Victorinox campaign redefines "preparedness" for a new generation of travelers
Victorinox’s new design concept has been rolled out at the brand’s London flagship store (seen here), in addition to other central locations such as Hong Kong’s ifc mall
Swiss lifestyle brand Victorinox is on a mission to expand its presence in Hainan and other key high-traffic locations in Asia Pacific (APAC). Regional highlights from the first half of 2024 include new airline listings on several major Chinese carriers and special promotions to mark the Year of the Dragon. Gloria Dix, Head of Global Travel Retail & Fragrance Sales at the company, said the APAC team is working hard behind the scenes to ensure main projects and prospects come to fruition.
Victorinox recently launched its “Made to be Prepared” campaign, which according to Dix is redefining preparedness for a new generation of travelers and signifies a new chapter for the brand. The focus of the campaign is category awareness and comprehensive brand messaging. Born from the Swiss Army Knife, which she called a global icon of preparedness, the campaign includes product lines, retail concepts and marketing materials and is brought to life through elevated design based on evolving consumer needs.
“We developed ‘Made to be Prepared’ by listening to our consumers and looking at how we could align everything better with their needs – be it products, campaigns or points-of-sale,” shared Dix. “Preparation has always been a core part of Victorinox’s DNA; we have leveraged on the expertise and insight we have built in consumer needs and product design together with our 140 years of industry knowledge to craft this next step.”
As explained by Dix, this holistic approach helps the company to target younger, more affluent consumers who are interested in both business and leisure travel and desire quality, premium luggage. In addition to luggage, this customer segment is showing interest in watches – a key focus area for Victorinox this year.
“With our watch collections, a refreshed design language ensures that the values we want to reflect are apparent across all our new timepieces. The innovation and functionality that the Swiss Army Knife is so well known for is characterized in our authentic signature design combined with innovative materials.
“As we set out to provide products to help our consumers be best prepared to master their time, and be best prepared for anything, we take great care to test the watches to ensure that functionality is always leading the design. Design following function ensures that we are able to find the balance between the two without compromising on style or quality. Ensuring we clearly communicate these points will provide us with a strong platform moving forward,” said Dix.
Victorinox launched its “Made to be Prepared” campaign, which according to Gloria Dix, Head of Global Travel Retail & Fragrance Sales, is redefining preparedness for a new generation of travelers and signifies a new chapter for the brand
Personalization and integration
The brand recently secured a larger booth space at TFWA Asia Pacific, which offered greater visibility and allowed the team to showcase its two core categories in travel retail: travel gear and watches. The space also enabled the team to deliver more engaging brand experiences to visitors, including an engraving station, which gave visitors the opportunity to personalize a Swiss Army Knife scale or travel gear ID tag for their luggage.
Currently, the brand is also actively exploring the integration of travel retail sets into its regional development strategy for travel gear. More to come on this soon.
The watch category is a key area focus for the brand in 2024; Victornox watches were recently listed on China Airlines
New retail design and travel gear innovation
As part of Victorinox’s evolved brand strategy, its retail design concept has been updated. The new design highlights its industrial roots using brushed steel across key fixtures and fittings. The incorporation of natural birch word also emphasizes the brand’s Swiss history and connection to nature. The design concept has been rolled out at the brand’s London flagship store, in addition to other central locations such as Hong Kong’s ifc mall. The plan is to introduce the concept at all points-of-sale – including travel retail – in the future.
“The new design brings together elements of the Victorinox lifestyle and ethos whilst creating a modern, premium and inviting space that incorporates tactile displays which allow consumers to experience product benefits – something that is key in connecting the brand with its target audience,” explained Dix.
Speaking about the brand’s strategic approach, Dix said it is prioritizing the exposure of travel gear within the channel in order to enhance the shopping experience for passengers and offer innovative and practical solutions for their journeys. With this in mind, Victorinox is working to introduce curated pop-up concepts that align with travelers’ needs.
“Whether it’s smart luggage, travel accessories or adventure gear such as backpacks, the pop-ups will showcase the best of what we have to offer. We believe that by focusing on travel retail and creating memorable shopping experiences, we can strengthen our brand presence and better serve our customers on their journeys,” added Dix.
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