Exclusive: Svendsen Sport is priming its sales team for launch of Savage Gear and Prologic reels

Angling International has learned that Svendsen Sport is planning a dramatic and immediate entry into the reels market with its two most powerful brands, Savage Gear and Prologic, in what it says is the ‘biggest single project’ in its history.

The sheer speed and scale of the planned launch is likely to send shockwaves through the sector. In the first wave there will be a total 52 reels introduced under the Savage Gear predator brand (main image) and a further 23 carp reels from Prologic (below). Svendsen is priming its sales teams right now and asking them to prepare for first deliveries into retailers as early as September. Yet more reels will be launched in January 2022.

The seriousness of the move is underlined by Svendsen’s heavy investment in its own tooling, meaning that all parts of all reels in the new ranges have been designed and manufactured according to Svendsen’s own specifications.

In a move designed to create a seismic shock in the trade and ensure the ground shifts noticeably under the market leaders in the reels sector, Svendsen is backing up the launch with a far-reaching and ‘industry leading’ marketing campaign led by a former marketing executive from Ferrari and Maserati.

Angling International understands its promotional campaign is the most detailed marketing plan Svendsen Sport has even executed. At its heart will be a focus on an ‘impossible to copy’ special feature inside all the new reels – a specially developed lubricant called DuraGrease that is said to outperform all comparable products and ensure the new Savage Gear and Prologic reels function perfectly in even the coldest conditions.

Angling International has spoken exclusively to Svendsen Sport’s Director of Product, Purchase and Marketing,Thomas Sanotra, who confirmed the extend of the company’s ambitions in the sector, saying: “We’re entering the reels market with the full force of our two most powerful brands, and we’re doing it right now.”

Sanotra added: “This is a big, bold and decisive move. The kind of move we’re famous for, and we expect it to cause an immediate and dramatic shift in the sector. It is the biggest single project in our history. Our customers – and our competitors – know that Svendsen Sport has the capabilities to produce, deliver, market and sell innovative new tackle, and they can expect us to bring all our strength to bear in the reels market, and from day one. We have the product knowledge to shake up the market and, thanks to our Preferred Partner scheme for retailers, the ability to help our trade customers maximise sales in store.

“Of course, our retail partners also know to expect good margins on our products. We think it will be a refreshing change to a reels market which has, in recent years, been dominated by a handful of larger players squeezing dealer margins to a minimum. We have everything in place to ensure reels from Savage Gear and Prologic rocket out of the shops, and deliver money into the pockets of retailers.”

Sanotra added that there has been no better time for Svendsen to enter the reels sector. “The market has been standing still for years and at Svendsen we have a reputation for shaking things up. We changed the lure and rods sectors and believe we can do the same with reels. This is the right time for our two biggest brands to have their own reels. They have big and loyal fan bases that want a full range of tackle from their favourite brands. It is a huge step, but a logical one. We know it’s right.”

Under its Head of Product Development, Robert Valkeneer, the Svendsen design team has created a range of reels offering cool features at affordable prices. But it is DuraGrease that is the game-changer. Adds Sanotra: “That’s the stand-out. The inconsistency of grease when it gets cold has been a well-known problem for decades. But we have invested heavily – in time and money – to create a new grease with an operational window of between -30°C and 160°C. It is a major improvement in performance. DuraGrease has lifted reels to a new level and only we have it.”

Valkeneer adds that extensive testing has been the key. “Testing took place all over the world and in all sorts of conditions. We had dozens of pros testing these reels to their absolute limits, hour after hour, day after day, week after week.”

The huge Europe-wide marketing campaign for the reels will be headed up by Theis Gronemann, a keen angler who joined Svendsen from the automotive industry in November. Using techniques developed promoting high-end car brands, Gronemann has created a four-phase campaign that ‘starts big and builds from there’. Says Sanotra: “With Theis on the team we have been able to develop our already formidable marketing strategies, in particular how we use our pro-staff. He is helping us take marketing in our industry to a whole new level.”

Sanotra continued: “We intend to grab the attention of consumers right from the outset but then keep the momentum building. That is the key. Too often, campaigns start big but then disappear. That won’t be the case with our reels. We will start the buzz, create awareness, tell the story of the reels in full and keep pushing locally for months in order to keep the reels flying out of the shops.”

The powerful marketing effort extends to delivering huge impact in-store too. Says Sanotra: “There will be no ignoring the new Savage Gear and Prologic reels in the shops. Under the leadership of International Trade Marketing Manager Ken Bloch-Frederiksen, we have developed an array of eye-catching and strongly branded displays, pop-ups and posters. The Display Delux, in particular, gives retailers complete flexibility to showcase the reels in their stores. They are functional and high impact.”

Sanotra added: “I am extremely happy that we now have full control of the supply chain across all our product lines. Reels has been a category we have been hoping to develop further for years, and with full control over the supply chain we will now give reels the true Svendsen treatment that retailers know and trust. This will be a new industry standard for developing, marketing and selling fishing reels. And it starts within weeks!”