This has already been seen in the past but it is interesting to note that two brands have very recently requested their respective communities to involve them in a process of launching a future model: Furlan Marri and Nivada Grenchen. The latter thus sent an email in February to offer to vote on what will be the next model to be launched by the brand. And to encourage participation, a person will be drawn to win a Super Antarctic 3.6.9 watch. About twenty other people will be chosen to win more modest lots. The voting process takes only one minute, consisting in choosing between 5 very precise models and whose design is well advanced. It is also requested to select the factors that we value the most in the choice of a watch as well as our favorite diameters. Nivada Grenchen thus collects data that goes beyond the next model to fuel reflection on its future strategic orientations. Note several questions about the opportunity to launch a collection dedicated to women. Through these questions, I felt the questions that many brands have on this subject. The potential of female customers is important but should it be sent with specific watches or count on a unisex style? Personally, I tend to think that on the European market at least, mixed watches are a much better vector than purely feminine watches except to treat these in a creative and original way by avoiding the “girly” approach very often reductive.
The 5 watches offered by Nivada Grenchen:
Furlan Marri invites for its part to associate the community with the development of a future model thanks to its “community design Lab”. This development will include several stages and the community will be involved in each of these stages. And as with Nivada Grenchen, participants will be selected to win prizes. At this stage, it is a question of clearing and the questions relate to the diameters, the forms of the boxes, the types of horn, the materials, the complications, the types of watch, the styles of the indexes, the colors of the dials, the bracelets, the movements in order to give the first indications to the brand. I imagine that thereafter the questions will be more precise, the participants positioning themselves on more concrete orientations.
One of the questions of the first stage of the Community Design Lab de Furlan Marri focuses on the forms of housing:
Anyway, I appreciated that these two brands proposed these approaches. This allows you to create a link with not only your customers but also with a wider audience since it is not necessary to be the owner of a watch to participate. Participants are valued and this strengthens direct communication between brands and their customers and prospects. Afterwards, these processes are not easy to manage because the community must end up in the final model. The danger with a voting process is to lead to a kind of “synthetic” or “consensus” watch. However, it is necessary to avoid such a watch nowadays but on the contrary to propose a committed project which arouses emotion. Not easy when it is requesting votes. And then we must never forget on the part of the brands when they analyze the votes that at the customer there is a gap between a choice which engages in no pecunier point of view and the one who leads to insert his credit card. But precisely, because of the knowledge of their customers and their mastery of social networks and direct communication actions, Nivada Grenchen and Furlan Marri are in good position to avoid these traps. Some major brands, especially housed in groups, cannot say the same and they will avoid embarking on such steps. This is also why we appreciate the “small” marks because they constantly maintain proximity to their customers and not only during the act of purchasing a watch.
