Tag: Marketing

15 Dec 2022

Objet Particulier, a creator of unique and timeless designs

Objet Particulier, a Spanish creator-artisan, designs and produces made-to-measure coverings in straw marquetry, galuchat and parchment applied on new, lighter and more functional support surfaces for interior design projects.

Objet Particulier gives a new dimension to the historical techniques of straw marquetry and galuchat. While perpetuating its artistic excellence, it innovates by applying them to new surfaces, whose lightness and functionality prove to be of great value to architects and interior designers: HPL, solid surface, duropolymer, etc.

It thus multiplies the possible applications of historical techniques and materials in today’s interior design projects.

Objet Particulier designs and creates bespoke decorative coverings by hand, applying straw, galuchat and parchment marquetry to interior design projects.

It enhances wall or ceiling panels, screens and interior partitions, light fittings, furniture and decorative objects with its elegant, custom-designed wall coverings, making them unique and different.

Suppose the decorative interest of straw marquetry or galuchat panelling is undeniable. In that case, the innovative application of these natural materials on HPL, Duropolymer or Solid Surface now multiplies their architectural value for professionals in this sector. 

Located in Gijón (Asturias, Spain), Objet Particulier stands out for generating innovation from respect for tradition, and sophistication from simplicity. 

«We have developed our own working protocols: craftsmanship in the execution according to techniques dating back to the 17th century, combined with innovation in their application to today’s relevant surfaces, so that our decorative panellings respond to the real constructive needs of an interior design project: easy installation and maintenance; durability and resistance to abrasion, fire and humidity; lightness, minimum thicknesses even in large formats, flexibility and curvature, resistance to expansion and contraction, among others», explains Mamen Diego, designer and founder of Objet Particulier.

With delicate gestures, her team of artisans prepares and works the straw, galuchat leather or parchment according to the needs of each project. It is committed to the beauty and uniqueness of the textures, the excellence of the finishes, the luxury of the details and the functionality of the workmanship. 

Straw marquetry, a highly appreciated decorative art in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, was reborn in France in the 1920s. It combines the classic technique of wood marquetry with a material of extreme simplicity and innumerable virtues, straw. 

Straw is tough and shiny, thanks to the silicon it contains. It is rot-proof and its high gloss is unalterable. 

The artist’s creative vision and technical mastery bring to light all the beauty and sophistication that this humble material, very present in ancient Asturian architecture, can provide. 

Galuchat is still little known despite being a material that has been used and highly valued for more than three centuries, particularly for the high craftsmanship of the leather.

Galuchat is the name given to the skin of the dogfish and stingray, inhabitants of the Asian seas, a very hard leather, characterized by its visible ivory pearls. 

Objet Particulier makes it its own and applies it, alone or in combination with other materials, according to the art of leather marquetry. When upholstering panels, interior partitions, furniture or decorative objects, it plays with the thicknesses of the material, the sizes of the pearls, and the tones and textures to create finishes of great elegance that one never tires of caressing.

Parchment is also a historical material, born as an alternative writing support at a time when papyrus was scarce. 

Objet Particulier uses sheepskin or goatskin, transformed and dyed, and brings it back into the limelight by using it as a luxurious covering for curved or angular surfaces on panels, partitions, furniture or decorative objects.

Environmental sensitivity

Objet Particulier only works with natural materials in terms of coatings (straw, galuchat, parchment) and with natural or highly recyclable materials in terms of supports (wood, MDF, HPL, duropolymer, etc.).

All internal processes, both production and logistics, have been intentionally designed to achieve an eco-responsible virtuous circle:

  • The consumption of raw materials is minimized in order to maximize the use of each piece.;
  • Water consumption generated by the processes is close to zero;
  • Energy consumption is minimal, as the processes are essentially manual;
  • All waste from creative production is also reused or recycled internally to continue creating.

Furthermore, the careful choice of raw materials reaffirms their eco-responsible vision:

Straw is a waste from the agricultural sector, which the artisan use revalorizes through processes of dyeing with natural pigments, transformation and, finally, decorative application.

