Accessories and eyewear specialist Bollé Brands has set out an expansion plan. According to the company, this revolves around… ‘a pronounced shift towards digital technologies, a tactical plan to boost its brands’ presence with the general public, and the strengthening of an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) policy.’

Increasing brand visibility Bollé Brands has been active at a number of events this summer, with a presence in the Tour de France, the UTMB in Chamonix, the 6000D in La Plagne, the Embrun Ironman and Haute Route. The aim is to continue this deployment on the ground via athletes, ambassadors, and influencers.

To support and strengthen this, Sandie Tourondel (formerly Racing Communication & PR Manager at Rossignol Group) was recruited to the position of Global Brands Visibility Manager in early September. This role has the principal mission of enhancing the international visibility of the four brands, Bollé, Cébé, Spy+ and Serengeti, working alongside the company’s marketing, digital, product and sales teams.

To consolidate a link with its athlete communities, the ‘Bollé Brands Insider’ platform was launched in early summer, and has reportedly ‘gained several hundred users’. The aim is for this platform to become a forum for exchange between consumers and the company’s teams, whether as part of product development, for consultation on setting up a marketing campaign, or simply to provide feedback and customer experiences.

On the sales side, the group has also welcomed Jeremy Howard (formerly e-Commerce Key Accounts for Luxottica) as Head of Sales for the UK & Ireland.

Going digital Following the European launch of the Bollé and Serengeti e-commerce websites in autumn/fall 2020, the company’s digital teams delivered further developments last spring with the online sales sites SpyOptic.eu for Europe and Bollé and Serengeti for the United States.

In addition, a new feature ‘Virtual Try On’ was introduced for Bollé, alongside the strengthening of the group’s B2B platform with the addition of pre-order features.

This acceleration continues through the latter part of the year with the launch of the Cébé Europe e-commerce site in October.

Under the responsibility of Pierre Burgelin (formerly International Sales Director & Prescription Program at Julbo) as RX Business Unit Director, the roll-out of the RX webshop, scheduled by the end of this year, will enable the company’s optician partners to offer all its collections and own exclusive technologies fitted with the wearer’s prescription.

ESG strategy Quentin Chapelain (formerly Head of the Carbon Neutrality project at Air Liquide) joined the company as ESG Manager in July with the mission of defining, coordinating and developing the group’s ESG (social and environmental responsibility) strategy by leading projects and initiatives across all brands.

François Benaben, President of the group’s Sport & Luxury division, said “For Bollé Brands group, this new season is a strategic point in the development process it has initiated in recent months.

“I am delighted to be strengthening our teams in key posts around three of the pillars that form the foundation of our group. This digital acceleration, the intensification of our presence in the field to increase the visibility of our brands, and the strengthening our ESG strategy will all be major assets to support our future growth, enabling us to consolidate our position among the leaders in the eyewear and sports markets.”