A lot has been going on behind the scenes at online retailer Orangebag in recent months. Since investor Nederlands MerkGoed (NMG) got on board last year, the company has been working non-stop to prepare for the next phase of growth. In the past week, not only has a new corporate identity been created and a new website set up, but also a new managing director has been appointed.
Arlette Huisman joined Orangebag from womenswear label Dante6 and had been with the company for almost two weeks at the time of the interview. Founder Tineke Sluiter will continue to focus on her role as creative director, according to a video call with the two bosses. “We were clearly ready for the next phase and for that you need different and new energy and expertise. Arlette’s area of expertise is brand building, which is what she did at Dante6. That’s exactly what we need now,” said Sluiter.
Despite the interview taking place on Friday at half past eight in the morning, both Sluiter and Huisman are still in a jubilant mood since last Wednesday, they say. The new website went online on Wednesday, and since then the positive reactions have been piling up. “For a long time after NMG joined us, things seemed quiet around us, but we mainly worked in the background.” The launch of the new website marks the moment when Orangebag heralded the new phase of the company initially invested in updating the product photography, for which our employees attended special workshops. Then we developed the corporate identity and of course also created the new website.”
Orangebag has dedicated itself entirely to the subject orange set. Not only different shades of orange can be found in the new corporate identity, Orangebag has also been inspired by the archetype of the color orange. Qualities associated with this archetype are: cheerfulness, dedication, success, enthusiasm, playfulness, attraction, and courage.
Huisman also recognizes these qualities in the company she recently joined. “We do what makes us happy. Although the start was of course exciting, everyone worked with so much concentration and fun.” Sluiter and Huisman know each other from the time when Huisman was CEO at Dante6. The two say they hit it off immediately and are in “It’s rare to find someone who looks at a company’s data but also feels the emotion behind it. Because fashion is emotion,” said Sluiter. Although the two have only been working together for just under two weeks, it already feels familiar, Sluiter and Huisman said.
Orangebag starts the next phase of growth with a new corporate identity, website and CEO
Now that the website’s launch is behind us, we can look forward to the next step in Orangebag’s growth plans: further increasing brand awareness. Orangebag will soon be seen in TV commercials, in bus stops and on highway billboards. The new Orangebag’s slogan is ‘Try not to become obsessed’.
“Obviously we’re not trying to make people addicted to shopping,” explained Sluiter. “As Orangebag, we want to be a source of inspiration. That people come back every time and are therefore ‘obsessed’ with being inspired.” Orangebag will also use its own community to increase brand awareness. “We’re going to ask our customers and fans what they’re obsessed with and use that in the campaign,” Huisman explains. “That way we can not only give them inspiration, but vice versa.”
Although Orangebag’s website looks different, not much else has changed in the company. “We will not change our positioning,” says Huisman. The online retailer currently offers a range of 120 curated premium brands. This will be expanded in the future. Furthermore, despite the company’s planned growth, the personal touch will never go away at Orangebag , assured Sluiter. “When we started 16 years ago, we included a handwritten card with the order. We still do. When I started, someone said to me that it wasn’t possible to continue like this. It’s just about hire people”. Orangebag therefore has a team that takes on this task. “They pay attention to whether customers are ordering for the first time, for example, or whether they are loyal customers. The message is very personal.”
If the awareness of the brand in the Netherlands, but also in the Benelux countries, has increased further, then it is time for a further step. “Once that is the case, we will roll out further,” said Huisman. Sluiter makes another small comment. “We don’t have to be the biggest in the Netherlands, but we want to be the most beautiful platform”. Of course, the two top executives also look to the rest of Europe and even to the rest of the world, as they admit. In any case, what is clear is that Orangebag has been quietly working on the next step for the company for the last few months and the world is finally enjoying it.
Orangebag.nl was founded in the Netherlands in 2005 and now offers clothing for women and men, as well as bags, accessories and shoes. The online shop belongs to NMG and also ships to Germany. In addition to Orangebag, the Nederlands MerkGoed portfolio also includes the brands Nomad, Stoov, BenBits, Passa Sports, Maison 365 and Mistral.
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.nl.