Galuchat comes from fish of non-protected species that are not endangered. They form part of the traditional diet of the inhabitants of the region in which they live. Their artisanal use thus revalues a potential waste product.

Parchment is animal skin, left over from the food industry. It is transformed by cleaning, stretching, scraping and dyeing processes that turn it into a valuable material for craft creation and give it a new life.

Objet Particulier combines artistic vision and craftsmanship with technical mastery to create luxury, unique and exclusive bespoke decorative coverings.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Visit: www.objetparticulier.com

14 Dec 2022

Objet Particulier at Design Network 2022, at the Spanish Embassy in Paris

Last Dec 1st and 2nd, we joined Objet Particulier in its attendance at the Design Network 2022 event, organized at the private residence of the Spanish ambassador in Paris. 

This exclusive exhibition was hosted by ICEX and the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office, curated by the prestigious French design and architecture magazine Àvivre, with the aim of showcasing the best Spanish design to French architects and interior designers from the Contract and Residential sectors.

Objet Particulier’s sophisticated decorative panelling in straw marquetry and galuchat shone through, applied to furniture and exquisite decorative objects that were exhibited in high-quality contract environments, and recreated in the magnificent spaces of the Private Residence. 

Design Network 2022

In addition to Objet Particulier, 11 other prestigious Spanish brands in the furniture, lighting, textile, ceramics and outdoor furniture fields took part, achieving very attractive exhibition synergies that made it possible to recreate hospitality atmospheres in great detail.

The mastery and fantasy of Objet Particulier’s made-to-measure creations, from which you can see photos below, were particularly noteworthy.

The elegance and originality achieved by its Creative Director, Mamen Diego, with straw and galuchat, apparently simple materials, enhance any interior design project with which it is associated, fusing art, design and master craftsmanship.

If you want to know more about Objet Particulier or if you are looking for inspiration for your interior design project, do not hesitate to contact them by email: info@objetparticulier.com or by phone at +34 609 84 15 20.

Also participating in Design Network 2022 were: Jover+Valls, Porcelanosa, Bassols 1790, Manuel Larraga, Andreu World, Isimar, Leds C4, Mobliberica, Musola, Dressy and Onok Lighting. Congratulations to all of them!

23 Sep 2022
Hekipia en Camping Pola

Hekipia: Expertise in demanding projects.

Discover in this video the evolution of the Camping Pola project, in Tossa de Mar, on
the Costa Brava, and the challenges it has faced.

Video made for Hekipia, designer and manufacturer of Tiny Houses.


The project:
Narrow plots, all different, nestled on the steep slopes of a hill by the sea, difficult to access,
make up Cala Pola, a beautiful cove on the Costa Brava.
The challenge stated by Tematic Arquitectura, the author of the project: is to build and insert
premium bungalows in a beautiful but extremely demanding natural environment, with a
minimum ecological impact.


The Hekipia solution:
118 premium Hekipia bungalows have been mounted, using a proprietary and highly
differentiated building principle, warranty of numerous upsides:

– Transport of all cabin components in 2D:

  • Reduction of transportation costs.
  • Guaranteed access to the plots, even the most difficult ones.
  • Efficient and fast construction, even in smaller spaces.

– Environmental friendliness:

  • No foundations, owing to the use of ground anchoring screws. Construction is, thus, reversible and ensures a limited environmental footprint.
  • The transport in 2D and the assembly on site allow respecting the existing trees.

– Guaranteed landscape integration: wooden cladding, installation adapted to existing
trees, etc.

Better use of the available ground, even if limited, whatever the difficulty of the terrain
and always without foundations, for a better return on investment:

  • Construction on stilts
  • Cantilevered construction

The result:
A 5-min video that explains Hekipia’s know-how through the challenges of a demanding
and singular project, thanks to a 6-month on-site follow-up, illustrated by the contributions of
its main actors.
This video has been produced for Hekipia, designer and manufacturer of Tiny Houses, by
Zekluu Communication Architects.

