Creating brand awareness

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Creating brand awareness with the lighting specialists konstsmide

After 15 years of guiding the U.K. fortunes of Konstsmide, Richard Jerrom is stepping down as M.D. and handing over the reins to Oscar Johansson. Richard will continue in his role as Financial Director, retiring in 2022.

Richard Jerrom - Finance Director with Oscar Johansson - M.D.

Following 10 years of living in London, followed by three years working with Konstsmide at their Chesterfield H.Q. Oscar is well equipped to manage the company. As the son of one of the three owners of Konstsmide, as Oscar told me “I have been involved in the business since the age of five and now have an opportunity to increase sales and most importantly brand awareness.”

Oscar sees growth through a far greater use of Social Media to further enhance recognition of the Konstsmide range and of course the company’s website. 2022 sees the company celebrating 80 years of experience and they are proud to have led many advances in lighting technology. The first company to create ‘Welcome Lights’ that now sees almost every home in Britain owning a set. Over the years Konstsmide’s Welcome Lights have seen many new designs and ideas to suit all tastes and pockets first hitting the market in 1947.

Transformers – Konstsmide were the first company to make use of transformers to run their lighting sets and finally LED’s – again the first company to create LED lighting.

First and foremost is their almost slavish commitment to quality. They have never been a company to manufacture for a specific price, always using top quality parts and components to ensure that the finished product is second to none.

Konstsmide are famous as specialists in all forms of lighting and whilst this magazine concentrates on Christmas related products, their other lighting assortment that specializes in outdoor lighting for your house and garden also enjoys a very good reputation.

Any company that has a long history such as Konstsmide (founded in 1942) and one that has never deviated from its core products must be doing something right!

Sustainability – Equally important, according to Oscar, was that the quality branded product is better made and will last longer, a thing Konstsmide pride themselves on. This, of course, will have an environmental impact as well. Instead of buying the “one year throw-away” cheap product that impacts on the environment, if carefully stored each year will most certainly last the test of time.

It has been a challenging year for all companies delivering from the Far East and Richard believes the freight companies have been taking advantage and inflating their prices. Unfortunately, he can see it going on well into 2022. Konstsmide have been delighted that despite all the problems they have managed to deliver the bulk of their products that were ordered. Continues Richard Jerrom “Customers have been most understanding, appreciating the challenges that we have faced and we look forward to introducing our new products to them at Harrogate .”

Richard fears, though, that everything they source in China is going up. Their government is far more stringent now when it comes to inspecting standards in Chinese factories and has been closing many of these down. Whilst this is encouraging from the quality angle, this has meant far fewer factories to choose from, although the Konstsmide group has a very good relationship with their suppliers and have, in the most, been cooperating with them for many years. Many other UK suppliers have the habit of changing Chinese suppliers every year in the pursuit of a cheaper price. “Not good for the end consumer” Richard mentions.

Konstsmide continue to thrive in the U.K. marketplace by constantly offering topquality product with original designs that give them a point of difference over their rivals.

Harrogate will see a brand new stand design at their normal location in Hall ‘M’ where plenty of new designs and ideas await.