Make it easy

"This brand is as well-known in Norway as Mercedes in Germany." The brand in question is Jordan and stands for paintbrush and painting supplies. Its brand recognition is the most important reason for keeping it, as far as Menno Braakensiek is concerned - this is in addition to the four other brands his company operates.Braakensiek is Commercial Director International Sales at Orkla House Care, a division of the Norwegian consumer goods company Orkla, which operates with many different consumer brands throughout the Nordic region, in the Baltic States, in Great Britain and in the Benelux countries.In the house care segment, there are five brands and Orkla is the market leader in almost every country with these product categories: In the Norwegian domestic market - the most important for sales revenue - it's Jordan with a market share of 76 per cent. This brand name also offers cleaning equipment. In Sweden the brands Anza andHome-X have a 51 per cent market share. Spekter in Denmark has 62 per cent.The DIY stores in these countries are the main distribution channels. In Finland, where Orkla also operates under the Anza brand name and has a market share of 34 per cent, the professional users are also targeted through the traditional retailers.In the British market, Orkla operates almost exclusively in the professional segment under the Hamilton brand name, just as in the Benelux with the brand Anza. Furthermore, the company is more internationally represented, particularly with the brand name Anza; in Russia, the Baltic countries as well as in Poland.

However, the principle by which the individual markets are developed is always the same: namely that the local market needs are treated as such. "These markets are still quite local", as Braakensiek comments. "So we need to find a partner who helps us to understand the local consumer needs." In other words: When Orkla plans expansion in another country, then the company doesn't just grow with the existing retailer, who displays their products of their shelves - an intensive approach is adopted, which admittedly takes time.In addition, there is also a second overall principle: All five brands offer a product range divided into three quality levels: good, better…