Last Tuesday we published in our Facebook
and Twitter profiles, the first press collaboration that we made.
Ruth Álvarez, the owner of Despertando a Shakti blog in Spain, interviewed us. Then she posted it in her own blog (link)
the interview to make Spanish people know Hardy&Parsons.
We talked about many things. Find them
here!
Ruth Álvarez: What
are Hardy & Parsons’ origins?
Hardy & Parsons: Hardy &
Parsons was founded in 2002 by Maurice Greig
in order to address a niche in the market, that liked using belts and goods made in leather,s following
the traditional processes and manufactured
100% in England.
R.A.: What is
your value proposition?
H&P: Goods hand made by craftsmen in leather, inspired by the
equestrian world and the English
countryside. Each product is
individually made, with excellent materials. One of our features is the smell of leather, a
quality that our customers identify
and appreciate.
R.A.: What type of product do you offer?
H&P: Belts for men and women and leather articles such as cases for
pens and mobile phones, and other leather accessories such as dog collars and
leads, key fobs, drink cabinets, etc.
R.A.: What is
your target customer?
H&P: Those customers who
value quality, who know what they want and
are willing to pay for it. They
buy a product with the guarantee
that it will last a lifetime and they see this purchase as an investment. Hardy & Parsons’ products
are timeless, as opposed to the concept of "buy and discard".
R.A.: You are
manufacturers and distributors? Do you sell outside of the UK?
H&P: The products are manufactured entirely in England and distributed worldwide. Firms
selling our belts in London
are Fur Feather
& Fin, Stuarts London and Joseph. We also have a showroom in Chelsea, where
customers can come and buy our products. But we
also sell products in the U.S., Japan
and Europe.
R.A.: And Spain?
H&P: Spain is a difficult market, there are brands
with great tradition and quality in leather goods. There is strong competition.
R.A.: Do you
invest in advertising?
H&P: Advertising is very expensive and is difficult
to measure the impact that a campaign can have on television, not really knowing if you've
reached your target. Our communication policy is focused on reaching markets through the specialized press, bloggers and
exhibitions.
R.A.: Are you on the social networks: Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram, Google +,
Pinterest...? What do you think of the web environment and
the social networking
phenomenon?
H&P: Social networks are essential, they are an element of
communication with which you can reach
more people and make yourself
known, you may display your
product and your potential customers
see you. They are an important showcase. We are on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
Blogger and Vimeo.
R.A.: There is a
trend to buy low-cost products. Is there room for those
who value quality?
H&P: Yes. There has always
been an audience looking for quality
products and it will remain.
They prefer to pay more and have a good product that they can use
for a lifetime, rather than buyig five
low-cost belts
that just last a season. And
this sort of client does not change
his mind.