For further information, please visit: www.hekipia.com

08 Jun 2022

VIERN 2013, by VEGA AIXALÀ, GRAND GOLD MEDAL 2022

A toast to VEGA AIXALÀ!

Their Viern 2013 won the Grand Gold Medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2022! ?

Many congratulations to Vega, Eva and Anna for this great achievement – all their wines are sublime, but Viern is exceptional! ?

We share with you the link to their online shop: you will discover photos of their beautiful vineyards, and you will be able to order there ?

25 May 2022

How to build and grow your email marketing database

Email marketing is a cost-effective and easy-to-implement marketing technique that delivers real and measurable results. It is an excellent tool to keep your customers informed of any news or innovations. It is also the most efficient option for contacting potential customers and establishing regular communication with them, enabling the sales team to make “real” contact, at a later stage. 

In addition, planning and programming a relevant flow of messages, segmented and personalized, will be highly valuable and will allow you to better monitor and evaluate its impact.

But how do you build a quality email database? Here are some of the main elements to consider: 

Making the most of the contacts you already have

The sales department is the first source of database feeds, with the two easiest types of contacts to list:

  • Existing customers;
  • Contacts made through commercial meetings, at trade fairs and events, or responses to information requests received.

Organizing all these records in a coherent and functional way is the best way to create an effective database. Don’t forget to define the segmentation criteria that will help you target the right audiences for each message sent.

Identifying other sources of database feeds

Where and how to get new quality leads? This is the challenge.  

Evaluate both external sources and your own contact acquisition tools: we help you to define them and to design and implement lead acquisition actions, both in the Spanish market and in foreign markets.

  • Internal:

Contact forms, landing pages or pop-ups on the website, registration forms, social networks…

  • External: 

Professional online platforms, cobranded newsletters with media or sectorial publications, participation in webinars, purchase of databases, attendance at trade fairs or professional conferences, SEM campaigns…

Contact us if you would like support in lead generation.

But how can you convince potential leads to share their data?

Offer quality content, relevant to your audience: personal data is valuable and requests a valuable counterpart in return.  If you have segmented your audience, you will know what they are interested in: Samples? A white paper? A specialized catalogue? Templates? CAD files? A discount code (if you have an online shop)? A contest or giveaway? In any case, valuable content for your potential lead.

Remember that your database feeding and management strategy must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation: it is designed to protect individuals with regard to the processing of their personal data and the movement of such data. All your contacts must have expressly agreed to receive your emails. Contact us if you wish to clean and optimize your contact list with regard to GDPR.

We already have a database, what do we do now?

  • Segment and manage your list effectively

The database is a transversal, living, constantly evolving tool that must be fed from Marketing and Sales, as well as from the Projects, After Sales or Customer Service departments. 

Not all your contacts have the same interests or the same priorities, they should therefore not receive the same messages. Segmentation is crucial to contextualize a message to make it even more valuable and, ideally, will reach the target at the right moment in their buying journey… 

“Who they are” and “what they have done” are the two most simple questions to answer in order to create a basic segmentation. “Who they are” refers to demographics such as profession, location, or position within a company. “What they have done” refers to the actions you know they have taken (on or off your website: whether they have purchased, downloaded catalogues, attended trade shows, etc.). For example, a potential customer might have downloaded a brochure, while another might have opted for a specific offer. Any email marketing system will allow you to easily segment your list and automate campaigns to be sent to your different leads at a time of your choosing.

With the right database, you will be able to send to current or potential customers specific campaigns that reward them for their loyalty as well as recommend related products (cross-selling and up-selling), communicate new projects in which your brand has participated, and technical videos with assembly tips, personalized catalogues, etc.

  • Choosing an email automation tool

Choose an email marketing tool that will help you design, send and evaluate your campaigns. Most popular email platforms include Mailchimp or Sendinblue, which are intuitive and very affordable. Other quality automation providers include Campaign Monitor, Pardot (included within Salesforce Marketing Cloud) or Constant Contact. 

It all depends on your needs and the level of resources you want to invest. 

If you prefer to outsource, contact us: we will take care of defining the content calendar with you, designing it, generating it, automating its delivery to your lists and evaluating the results.

Remember: we all have an infinite amount of data and information, but few of us exploit it fully, because of lacking time, not being organized well enough, or due to a lack of internal resources…

If you are looking to optimize your systems and organize your data, we are at your disposal: contact us here.

22 Jul 2021

Marketing
5 challenges to optimise B2B marketing in 2021

In these months of pandemics, companies have been forced to go digital. Today, many of the changes that have been implemented have already taken effect, although B2B companies are still looking to optimize their processes, tools and organization.

Teleworking and the limitation of ‘live’ social and business contacts have massively increased digital interactions as a means to maintain effective communication with influencers and customers.

The B2B marketing strategy is therefore facing new challenges. Here are the five most important points to consider, according to the late 2020 Salesforce report.

Capture customers’ attention in real-time

At a time when companies are looking to build connection and trust in these uncertain times, the user experience, whether it’s the end customer, reseller, installer or specifier, has become more important than ever. A previous Salesforce study from June 2019 already claimed that 84% of customers believe that the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services, up from 80% in 2018.

But mindset change and execution are two very different things, and many professionals struggle to align operations with aspirations. To achieve a positive and personalized digital experience, we need to provide answers in real-time, in a practical, simple and innovative way.

Innovate, innovate and innovate again

Innovation is essentially about anticipating new needs or meeting existing needs better than others. This is essential these days.

It is not only a matter of innovating products or services but also of adapting internal processes to be able to react adequately to market changes. It is time to implement new tools to work better in a radically different environment. They must also allow us to analyse the results in each area. The implementation and use of a CRM, more or less sophisticated, can make a big difference for the sales team. In marketing, taking the time to define clear and measurable objectives, properly implement evaluation criteria and follow up on the actions implemented allows for greater efficiency and performance. Communicate more and better, in all the sectors to which we have access and which are relevant to our targets. Measure results to optimize action plans.

Delivering consistent and creative customer experiences across channels and devices

Marketers recognize the challenges of achieving their goals. Customer data must be unified and operationalized to deliver consistent experiences tailored to customer needs in real-time.

Marketing transformation involves more than just enhanced collaboration and additional ways to connect.

In 2020, the focus has been on what needs to be done to drive audience segmentation and personalization.
Today, digital experiences focus on individual touchpoints. Personal concerns must be addressed and tailored experiences offered, independent of the overall process.

Unification of customer data sources

Emotional intelligence is a core competence. Now more than ever, it is essential to understand the entire customer journey. The key is to create consistent experiences, from the moment a potential customer discovers the brand to the moment a positive review is posted.

Share a unified view of customer data across business units

Multi-channel marketing is not new, but it has never been more relevant. Today’s customers are increasingly seeking new types of information about brands across more and more types of channels. They expect companies to engage with them in a dynamic and personalised way.

Inter-departmental interactions have become paramount. In the B2B environment, it is especially important that marketing and sales teams share a unified view of customer data, processes and goals. Tactics vary, but the strategy is common and shared.

The horizon: delivering meaningful digital experiences that drive valuable conversions

These are just a few of the challenges that industry professionals surveyed by Salesforce identified as steps to take to continually optimise and improve their B2B marketing strategies.

We must strive to connect with our customers and provide dynamic and meaningful experiences that result in valuable conversions for the brand.

Therefore, simple initiatives such as database optimization, establishing and optimizing recurring processes, and using analytics to understand where website traffic is coming from, among others, always have a great impact and add value.

ZEKLUU’s objective is to help design, draw and implement the strategy, actions, resources and marketing tools that best fit the level of development, size and resources of each company, in order to best enhance your brand.

For more information, contact us here.

01 Mar 2021

Marketing
Comparing Digital Trends in Spain and France: Key Elements for B2B

2020 confirmed that social media networks and mobile devices are fundamental tools when it comes to not just digital marketing, but the entire B2B commercial process. Here is some key information about digital trends in Spain and France.

