Jonathan crocker, accurist

Accurist launches international expansion trial

Accurist is trialling a number of international distribution deals following a successful year of marketing the brand in 2013.

Following conversations with distributors and retailers in China, Japan, Korea and Europe, Accurist CEO Jonathan Crocker has offered a number of trial packages consisting of ‘carefully selected’ product ranges, locations and time frames to gauge customer reaction to Accurist watches abroad.

He said: “Our brand reboot/relaunch last year saw an unprecedented amount of PR and editorial. We featured extensively in the lifestyle and fashion magazines throughout the year, and most rewarding of all it was on the merits of our wristwatches, testimony to their design that really surprised the editorial teams that I met when I presented them in the context of our new brand identity.

“This PR inevitably has led to an increased awareness, not just in the UK but also in foreign markets. This was always part of the plan, in that as a British Heritage brand, properly positioned and supported is very attractive to international buyers, particularly following the amount of interest that the UK has been generating in the last two to three year.”

The first packages shipped to partners in Korea, the Philippines and Romania in the last fortnight with more to follow and represent what Crocker describes as a “major opportunity for Accurist”.

“There is no magic formula for international expansion, in my experience it is about taking one step at a time, proof of concept, local adaptation and then looking at what can be replicated to suit the needs of the brand and the market being developed.” Crocker added.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *