European brands
In my role as CMO at BMS, my responsibility is to develop local strategies for prominent European brands, preserving their global values while adapting them to the Georgian reality to strengthen emotional connections.
Building brands that cross borders
I took on the role of CMO at BMS, the company responsible for importing established European brands into Georgia, including Vileda, Frosch, Basso, Pasta Reggia, Trolli, and Wilkinson Sword. Each brand arrives with decades of European equity but is characterized with limited emotional connection in Georgia. The challenge is the one I have been solving throughout my career, which is figuring out how to build interest in everyday products that consumers use without a second thought and to prove them why they need to spend more. The answer lies in proper communication that bridges cultures.
Vileda Turbo Smart
"Keep pace with innovation"
The challenge. Generating attention and driving sales for a premium product within a low-engagement category like cleaning accessories.
The insight. In contrast to traditional, labor-intensive cleaning methods, the strategy focused on the product's primary innovation, the foot pedal. The campaign was built on a BEFORE/AFTER framework, visually demonstrating how the product simplifies daily tasks. Tagline: "Keep pace with innovation." The campaign was supported by a targeted pricing promotion.
The creative. Every piece was a BEFORE / AFTER - grim grayscale old way on the left, bright effortless Turbo Smart on the right. The tagline leaned on the pedal: "ფეხი აუწყე ინოვაციას" - keep pace with innovation. In Georgian "ფეხი" means foot, so it works twice: keep up with innovation, and do it with your foot. Price closed it: 205₾ down to 89.95₾.
The amplification. We collaborated with 15 influencers, whose creative videos accumulated 5.3 million views. Within 1.5 months, more than 8,000 units were sold.
Vileda Gloves
A win-win
The challenge. Creating a high-engagement campaign for a standard household item, rubber gloves.
The strategy. Instead of highlighting technical product features, we shifted the focus to the function of hands, protection and communication. We partnered with Esma, a well-known sign language interpreter, to teach the public several basic signs. The gloves were presented as a symbol of care and connection.
The impact. This serves as a classic example of a win-win-win strategy. The brand earned strong loyalty and image growth, society received educational content, and the deaf and hard-of-hearing community gained an important platform and visibility. Monthly sales growth reached 421%.
This is a classic example of a win-win-win strategy. The brand earned strong loyalty and image growth, society received educational content, and the deaf and hard-of-hearing community gained an important platform and visibility.
Basso × MasterChef
"Happiness starts with Basso"
The goal. Strengthening brand leadership and creating an associative bond with consumers in a highly competitive market.
The execution. By integrating a melodic tagline, "Happiness starts with Basso" (leveraging a linguistic connection in Georgian where both words start with the same letter), the brand became the central partner of MasterChef Georgia. The campaign drove a 120% growth in sales.
Basso × MasterChef Georgia · "ბედნიერება ბ ასოთი იწყება"
The execution. We wove Basso into the heart of MasterChef - where cooking, craft, and joy already live - connecting the brand to the pleasure of making something good rather than the chore of buying groceries.
The rest of the portfolio
Frosch - Given the local market context showing low initial interest in eco-friendly aspects, we shifted the primary narrative from sustainability to family and child safety, which significantly enhanced product relevance.
Pasta Reggia - The strategy focused on demonstrating an optimal quality-to-price ratio, leading to rapid market share expansion.
Trolli - Brand positioning was built around fun and emotional engagement, initiated through a successful sponsorship project at the Tbilisi Open Air festival.
Working with European brands has confirmed that the need for a story is universal, though communicating with each individual culture requires a tailored approach. Sometimes the connection is an innovative product and a proper price promotion, while other times it is a corporate social responsibility project that connects society together.