According to Hootsuite’s annual report, Digital 2021, internet penetration, globally, has grown to 4.66 billion users. Of these, 90% (4.20 billion) use social media, a year-on-year increase of 13%.

The Spanish and French markets: similarities and differences

In both France and Spain, 91% of the population uses the internet, and 80% of those who surf the web in Spain are active social media users (37.4 million people) versus 75% in France, with growth rates of 28% and 13%, respectively, throughout 2020.

IMPORTANT: 34.8% of Spanish internauts use social media for work vs. 25.4% in France.

In Spain, on average, each internet user from 16 to 64 years old has eight different social media accounts (in France, this number is less than seven).

Therefore, it is important that you carefully choose the social networks on which you want your brand to be present in order to optimize results and capitalize on your investment.

The most critical component of this is taking the time to define your objectives and targets in order to decide which networks to be on and which ones not to be on, as well as the criteria for assessing your results, something that we often forget about because of day-to-day pressures or scarce internal resources.

This way, you’ll be able to define the role that each social network should play in your brand strategy, aiming for more than simple visibility, but rather the ability to, for example, generate traffic to your website, collect leads, collect market information, increase downloads of a specific document, etc.

We are experts in B2B communication and international strategies. Contact us if you would like more information.

Why your website should be responsive

In some B2B markets, it’s still common to see websites, newsletters, etc. with designs that don’t adapt to mobile devices.

In fact, in Spain, 93% of users access the internet through a mobile device, versus 86% in France.

Even more, in Spain, 50% of 2020 website traffic through search engines occurred on mobile phones (a 3-point growth compared to the previous year) versus 45.9% on desktop or laptop computers, and only 3% on tablets.

In France, mobile phones also represent a significant and growing portion of search engine traffic, 45% (up 5 points from the year prior) versus the 50% that continues to come from desktop or laptop computers.

This data shows that making web content and websites responsive to mobile formats is critical if we want to remain connected to a large portion of the market.

The digital channel is the first source of information about brands

On the other hand, 2020 confirmed that the digital channel is the first source that users go to for information about a brand or to research new ones.

The following points stand out:

  • Discovery of new brands: SEO is key

When it comes to discovering brands, there are multiple options available, but search engines are the source most frequently used by Spanish internauts: almost 40% of internet users find new brands through online search engines, 37.3% do so based on personal recommendations, 36.4% through TV ads, and only 25% through ads on other websites, with catalogs, product comparison sites, and comments on social media being less frequent.

In France, search engines stand out as a source of discovery for more than 42% of internet users, followed by personal recommendations and product samples for 29% and online stores for 26%. TV ads, which were on top not so long ago, are further behind at 23%.

Thus, it is crucial that your brand be well-positioned in search results, which requires working on your SEO. Contact us if you would like support in this area.

  • Social media, much more than a display window

On the other hand, social networks come in at third place for ways Spanish internet users search for information about a brand, product, or service, with 41.7% of them using social media for this purpose, coming in behind search engines (61.9%) and almost on par with corporate websites (42%).

In France, search engines also dominate as the first channel for information about brands, products, or services, used by 62.2% of internauts for this purpose, followed by corporate websites (used by 33.7% of users), “consumer review” sites (32.2%), and, to a lesser extent, social media (28%), along with price comparison websites.

These numbers make it evident that, for users, social media is no longer a simple accessory, but rather, it has become an additional channel for information about brands, just like websites. Contact us if you are interested in running an assessment of your social networks.

LINKEDIN: the quintessential B2B network

Among the multitude of social media networks out there, LinkedIn continues to be known as the ideal network for professionals. Spain already has 14 million total users, whereas this number in France has reached 21 million. Although personal profiles are most common, business pages have a ton of untapped potential. According to The Lab Foundation Inc., despite the fact that only 0.59% of posts published on LinkedIn come from business pages, they generate 10% of all leads. This is a much better result than that obtained from personal profile posts.

