super beneficial for us. Furthermore, our digital showroom is an excellent tool for our retailers, and it makes it much easier for us to share and create content with them.

 

In the shift we see towards digital marketing; it’s often said that content drives sales. What has been your experience with that statement and do any social media platforms stick out to you?

We are mainly focusing on Instagram, and we believe this channel is vital in driving sales – especially after the new shop function has been developed.

Of course, great content creates many likes and followers, which in turn, generates more sales; making it essential to follow this strategy in building content. That’s why Instagram is one of our main focal points.

 

Christmas is just around the corner, and we’ve reached the peak of the year in retailers’ sales. What is important for Becksöndergaard at this time and how does your marketing team service the retailers you work with?

Our main focus during this time is to drive sales through social media continuously. So, we interact more with our followers by creating competitions, Xmas calendars, etc. We do all this to bring more awareness to our products and new items that will drop – just in time before the holidays! During this season we always amp up our activity, in hopes of generating more traffic and sales for our customers/retailers.

And when we have a photo shoot, a member of our team goes around taking behind-the-scene photos. These images are to be pushed out on our Instagram and also available for our retailers to use freely on Instagram. 

 

It seems that finding and harnessing a marketing service for retailers extends Becksöndergaard’s social media presence and exposure. What has the feedback been from your retailers, since implementing this strategy?

Positive. Our retailers often go to our digital showroom and select photos they need and even choose images we have not utilized. In general, our retailers are good at reposting on social media, hence adding more value. So, overall we feel that it is a positive experience.

 

Lastly, could you share one piece of advice for brands who have yet to establish a marketing strategy with their retailers in mind?

First of all, make sure your content is solid and that it shows your brand identity/universe as you want it to be seen – your channels and content have to be aligned with your vision.

When searching in a digital showroom or through your social media channels, your images should be simple to download, easy to navigate and searchable. 

Be consistent with your email marketing campaigns. As for creating reminders/newsletters/press releases in order to bring awareness and try to differentiate your send-outs — so they don’t look the same every time. 

 

Take a look at the video to get a glimpse into Becksöndergaard’s Image bank:

 

 

Your image bank, or as we like to call it, your digital showroom is a place for editors, influencers, buyers and your retailers to access your assets on the go. With the power to make or break your brand, these are the people you want to impress. So why not give them a visual experience that tells a story about your brand, just as you would in your physical showroom? Want to learn more about the VOCAST Digital Showroom. Click here.

Elisabeth is the Norwegian Market Coordinator at VOCAST. She has a BA in Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which she put to the test by running her own fashion brand in Norway. When she’s not at VOCAST multitasking between content making, research and the Norwegian market, Elisabeth is a photographer and is currently exploring her newfound passion for making ceramics.

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Global Influencers on Instagram

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Global Influencers on Instagram

Accessing the world is easier than ever, but navigating it has proven to be trickier. When one single person can be the key to unlocking a specific target group, how do you identify them? Here is why you should aim global with influencers.

Instagram: The ultimate social media marketing channel

Influencer marketing increased in Google searches by 325 percent over the course of 2017, according to a study from Influencer Marketing Hub. In the same year, Instagram had 12.9 million sponsored posts – a number expected to double by the end of 2018. Instagram is seeing the most partnership activity of any social media platform, therefore, it is important to segment passionate influencers who can create engaging content that doesn’t look like paid advertising.

 

What type of influencer marketing works best?

Simply paying an influencer a large amount of money to smile and pose with your product isn’t the best way to work strategically with influencers. Companies that truly reap the rewards of influencer marketing are carefully picking global influencers who are passionate about their products or are leading figures in a niche closely related to what the company offers.

Think about it this way: As a consumer it’s easier to trust another person compared to a brand.

So, build a relationship with the influencer over a period of time to gain trust within your target audience. Influencers who show characteristics of credibility within their niche turn over the best results from partnerships. However, this does not mean that your brand should confine itself to a certain demographic or nationality when picking an influencer to work with. After all, one of the key benefits about Instagram is its global presence and its ability to connect you with brand ambassadors from all over the world.

 

Why should you make use of global influencers on Instagram? 

We can’t emphasize enough that by working with a global influencer that has an international reach, you have the ability to impact more than just one market, and access to a reach that is larger than that of traditional media. So remember, when putting your name out there don’t confine your brand to geographical boundaries. Instead, keep an open mind and make use of all the influential people out there whose Instagram profiles have the power to effect every corner of the world. 

Who knows? Maybe there’s a Global Influencer who holds the key to unlocking a new market for you. Who are they? Below see our slideshow of our 10 hand-picked favorite Global Influencers on Instagram: 

@babba.c

@babba.c is account of the Swedish native Babba Canales, who can be found on Instagram looking effortlessly chic in the concrete jungle of her new home – New York City. Babba is not only a fashion influencer, though, as she is also the founder of her marketing agency By.Babba and co-founder of her USA – a global network for women’s empowerment.

@Lifeofboheme

@Lifeofboheme by Marta Cygan has a geographically diverse, yet niched Instagram profile for fashion lovers. The Polish Parisienne is currently based in Los Angeles, but is sure to make an appearance at every major event during fashion month.

