Export is essential for the brand’s growth strategy. The United States and Australasia have become key expansion territories. The brand derives about a quarter of its business from the military around the world, with the United States leading the way. Having entered the United States in 2008, the English say they have learned a lot from this market; and have since opened stores in Melbourne, Hong Kong and, most recently, Shanghai. However, it was not all smooth sailing. After the Shanghai launch last year, the market suffered due to a return to Covid restrictions. However, Bremont acknowledges that a huge demand for luxury watches still comes from China.
Thinking strategically about how Bremont conquered the United States, English says research and focus are key to success when entering new territories and cautioned against treating markets like the United States as a monolith. “America is not a country…every state is a country. What they want on the east coast or the west coast or in Texas is very different from what they want in the Midwest. As they continue to expand, brands need to focus on understanding these nuances, he says, adding, “Don’t rush.”
“America is not a country…every state is a country. What they want on the east coast or the west coast or in Texas is very different from what they want in the Midwest.
– Nick English, co-founder, Bremont.
In the second episode, Couttigane continues the series in conversation with Lennard Hoornik, Commercial Director of Jaguar Land Rover, exploring luxury growth strategies from the perspective of a car manufacturer. Hoornik begins by saying that the key to their success is the timeless designs the band creates in England, which are also “emotionally engaging”. The brands’ relationship with culture has also contributed to increasing their notoriety abroad. “We were the first car to be shown at the Louvre, for example,” he says, alluding to the 1970s Range Rover on display there.
Craftsmanship is at the heart of the group’s values, but Hoornik explains that technology plays an important role in this regard. While for most luxury brands craftsmanship represents notions of craftsmanship, for Jaguar Land Rover the innovations that technology enables are key to staying ahead of the competition and improving vehicle design. Hoornik also talks about stewardship and sustaining skills for the next generation, outlining graduate programs and training programs that aim to develop 29,000 people over the next three years. “We look around and [the automobile industry] is full of Formula 1 teams, it’s full of other car manufacturers and there’s a very high knowledge and a very high desire to really bring new technologies into the world of mobility and we’re capturing that desire,” says -he.
