Stella Light
Danish Manufacturer of Oil Table Lights
Innovative Tabletop Player enters Germany
“Thim is doing an excellent job for me, searching the German market for potential distributors for my products. His approach to the customers is professional and diligent and his work is creating the expected result.”
Per Pedersen, co-founder and sales executive
The client is from North of Jutland in Denmark and started out on a small scale driven by a mission to provide high quality oil candles to the HoReCa sector. Through hard work and an excellent product development, the company grew successfully and is today a recognized partner in its field with distribution all over Europe.
BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
The Danish client developed the idea to produce oil candles with a reduced air pollution and more safety for the HeReCa sector. The main product are oil candles based on N-paraffine with a burn-duration of 40-50 hours.
In addition to this, another oil on vegetable basis is offered with almost similar burning hours, but even less air pollution. Besides to the obvious advantage that the air in restaurants, cafes or bars is less polluted, there is also a very practical advantage in the fact the these oil candles only need to be changed approximately once per week. Classic “tea lights” have a burning capacity of 6 hours and therewith need daily changing plus the risk of spilling wax over tables or on tablecloth. On top of this, the Danish oil candles have the paramount advantage that they just go out, if they are turned, which all in all makes them perfect for HoReCa.
After first sales successes in Scandinavia, the company turned to BDG to assess the possibilities of doing business in Germany.
APPROACH TO THE TASK
To begin with, we sat down with the client and discussed broadly the possibilities of how the oil candles could be sold in Germany. Based on this, a plan was drawn up and the decision made that the complete marketing and communication of the brand needed a face-lift. BDG developed a compelling profile for the brand and produced catalogues, a company presentation, assisted with classic marketing tools and even made beautiful pictures in a restaurant in Berlin to illustrate and contextualize the products.
Hereinafter a solid target list of potential business partners such as importers, HoReCa distributors and whole sellers were identified and shared with the client. More than 80 relevant distributers were identified and then approached in the following sales process.
A sales and lead generation process was professionally set up to assist the further entry into the German market and regular updates and personal meetings were held both in Germany and in Denmark.
GOALS & OBJECTIVE
One of the primary goals was to identify partners in Germany and then to initiate sustainable and long-term oriented business. To achieve this, the approach needed to well prepared. As a result, a tailer-made chain of arguments was defined, and impeccable information material suited for the special target group was developed in German language.
In addition to this ‘precautious’ approach method, sales in itself was an outstanding objective of the project. In order to make sure that a maximum sales results could be collected, BDG gave extensive reports and built up a close contact to the client organization.
Lastly the whole project came with a long perspective. All participants knew that getting into the German market in this area is a long running process and that persistence and continuous work was required. Both qualities that we were able to uphold for more than 3 years.
OUR SERVICES
- Definition of German target groups and research of suitable partners in Germany
- Re-design of logo, brand identity and complete look and feel
- New texts for presentations, handouts, website, email templates, price lists and much more
- Professional product photo shooting in a cool venue in Berlin – more than 50 beautiful product pictures for marketing purposes were produced in a full-day session
- Vast sales campaign with a roll out over 3 years including intense contacting via phone and email
- Accompaniment in personal meetings
- Assistance with the account management including negotiations, billing, invoices, complaints etc. of ordering parties in the German market
- Strategic support and virtual office services
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
The client company is today well established in the German market and has a fully operational business entity on the ground. The goals of the project were successfully achieved, and significant business and revenues accomplished.