@katie.one

@Katie.one is the Instagram account of Ketevan Giorgadze, a Georgian born photographer and traveler at heart. Ketevan’s feed is full of creative content from beautiful locations, such as the gardens of Sicily or the streets of Tokyo.

@Chiaraferragni

@Chiaraferragni, a.k.a the Blonde Salad, is one of the biggest global fashion influencers and business women on the planet. Chiara’s style is worldly known and admired by fashion lovers across the globe, with 15 million followers on Instagram alone.

@jimsandkittys

@Jimsandkittys is the blog and Instagram account of traveler couple Lisa-Marie and Tim. The couple can be found traveling the world, or based in one of their locations including Milan, Miami and Munich.

@natalyosman

@Natalyosman by Nataly Osman, is the creator of the famous #FollowMeTo-movement. She and her husband travel the world to shoot glamorous pictures filling her feed with breathtaking views. She is, therefore, the perfect influencer for those looking to reach a new level of brand exposure, as we are pretty sure there is no place she hasn’t been to yet.

@thefashionmedley

@thefashionmedley is the lawyer turned blogger turned fashion influencer, Elif Filyos. Born in Turkey, Elif now lives in Montreal where she pursues her love for photography, illustration and fine arts as well as sharing her personal style on Instagram.

@carodaur

@carodaur is no rookie in the fashion scene, having worked with many high end designers. Caroline Daur has also been featured in many renowned magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, you name it!

@anisasojka

@anisasojka is a true cosmopolitan, with roots in Morocco and the Czech Republic. She now lives in London where she pursues her huge passion for travel, culture and fashion.

@tinotisr

@tinotisr or Key of Two, as she is known in the bloggosphere, is the Instagram account of Spanish native Tina Rodriguez-Araque. Together with her boyfriend, she creates compelling visual content from all of her excursions.

Is direct marketing your method of contacting influencers?  

Now, you may be asking yourself how you can effectively contact these global influencers? Here at VOCAST, we consider ourselves as email providers. We curate email lists in segmented target groups within the Fashion and Home Interior sectors. Our lists are filled with the contact information of top tier global influencers. By subscribing to our email lists, your brand will have access to an assortment of GDPR-approved contacts. Head over to the VOCAST Influencer Network to learn more.

 

 

 

 

VOCAST - the Brand Sharing Platform
Our curators are experts in identifying relevant influencers and building email lists of important contacts for our fashion and home/interior brands.This blog post was a collaborative post written by our curators: Linnea Litsberger  (Swedish market), Agnes Antczak (International market), and Marina van Dieren (Dutch market). Want to learn more about VOCAST Influencer Network ?  Read here.

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The first step into Finland

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The first step into Finland

Saunas, beautiful landscapes and winter sports all spring to mind when thinking of Finland. But where to begin when it comes to entering the Finnish market? Let us help you ease into the country with the following insights:

 

Cultural Behavior in Finland

  • Finland is a bilingual country, therefore don’t be surprised if you encounter Swedish media outlets.
  • Finns are generally a fairly relaxed and easygoing people. Use a person’s full name upon a first encounter and for a bonus character enhancer, so why not throw in their title. In more informal situations, it’s common to stick to a first-name basis.
  • Words are highly valued and thoughtfully chosen in Finland, hence why silence is a natural part of their communication, and not to be interpreted as awkwardness. As the Finnish proverb says: “Take a man by his words and a bull by its horns.” So add meaning to your words, and skip the small talk.
  • In Finland, you will quickly find that gender equality is the norm, where the word hän in third person singular refers to both genders.

Navigate Finland’s media landscape

https://vimeo.com/281612272

Statista.com provides the statistics on social media daily usage in Finland. The Social Media ranking goes by Facebook as number one, followed by Whats App, Instagram and then SnapChat. 

 

Design and Architecture: a Finnish aesthetic

Design and functionality are crucial to the Finnish way of living. The ode to craftsmanship, as well as a strong heritage in design are ever-present in all details within the country’s infrastructure. Whether its Alvar Alto’s cutlery, Marimekko’s textiles or Artek’s furniture, there is big emphasis on functionality and beautiful craftsmanship. This sentiment extends to public transport, city planning, architecture and industrial design. 

See below for our favorite Finnish home interior bloggers, handpicked to give you a sneak-peek into the uniquely Finnish way of living.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

FUN FACTS ABOUT FINLAND:

  • Voted as the happiest nations in the world 2018, by the World Happiness Report.
  • The Finns love their sports.The ice hockey player, Teemu Selänne or the Formula1 driver Kimi Räikkönen will make great conversation openers.
  • The country is home to a large fanbase for Heavy Metal and Hard Rock and see’s the Air Guitar World Championship each year in Northern Finland.
  • The game Angry Birds was invented in Finland. The country has a strong and innovative game developing industry.

 

 

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How to cycle the Dutch media landscape

How to cycle the Dutch media landscape

How to cycle the Dutch media landscape

Welcome to the Netherlands, a country known for their wooden shoes, chocolate sprinkles on toast for breakfast, biking culture and legislations around drug usage. The Dutch may have somewhat of a wild stereotype, but when it comes to doing business, the Dutchies are totally down to earth. We have compiled a few facts on Dutch culture and their media landscape for you below.

