Victorinox
Working at pace to find an authentic, useful role for Victorinox in uncertain times.
The Challenge
Coronavirus changed everything. It would no longer be appropriate for Victorinox to promote an active outdoor lifestyle.
This presented them with two options: go dark or adapt.
While it may have been easier to withhold communications, it wouldn’t have been in the spirit of a brand that has weathered many storms since its founding over 130 years ago. Nor would it make for a very interesting case study.
So we helped them adapt. Quickly.
The human insight
Although people wouldn’t be exploring the world with Victorinox’s products, there were still myriad ways in which the brand could add value to customers’ changing routines and lifestyles.
A 45% increase in time spent on social media combined with a renewed interest in self-improvement presented the perfect platform for Victorinox to add real value.
But it would mean changing from a position of selling to consumers to one of serving them.
By bringing a sense of adventure to the everyday, we felt that Victorinox could enrich customers’ lives while staying true to brand principles and further developing their purpose as a brand.
The Solution
From our family to yours
More than a Coronavirus response, we devised a content strategy that would help in the present and reframe thinking in the future.
Briefing 
1 week Implementation
From our family to yours utilised the wealth of knowledge that exists within the Victorinox family to help audiences around the world stay active and entertained at home.
We use Victorinox family both literally and figuratively. Victorinox is proudly family owned, which is something we were able to demonstrate by enlisting the CEO, Carl Elsener for a one-off yoga session. Elsewhere, employees, partners and influencers provided boredom-busting online, all subtly using Victorinox products.
We were faced with a crucial decision in our overall comms strategy as the impact of COVID-19 was becoming clearer – we can’t stop communicating and remain silent. As a brand, we were typically very slow in reacting and we needed to be fast but also relevant. The pivoted campaign strategy, devised with Collective, “From our family to yours” helped anchor a new frame for our comms and resonated across the business, as we are a family owned company. It allowed us to focus our narrative over the coming weeks across some key pillars and freed our digital team to start creating relevant content through our extended network of influencers and partners, which has led to a 50% increase in our online sales.
- Ganesh Santhiram, Global Digital Lead
