In this latest entry, we interview Kristine Apsīte, the Head of Marketing Department at Groglass.
Born in Latvia, Groglass products protect invaluable artworks at museums such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam or the Louvre Museum in Paris, enhance museum displays, and feature prominently in luxury retail settings, including Hugo Boss and Apple, as well as high-end electronic brands like Bang & Olufsen.
Apart from discussing the work at Groglass, Kristine talks about her personal evolution, starting in sales, gradually expanding into marketing and business development, and how curiosity and passion for learning turned out to be the biggest drivers of her career.
You can meet Kristine in person at Big Fish 24 in Riga.
Prior to joining Groglass, what led you into the marketing and sales field?
My journey started in the sales department 20 years ago. At some point in my career, the marketing part was naturally combined into the mix. Given that the brands I worked with were already well known on the market, my focus was always on marketing as sales support, as opposed to marketing as an awareness booster.
Brand awareness is always part of a marketing strategy, but what seemed more compelling to me, was the business development aspect, the place where sales and marketing meet. This drove me to become gradually more and more involved in marketing as well.
The international angle came first with my position at Itella. I was responsible for introducing and promoting products in new markets. Later at VELUX, I worked on marketing for the CEE region.
Years later, I was headhunted by Groglass, who offered me the role of head of marketing. Soon after, the sales department came under my wing as Groglass decided to bring picture framing sales (the biggest chunk of the business) and marketing under a common roof. It came to a team of 11 who covers all markets, including the biggest ones for us like the UK, Germany and the United States.
When combining sales and marketing, what makes your approach different?
I personally meet with Groglass customers to understand their business and how we can help facilitate their further growth with our products.
A bit like a business consultant?
You could say so. I find it important to understand our clients and the people who work there. Of course we still use all digital marketing tools, nice POS materials, but this business mindset is something that sets us apart.
I have to be a strategist because I’m the head of a department.
That’s an interesting insight because the role of a marketing director differs from company to company. At some, they just execute ideas, at others, they shape business strategies.
I have to be a strategist because I’m the head of a department. My marketing team helps with technical execution: design, content, digital etc.
Out of curiosity, would you be able to execute their tasks in case one of them just disappears one day? Would you be able to set up a Meta campaign?
Honestly, I think I would because I have gone through all the stages of becoming a marketing person. I also try to keep up with the latest in the field, further my education.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to guide or brief my team as efficiently. We develop and study together.
Now moving closer to Groglass, how does the customer journey look like for clients such as the Rijksmuseum or the Louvre?
It’s important to mention that we have different types of customers. We as producers sell to distributors, distributors sell to frame shops or some online retailer and the shops sell to the end user. The customer journey is quite long.
We have strategies for each of those groups. For example, Groglass has a large distribution partner in the UK who works with museums, galleries, etc. We wanted to offer our products to online framing solutions, but our partner was hesitant about this move.
When it comes to museums such as the Louvre, we always go together with the distributor. Sometimes, museums refuse to speak to distributors, then Groglass as the producer steps in because we carry more credibility in their view.
To encourage them, I asked for the retailer’s contacts to arrange a meeting so we could all gather behind the same table and work out a suitable solution. They can discuss prices, while I can offer guidance on product selection, provide sales and marketing materials and calculations.
When it comes to museums such as the Louvre, we always go together with the distributor. Sometimes, museums refuse to speak to distributors, then Groglass as the producer steps in because we carry more credibility in their view. In the end, the sale always happens between the local distributor and the museum, we don’t sell directly.
You do the groundwork and the partner comes in to finish the sale. Why don’t you sell directly?
It’s too difficult for us. As a production company with a global distributor network, we focus on manufacturing while leveraging their expertise to handle sales and distribution (including warranties and other technicalities).
Doubt you can simply send an email to the Louvre to arrange for a meeting. How do you reach these VIPs?
It varies from country to country. In Asia, governmental institutions like the LIAA (Investment and Development Agency of Latvia) or embassies come in handy.
Exhibitions are a great outlet. For example, we participated at London’s Museums + Heritage Show and I gave a speech about art conservation, which served as a conversation starter for further networking.
And I mobilise my personal network, of course. One builds context through people.
How do you nurture the existing clients? You can have a superior product, yet there’s never a guarantee.
The groundwork has to be done before the deal happens. We keep in touch and offer support via regular content, updates and events, but the main responsibility lies on the distribution partner – they have to keep an eye on the numbers. Distributors share sales data, we analyse together and make decisions on how to improve the figures.
Is it difficult to choose these distributors?
It’s easier in Europe, because most information can be found online and we limit the number of distributors in each market to avoid price wars.
In Asia, the process is very different. For instance, they have huge corporations in Japan. We need to figure out the full hierarchy and find a suitable way in. Those corporations are closely connected to the government who in turn runs most museums and galleries. There is no workaround here.
How do you maintain the brand when the product is so discreet? You don’t see a logo when looking at famous artwork in museums.
Actually, there is indeed a logo, but in the back. The back of the frame sticker comes with all the relevant product information scannable via a QR code.
With the middle agents (frame shops), we try to work out a suitable retail concept around our brand guidelines. It’s very important for us to take care of them.
What about traditional advertising for general brand awareness, what’s the approach here? Do you use the help of ad agencies?
Again, it differs from country to country. We can get great results with digital media in the UK due to the nature of the market, whereas in Germany, we would struggle with a similar strategy and budget. In Germany, we look into associations, quality standards, trade guilds, etc. It’s much more conservative.
When it comes to agencies, we run everything from Latvia with the help of a local agency. One might consider us a small country, but Latvians are very competitive in the global environment.
Baltic companies consider trust the number one setback when exporting to markets like Sweden or Germany. The shadow of an Eastern European heritage still follows us.
I’ve been thinking about this. Ultimately, any business comes down to the people. You either trust the person or you don't.
When I started working in companies with a strong international aspect, I first made sure to trust myself as a professional by building this confidence up via good education and experience.
Secondly, the company needs to have solid references, showcase the knowhow and quality behind the product.
Finally, trust is built via communication. Knowing at least some basic phrases in the local language shows respect and interest and might melt some of the initial barriers. Not all markets are as open to English as Estonia or Latvia.
The addition of marketing has facilitated my genuine interest in people. I like to talk to people, understand their business. This curiosity has been a very important driver for me.
Speaking of your personal journey in business-to-business. If you would have the chance to turn back time on your career, would you do anything differently?
Nothing major. Back then, I used to dream about an international education, but couldn’t afford it. In different circumstances, I would have started to build my international career earlier.
All in all, I think my career has developed logically. From sales to business development, from fintech to production. The addition of marketing has facilitated my genuine interest in people. I like to talk to people, understand their business. This curiosity has been a very important driver for me.
You can meet Kristine in person at Big Fish 24 in Riga.
Interviewed by Hando and Ann-Kristin. Penned by the latter.
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