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SERT plans to demonstrate the power of its new House of SERT business model by applying it within one of Europe’s most competitive tackle markets.
The French supplier has re-shaped and modernised its carp brand, PROWESS, in order to steal market share from established players and, crucially, to keep new customers loyal for longer.
PROWESS has struggled for visibility in recent years, but that is set to change with a fresh logo, new packaging and, above all, the adoption of SERT’s new group-wide approach to sales and marketing. The strategy aims to make it easier for anglers to find products that match their skill level and ambition, while helping retailers guide them to the right choice.
“It’s about making it easier for anglers to find the products that suit their capabilities,” explains SERT Product & Marketing Director Thibault Longis, describing the system that divides products into three performance levels supported by clear visual guidance. “Once a carp angler becomes a PROWESS customer, we want him to be confident that he can always make the right choice when it comes to what to buy next. There will be no need to go anywhere else.”
That philosophy underpins the House of SERT approach now being rolled out across the group’s multi-brand portfolio. For PROWESS, it comes with an extra dose of ambition – to give the once-understated carp label a clear, credible place in the modern market while also making up for lost time. To achieve that, SERT turned to Julien Blot, whose experience includes retail management at the Pacific Pêche chain of stores and a sales role with carp brand Korda in northern France.
“My background in retail has taught me a lot about what anglers really look for,” says Julien. “Performance and reliability matter, but anglers also want gear they can trust – products that show real thought about how we actually fish, not just items designed to fill a catalogue. They appreciate consistency within a range: equipment that makes sense together and is easy to use as a system. That’s what we’re building with PROWESS – technical yet accessible products, designed for real-life fishing, not just the shop display.”
For Julien, success also depends on making retailers’ lives easier. “When a brand offers a coherent, easy-to-understand range, I know from experience that it makes the salesperson’s job much easier,” he explains. “Retailers need products that are clearly positioned, with benefits that are simple to explain at the point of sale. And they sell best when they have confidence in the brand – in its quality, consistency and after-sales service. That confidence naturally passes on to the angler.”
Asked what was holding PROWESS back in the past, Julien is frank: “The brand had some good products, but it lacked consistency and modernity. It didn’t speak clearly enough to today’s carp anglers. Our job now is to bring back clarity, meaning and confidence – to make anglers want to be part of PROWESS again.”
A major part of that renewal is the new branding, which Julien says was designed to work across borders as well as across price points. “The goal was to modernise PROWESS and give it a strong, coherent identity that speaks to anglers in France and across Europe. The old image no longer reflected the quality or vision of the brand. We wanted something cleaner, more current and universal, while keeping PROWESS’s carp DNA. It’s about building a solid foundation that can expand naturally into other markets without losing authenticity.”
At the heart of the new structure are three tiers of products: INITIA, EQUA and SUMMA. “The difference between them is all about performance, finish and budget,” says Julien. “INITIA is the entry-level range – reliable, simple and affordable, perfect for beginners or anglers who want effective gear without overspending. EQUA is mid-range, offering better quality and more features for regular anglers. SUMMA is the high-end, using top technology and refined finishes at a fair price. This makes it easy for every angler to choose what fits their needs and to progress within PROWESS as their skills grow.”
Clarity extends beyond the products themselves. “We’re using consistent names and colour codes, simple descriptions and a clear position for each product,” adds Julien. “Whether anglers shop in stores, online or through a catalogue, they should immediately understand where each product sits and how it fits into their fishing.”
Retailers in France have already had their first look at the new PROWESS through SERT’s latest catalogue, which showcases the updated design. “The new identity was completed earlier this year,” says Julien. “Our French and European partners now have access to the full branding and new products, and some have even visited our new facilities with a dedicated carp showroom in PROWESS colours. We want retailers to see, touch and understand the range in its new environment.”
The brand will continue its rollout through the 2026 catalogue and at major trade shows, including the Montluçon carp show. Feedback from early retail partners has been encouraging. “They appreciate the clarity, consistency and structure of the new identity,” says Blot. “It builds trust and strengthens PROWESS’s appeal.”
While SERT is not revealing numerical targets, Julien confirms the ambitions are significant. “We have clear goals, but we prefer to express them in terms of growth and progress rather than specific numbers,” he concludes. “We’re focused on strengthening our presence with retailers, increasing visibility and reaching new customers across Europe. The real aim is to make PROWESS a natural reference in carp fishing again.”
