After hearing from Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld, about the creation of a new space within the watch fair in 2020, WorldTempus asked Stéphane Waser what it was about the Community District that had convinced him to return, after declining the invitation in 2019.
You said that the Community District was in line with Maurice Lacroix’s “sales and distribution strategy”. Could you elaborate?
In 2018 we changed our strategy with respect to watch fairs and active promotions in the marketplace. The reason for this change was strongly related to digitisation, which has had a profound effect on the timing of launch announcements, as well as bringing greater spontaneity and access to information. Having started from a model based around a launch calendar and new product announcements strongly linked to the Basel fair, we drew inspiration from what happens in other sectors, such as the fashion world.
Communication tends to be continuous (seasonal collections, cruise collections, etc.), and clients expect to see a constant parade of new products throughout the year, supported by investments in digital media. Our product repositioning, which is also a repositioning of the brand, with the AIKON collection, enabled us to attract a younger target audience. The expectations of these customers are aligned with our marketing strategy.
How does Baselworld’s new Community District suit Maurice Lacroix better than a traditional booth?
The Community District offers a number of benefits that convinced us to return to Baselworld. First, the Baselworld organisers are offering a turnkey solution, which means we can focus on our core business of selling watches. We can leave the architecture, construction and buildout of the booth, as well as the logistics, to Baselworld. This translates into investments in personnel and resources that we no longer need to make for this one week in Basel.
The structure and location of the Community District are also convincing. It is a similar idea to the pavilions at a universal exhibition: the public is invited in, and they have more contact with the brands. Building a district encourages a flow, and the brands are highly visible there. This is different from watch company booths, which tend to be more enclosed, and at the end of the day give their brands relatively little exposure. Its location in Hall 1.0 also guarantees greater footfall, which is very important for visibility at an event like this.
