Euro Brands: Ice-Watch

Posted May 01, 2014 |

Established in 2007, the Ice-Watch brand is now sold in over 85 different countries. The brand’s unique design comes in several models and colours, resulting in more than 500 different combinations.

What is the brand’s philosophy?
Timepieces are no longer purely functional but accessories that need to be adaptable to one’s lifestyle. The brand slogan “Change. You Can.” emphasises the social value of change, which is made possible by being:

Inclusive – Ice-Watch appeals to a wide demographic, covering an age range of 5 to 80;
Collectable – There are multiple pieces to suit everyone’s style, mood or activities with more than 500 models in five sizes;
Accessible – Prices start from AU$89, making an Ice-Watch purchase an impulse purchase.

How does this philosophy work in the Australian and New Zealand markets?
It translates extremely well, as the appeal of Ice-Watch is universal. We have worked closely with our retailers to build a presence across both markets, which has grown primarily due to the brand support and its performance in-store.

What are the differences between the Australian and New Zealand markets and the brand’s market of origin?
The most obvious difference would be that Belgium is Ice-Watch’s home market and, like Australians, they are very nationalistic.

Larry Porter, managing director of Ice Australasia

Ice-Watch’s international success is a great story for the Belgian economy and the brand gains much homegrown support from media and consumers. Another notable difference is that European markets by nature are more fashion-forward than Australia. We launched the brand in Australia three years after it was established in Europe, which has definitely worked in our favour.

How many stockists do you have across Australia and New Zealand?
More than 450.

How do you account for the brand’s success in Australia and New Zealand?
Firstly, is our commitment to the brand. This has been instrumental in positioning Ice-Watch in the Australian and New Zealand market and we understand our responsibility to continually drive consumer awareness and support both consumers and retailers with after-sales service. Our partnership approach with retailers is another reason; we work closely with them to ensure they are best positioned to experience success with the Ice-Watch brand. Consumers also love the fact they can purchase a European brand at an entry price under AU$100.

What is the brand’s most successful/innovative marketing campaign?
In terms of international campaigns, our most successful include music collaborations with artists such as the Black Eyed Peas, David Guetta, J.Lo and Katy Perry, which have received in excess of 500,000,000 YouTube views. Our social media campaigns have also resulted in the development of a Facebook fan base in excess of five million people.

In Australia, we were a fully-integrated watch partner of Big Day Out 2013, a sponsor of Girlfriend Model Search 2013, and earlier this year we announced a partnership with the Queensland Reds rugby franchise.

What have been some major achievements/milestones for the brand?
Selling more than 12 million pieces since launch. Others include: being ranked number one fashion watch brand in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium (GFK study); and its continued product evolution and growth within all markets.

Benefits for retailers stocking the brand?
In addition to sales performance, we provide the support and tools to maximise the brand’s in-store impact: extensive national marketing support; excellent after-sale service; myriad of Ice-Watch tools and local support to enhance the brand in-store; the brand is highly accessible and appeals to a wide demographic that can complement a retailer’s existing offering and broaden their client base; regular product releases, enabling conistent contact with one’s customers; Ice-Watch stockists have the opportunity to become an Ice-Watch destination for consumers.

How should retailers use your brand to improve their overall business?
Given we are a colour brand, we have found the most effective and best performing stores make Ice-Watch an “attraction”. This includes: brand merchandising; utilising our marketing tools and support; carrying an extensive collection to become a brand destination; and marketing the launch of new collections.

What’s next for the brand?
Ice-Watch is synonymous with colour, and in 2014 we will continue our “colour attack”. We will also launch an extensive range of new products, with an extension of the slimline Ice collection, the launch of the BMW Motorsport collection and a range of new materials and design concepts.

Favourite product from the collection?
With the Ice-Watch collection there can never just be one! Top five include: White Ice-Forever Big Big; Chrono Electrik Orange; BMW Motorsport Chrono; Ice in blue; and Ice-Style in black.