Share
Thibault Longis, the Product & Marketing Director of SERT, is sitting in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza in Weihai, China and talking passionately about a brand strategy that has been a year in the making.
The House of SERT is a plan to transform the revenues of the French-based tackle supplier, and Longis (right) is preparing for its roll-out this Autumn. Yes, there is a new logo and a new showroom, but at its heart, the House of SERT is a realignment of the company’s catalogue of brands, together with a plan to add more.
SERT, says Longis, wants to help distributors make smarter choices and help retailers match products to their customers’ needs with more confidence.
“It‘s been a true team effort, led by our Managing Director, Jerome Mio, and supported by everyone from our product managers to our logistics teams. We are preparing SERT for the future,” he tells Angling International.
It is a future, he says, where the most successful tackle businesses have portfolios of brands across different sectors and a wide range of price-points to suit as many anglers as possible.
Thanks to an 80-year history that has seen it add brands for carp, predator, sea fishing, pole fishing and more, SERT was already well placed for a multi-brand future. But what the House of SERT brings, says Longis, is extra clarity. Distributors and retailers will know exactly what SERT brands to stock, and why.
SERT‘s brands will now be organised into three levels, beginning with SRT on the ‘ground floor’. SERT’s entry level brand is designed to attract first-time buyers with affordable prices and educational packages. It is also the first example of the new clarity Longis and the SERT team will be bringing to the market. “SRT is the new name for what retailers knew as the SERT brand. But we want clear distinction between our brands and the company name. Put simply, when retailers want a brand for first-time buyers, they should now ask for SRT.”
On the ‘first floor’ are SERT’s specialist own brands. Precise, technical and focused, their development will be at the heart of the company’s strategy to attract new distributors and retailers. They include Sakura for predator fishing, Garbolino for pole fishing, the sea fishing brand Sunset, Prowess for carp, JMC for fly fishing and the Hydrox waders brand. “These are brands for enthusiasts and for new B2B customers,” says Longis proudly. “They will be well served with technique-specific products and digital media.”
And on the top floor? High-end global brands that SERT distributes in France and elsewhere. Think of it as the penthouse suite at the House of SERT.
Backed by its parent company, the Rivolier Group, which is a major player in the defence and security industries as well as the outdoor market, the SERT management team has been given the mission to seek out and add ‘cutting-edge’ brands from around the world. They will be added as opportunities arise, although Longis is quick to point out, in a way that complements SERT’s own brands. “They will always be our priority,” he says.
Within the brands, products will be arranged by price and features to better help retailers match them to the needs of their customers. “And did you also notice the new logo?” asks Longis. “Three bands to represent the three levels – SRT, the sector brands and the high-end international brands.”
Nothing, it seems, has been left to chance at the House of SERT. And with good reason, Longis explains. The Rivolier Group is backing the managers of its angling business but it is also expecting results. SERT’s export business will be required to grow from 30% of total company turnover to 45%.
From its base in Bordeaux in south-west France, SERT has cast its net to cover much of southern Europe and the Mediterranean. “We will be looking to strengthen in northern and eastern Europe now,” confirms Longis, although global expansion is also an ambition.
And with that, Longis is gone, into another meeting. Supplier or new customer? It’s not immediately obvious, although there’s no doubt this has been a significant trip for Longis and his colleagues. The development of the House of SERT may have been concluded but, clearly, the real work is only just beginning.
