There is a good tradition to sum up the results and set new goals at the end of the year.This helps to check the correctness of the chosen strategy and, if necessary, adjust the planned. Let's talk about the results of the outgoing year and about plans for the future with a representative of a company that, despite global economic fluctuations, is steadily increasing its turnover.A word to Neophyte Vasilev, Director of International Sales of the s.Oliver brand.

– Neophyte, please tell us how successful 2017 was for the company as a whole?

We haven't summed up the final results yet, this will be done at the beginning of next year, but according to preliminary results, we see an increase of 23% compared to 2016. The company made a bet on the development of omnichannel sales, and our calculation fully justified itself. The use of modern technologies allows us to be closer to the end user, and we see many advantages and more opportunities for development in this.

At our meeting a year ago, we learned about your plans to devote 2017 to expanding your presence in the Russian market, to make a film and continue cooperation with Robin Schultz. Which of these did you manage to implement?

– In short, that's it. Russian buyers liked our new reformatted urban brand Q/S designed by, created in the style of authentic modern casual for young and progressive urban dwellers and entered the Russian market this year. We have laid the foundation of the brand's philosophy on collaborations with popular personalities who will be its ambassadors. This is one of the most modern trends around the world, and it is also well supported in Russia. This was especially evident at the concert of the world-famous DJ Robin Schultz, which we organized at the end of April in cooperation with our online partner Lamoda.ru . The event took place in Moscow and was aimed at supporting the first capsule collection created jointly with Robin. And on April 22, about 2,500 guests gathered at the Moscow Gipsy club for the presentation of the debut collection Q/S designed by Robin Schulz. In addition to the VIPs who usually gather for such parties, there were our largest trading partners, brand fans and representatives of various media. This marketing campaign significantly increased brand awareness and, as a result, led to an increase in sales.

In March 2017 , the film Robin Schulz &ndash was presented in Germany; ​The Movie. The film describes the incredible career of Robin Schultz as a DJ and producer who completely changed the world of club pop music and very quickly became a world-class star. The Q/S designed by team helped him realize another dream of creating his own fashion collection.

– The Q/S designed by brand faced serious challenges in 2017. Did the calculations come true?

To tell the truth, even more than expected. During the year we have been actively working, and it has brought positive results. Everything that was planned was completed in excess. We will be able to find out the final figures only at the beginning of the first quarter of next year and then we will see how much reality has exceeded our expectations. This year, the Q/S designed by online store was launched. The company did not announce in advance the date of its opening, as there was no full confidence that we would have time to do it in due time. But everything turned out well, and now the project has very good performance indicators. Summing up the results of the year, we understand that the chosen strategy turned out to be correct, and now we will strengthen the positions achieved.

How are your brand portfolio prioritized today? Which one of them do you place a special bet on?

– Globally, priorities do not change. Each brand has its own objectives and target audience. But our plans are to strengthen our position in the segment of clothing for special occasions, so attention will be focused on the premium sub-brand s.Oliver BLACK LABEL.

Which of your brands are popular with Russians and how similar are their preferences to those of consumers in other countries?

Modern technologies have led our world to the fact that physical boundaries are being erased, as it were. If earlier we could talk about some regional preferences, today they are rather global. Of all the brands collected in our portfolio, Russian consumers, along with buyers from other countries, prefer the s.Oliver BLACK LABEL brand. Probably, the reason for this lies in the fact that most of our Russian customers are focused on elegant, stylish, high-quality products.

– Because of annoying advertising, people often lose confidence in the brand or products. How do you build your marketing policy so as not to scare off a potential buyer?

– We try to treat potential buyers carefully and not annoy their attention with aggressive advertising. The main task of S.Oliver is to build trusting relationships with customers. Our goal is to convey a certain conceptual story to our audience. All modern information channels are used for this purpose. And, judging by the sales results, we manage to gain the trust of customers.

– How actively do you promote your products through social networks? Tell us about the specifics of your work with them. What business tasks do they solve?

– We are very active in social networks. This is one of the main directions of S.Oliver's marketing strategy and an effective marketing tool that helps to reach new target groups, increase brand awareness and maintain a sustainable image building. With each message, we inspire our customers and initiate the purchase process, thus linking brand communications with the effectiveness of the campaign. It is easy to transmit advertising messages designed for a short period of time through social networks. The combination of social media, e-commerce and stores is the main vector for development in the multi-channel direction.

– What tasks does the company set for 2018?

The main strategic goal of the company is to grow and develop in the global market. Based on our experience gained during the development of the French market, today we are focused on the markets of Russia and Eastern Europe. Our marketing strategy includes the development of cooperation with Russian online stores. And in light of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Russia, we have planned interesting promotions and programs, which we will tell you about a little later. So far, I can say that over the years our ambitions are only growing and we do not plan to stop there.

Photo: s.Oliver