‘Feels so right.’ This is the new tagline for Tencel, which has been redefined by Lenzing as its flagship brand for textiles.
Designed to capture the imagination of premium consumers, Tencel has been relaunched as a consumer brand in order to capitalise on the growing desire for people not only to look good, but also feel good – in terms of both comfort and the impact of what they are wearing.
The plans were unveiled at a special press conference during Première Vision Paris on 13 February, followed by an event that evening at the Palais Brongniart in Paris, celebrating Tencel’s unique properties, versatility and botanic origins.
“There is a double meaning to ‘Feels so right’ as it relates to both well-being and sustainability,” said Harold Weghorst, director of global brand management at Lenzing. “It makes you feel good and is also the right eco-friendly choice.”
The new Tencel logo features a green leaf with a finger print. “The leaf stands for nature and the finger print is a sign of touch,” said Weghorst.
As part of its relaunch, Lenzing has also introduced a new brand portfolio for Tencel reflecting five target sectors – Tencel Active, Tencel Denim, Tencel Home, Tencel Intimate, and Tencel Luxe. Details about each brand are available at the new website www.tencel.com.
Weghorst said that while Tencel is already present in these segments, “we want to boost our importance and consumer awareness in all these areas and make Tencel a unique choice in each category.”
He added: “It all adds up to the same brand promise of ‘Feels so right.’ This applies to Tencel across all segments, although the specific needs are very different, for instance, in activewear compared with home textiles.”
The redefining of Tencel forms part of Lenzing’s plans to transform itself from a business-to-business (B2B) fibre producer to a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) brand, and Weghorst stressed the importance of Lenzing’s new B2C strategy in its development.
“When I joined Lenzing [in June 2016] I saw a rough diamond – the company had great products, but there was an opportunity to elevate the brand,” he said. “So far Lenzing has been following a B2B strategy focused on fibre types, but today, as brands and retailers are increasingly focusing on value chain transparency, sustainability and innovation, for a company such as Lenzing with an ingredient brand, focusing on a B2B audience is no longer enough. You need to find new ways to drive growth in the premium textile sector, and you need to drive awareness at a consumer level.”
Under the new brand strategy, Tencel Modal and Tencel Lyocell fibres are key ingredients in the Tencel branded product portfolio. Derived from certified and controlled wood sources, both Tencel Modal and Tencel Lyocell standard fibres are, according to Lenzing, produced via responsible production processes and are compostable and biodegradable under industrial, home, soil and marine conditions.
Products made from these fibres are enabled through Lenzing’s state-of-the-art industry innovations: Refibra technology; Micro technology; Eco Soft technology; Eco Color technology; and Eco-filament technology.
The introduction of this new brand architecture follows extensive market research which, according to Lenzing, found that while Lenzing Modal is known as a fibre “with good-quality and long-lasting exquisite softness, Tencel is a well-recognised and appreciated brand name among stakeholders, customers and consumers in key target regions of Lenzing.”
Robert van de Kerkhof, chief commercial officer at Lenzing, explained that this is why Tencel has been adopted as Lenzing’s textile specialty brand for apparel and home applications, with the aim of creating a unique and differentiating brand in the Modal and Lyocell fibre markets.
He said that the redefined Tencel product brand, along with the tagline ‘Feels so right’, will enable Lenzing to embark on communication around messages that move beyond fibre types and characteristics towards everyday use and benefits that brands and consumers value.
“With a longer-term strategy to enhance connection with customers and consumers, 2018 will be a game changer year for Lenzing,” he said. “Since rolling out our sCore TEN business strategy in 2015, Lenzing has been migrating into a specialty fibre business with a strong focus on innovation, quality and sustainability. The redefined Tencel brand underlines our core principles of trust, transparency, reliability and amicability, and by leading technology innovation in the textile sector, we will continue to enable our industry partners and consumers to feel good, look good and do good.”
Weghorst added: “We are charting a bold new course to simplify our product portfolio and elevate our brand to bring more value to consumers and industry partners. As Lenzing’s flagship brand in the textile sector, Tencel will grow beyond fibre types and functional characteristics. It will become a true consumer-focused brand with a promise of something more functional and emotional. By elevating Tencel to a promise to the consumer rather than a product message to the value chain, we can start to excite consumers, retailers and brands about the holistic benefits of botanic fibres.”
For the new Tencel Active, Tencel Denim, Tencel Home, Tencel Intimate and Tencel Luxe brands, new swing tags and marketing material will be launched at a retail level to provide clarity on benefit claims for products containing Tencel branded fibres.
The swing tags, along with more detailed guidelines on B2B and B2C usage, are now available on Lenzing’s new e-branding service platform, which has been set up to provide B2B customers and retail partners with “faster, more sustainable and more user-friendly solutions for certification and licensing.”
Amit Gautam, vice president of global business management in textile at Lenzing, said: “By applying the new brand strategy, we will take a more personalised and targeted approach to reflect the Tencel brand essence of ‘softness’ and ‘feeling good with a natural touch’ with B2B customers, retail partners and consumers.
“We will work closely with the industry value chain and retail brands to educate consumers about Tencel featured value propositions like product quality, functional benefits and sustainability. Co-branding programmes such as swing tags or packaging, and co-marketing campaigns with retail brands will enable us to reach out to consumers directly. With more brand exposure and ongoing consumer education from this year onwards, consumers will see more of us through the Tencel brand in apparel and home textiles and/or in our partners’ retail outlets in different regions.”
Gautam added: “Ultimately we want Tencel to be a household brand name in the mind of the consumer, so someone walks into a store thinking ‘I want a garment made from Tencel’ or sees a pair of jeans made from Tencel and wants to buy them.”
Speaking to WTiN, van de Kerkhof stressed that partnerships with brands and retailers will be a key driver in the elevation of Tencel to a consumer brand. “We want to ensure that Tencel products are known by the consumer, and that they know they are premium,” he said. “We need to work with brands and retailers to get across that message.”
He added that, equally, Lenzing can help brands and retailers meet demand for high-quality and ecologically sound products. “Garments made from Tencel not only look good, but also offer durability, while the fibre itself is made using eco-friendly processes,” he said.
Van de Kerkhof also explained that Lenzing is adopting a flexible approach to the roll-out of the new Tencel branding. “In their initial reaction, some brands and retailers were worried about having to change all their Tencel swing tags straight away. But the change is being rolled out gradually, so there will still be garments with the old Tencel swing tags in use over the next 18 months.”
He added: “Some of our partners may decide to go faster, and some slower on this, but we will be respectful to current collections.”
He also pointed to the role being played by Lenzing’s new Application Innovation Center (AIC) in Hong Kong, which was opened in September 2017. New applications for textiles using Lenzing fibres are being developed and tested at the facility.
Van de Kerkhof explained that the AIC allows brands and retailers to develop new Tencel fabric innovations. “The AIC has textile technology from across the supply chain all in one room, so existing fibres can be used to create new products,” he said.
He revealed that another innovation centre, similar to the AIC in Hong Kong, is being built in Indonesia, and will be focused on yarn innovations using Lenzing fibres.
Source: www.wtin.com