 

Here are some Dutch insights:

  • The Netherlands is a vibrant and multi-faceted, yet small country of around 17 million people. The same can be said for their media landscape; a small scene with a broad covering of topics in media. When it comes to fashion, they have a total of 20 publications; the perfect balance of diversity and close relationships, because in Dutch fashion everybody knows everybody.
  • The Dutch are known to be straightforward. Cut to the chase, ask a Dutch person anything and you’re sure to get the answer. Don’t interpret it as rude, but as their candid and honest way of communicating. Therefore in the Netherlands it is quite easy to find out the status of your business relationship, and by saying what you really mean will generally be rewarded.
  • Next to being straightforward, the Dutch are also very pragmatic. It rains a lot and the Dutch literally do everything by bike. Think: bringing three kids to school, doing groceries, moving house, but also attending fashion week! It’s safe to say they are a pretty practical people. Minimizing the fluff and maximizing practicality are key, so when you convince the Dutch they really need something, you are in!
  • Let’s talk international! They are a small country and don’t want that to define them. Dutchies love to be a part of something bigger. They also have a soft spot for the Scandinavian aesthetic and as we mentioned earlier, the Dutch can be very practical, so therefore sometimes miss out on pretty things. That’s where they envy the Scandinavians.

 

 

Five top Dutch fashion bloggers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Popular social media channels in the Netherlands:

 

 1. Whatsapp: 11,9 million users. WhatsApp is the platform used the most on a daily basis. (1)

 2. Facebook: 10,1 million users. (2) Facebook is still a big platform, despite the shift in age. Young people (age 15-19) are leaving the platform and transitioning to Instagram.

3. Youtube: 8,7 million users. This number had grown by around 720,000 compared to 2018, an increase of nine percent. (3)

4. Instagram: 4,9 million users. As of 2019, roughly 2.7 million individuals in the Netherlands used Instagram every day. (4)

 5. Linkedin: 4,6 million users. (5)

 

 

Dutch geographical and historical facts:

 

The Netherlands is made up of 12 provinces. The region of Holland, which consists of the provinces North-Holland and South-Holland, has always been the most important region in the country. It was where the Dutch East India Company was founded and it was where all the major ports and centers of commerce were. So when the Netherlands were established in 1584, foreigners were still dealing with Holland most of the time. That’s why Holland became synonymous for the whole country, much to the chagrin of other provinces. The region where Amsterdam is located is called Noord-Holland (North Holland), and Rotterdam is located in Zuid-Holland (South Holland).

 

Marina is the Dutch Curator at VOCAST. After finishing her BA Fashion Design in the Netherland she moved to Denmark to work with different designers and there she joined the VOCAST team. Currently Marina is based in Amsterdam, where she is working on various design projects and keeping a close eye on what is happening in the Dutch media landscape.

 

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The right way to enter the French market

The right way to enter the French market

The right way to enter the French market

Planning a trip to France? Here are my top tips to help you navigate your way into the French market:

 

  • When you greet someone in a business environment, offer a handshake and a friendly, ‘bonjour’. No need to worry about ‘la bise’. The ‘air kiss’ is a very common, yet informal greeting that will not be expected in a business environment, unless a friendship has already been established.
  • If speaking French, mind your ‘tu’ and ‘vous’ (the informal and formal variations of the word, ‘you’), you might end up insulting someone if you don’t choose the correct ‘you’. French organizations are also quite hierarchical, where professional ranks are observed and respected. Stick to ‘vous’ unless the person says otherwise.
  • Arrogant or very formal? The French have a highly formal approach to most things within a business environment, from emails, dress code and even when it comes to addressing people. If you are unsure, use ‘madame’ (never mademoiselle) for women and ‘monsieur’ for men. Otherwise, address the person using their last name and title until invited to use their first name.
  • When it comes to smalltalk, your culture’s openers might be offensive to the french; ‘are you married? Do you have kids? What does your husband do?’ The french hold a respect for privacy and personal space in high regard.
  • Expect your business lunch to last a couple of hours (and yes, it’s pretty normal to have a glass of wine)! Good food and company is fundamental in french culture and lunches are not to be eaten at one’s desk.

 

Don’t miss the video of our former British and French researcher, Chloe, below for some more tips when it comes to the French business environment:

https://vimeo.com/281612320

A note on social media in France:

Generally, France’s social media usage follows a similar trend to that of the UK for example, with Facebook at the forefront in terms of popularity, followed by Youtube, Instagram and Twitter. However, it is worth noting that in France, Youtube has an exceptional amount of active users, with magazines, newspapers and brands starting to share via this platform, therefore having a significant influence on french online users. Instagram is increasingly popular, so would be a great platform to prioritise.

 

British/American and self-proclaimed, francophile, Phoebe Brewster is the British and French fashion and design curator. From San Francisco, to Frankfurt, London and Paris, Phoebe decided to find a new home in the beautiful Copenhagen, where she is exploring her passion for modern communication in fashion & design, sustainable living and being outdoors.

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