Likewise, the same study signals that, in B2B business, 80% of leads generated through social media come from LinkedIn, versus 12% in Twitter and 7% in Facebook. This data, along with the evident growth in users throughout 2020, shows that it is a social network that offers outstanding results, while likely requiring less investment in content than other networks.

Conclusions

Mobile phones are key to users access to internet, and brand components and content must be developed to optimize this type of device.

Social media networks should be treated not as a display window, but rather as an integral part of a brand’s communications strategy, with clear and measurable conversion objectives.

Digitalization has gone from being an area of opportunity to an utmost priority in the B2B world, a fact that has become more concrete because of the pandemic. At Zekluu, we offer you our experience and knowledge in digital marketing and B2B communications, as well as our international perspective, to activate a communications strategy adapted to an ever-changing reality. If you are looking to enhance your digital strategy, contact us!

26 May 2020

Marketing
A digital presence, key for the future of B2B brands

Due to the uncertainty caused by the present situation, companies must take actions that not only consider how to stop current blows, but which also focus on promoting future recovery. More than ever, those with a long-term vision and the ability to adapt will be able to withstand these circumstances, although the end of the lockdown will probably not lead to immediate acceleration.

Digital activity will continue growing: an online presence, which is already fundamental, has become critical for all sectors.

Staying in touch with customers and specifiers, adapting your message, and being present on all communication channels, thus ensuring brand visibility and direct contact with your markets, are fundamental. The same goes for continuing to convey trust, efficiency, and professionalism.

According to Eurostat 2019, only 32% of European Union companies in the construction sector are present on social media, as opposed to 44% of companies in the industrial field, and 58% of companies in the retail sector. This is far from 81% of companies in the tourist accommodation sector (hospitality and others). Their website tend also to be more limited and less interactive, despite it being key in B2B brands’ strategy nowadays.

Although these differences vary from country to country, the construction and architecture field clearly has room for improvement in the digital world.

Emprises using social media | Eurostat

Social media offers a multitude of applications in the B2B realm: from a direct line of communication with customers and prescribers, to a customer service platform, to a powerful tool for training. On the other hand, an efficient webpage is an essential and strategic tool, designed to achieve specific and relevant business objectives and allowing results tracking.

We offer you our experience and knowledge in digital marketing and B2B communications, as well as our international perspective, to activate a communications strategy adapted to an ever-changing reality.

We are here for you, Contact us!

29 Mar 2020

Marketing
The often-understated key points of B2B marketing

To be effective, a B2B marketing strategy must:

  • Identify all of the actors in the business process, especially the specifiers involved.
  • Generate opportunities and qualified business contacts (leads), in addition to building brand awareness and image
Acquisition process | Zekluu

Our clients’ business objectives are the starting point when we start building the most appropriate strategy for them, as well as the related action plan.

Below is a list of some of the improvement areas that we frequently identify, particularly in the architecture and building sector, but also with manufacturers in the lighting and energy efficiency industry. There might be many others:

  • The brand’s website should be its first and main channel of communication: optimizing it is an absolute priority. A good SEO firm allows you to define the best web design and significantly increase qualified traffic to your site. Are you interested in analyzing your website’s SEO efficiency? Contact us if you would like more information

  • The content on your website should be aimed at quickly addressing the needs and questions of the prospective customer, inviting them to leave their information with you. Investing in relevant content and data capture strategies is definitely worth it (landing pages, forms, newsletters, etc.). Would you like to optimize your website content or develop a data capture strategy? Contact us for more information

  • Integrating direct marketing actions by using specialized industry media can be very helpful in terms of increasing awareness and entering new or export markets. Is your goal to develop a brand presence outside of the national market, whether in France or the rest of Europe? Are you searching for database segmentation? Contact us

At Zekluu, we are a team of experts in B2B marketing and communications. We support export businesses and those with an international presence, helping them to strengthen their visibility, define their message and develop their business.

We design and implement both targeted actions and medium to long-term plans for our clients, identifying and communicating with key actors in their markets, from Specifiers to Buyers. Don’t hesitate to contact us for any of your B2B marketing needs.