Skandinavisk founder Shaun Russell discusses building a lifestyle brand around Scandinavian experiences, moving beyond candles to bath and body, and the strategic balance of DTC and wholesale channels. He emphasizes the critical role of B Corp certification in driving growth and navigating distribution challenges, offering valuable insights into authentic brand building and sustainable expansion for ecommerce operators.
Key takeaways
To build a resonant lifestyle brand, deeply understand and translate a specific cultural ethos into your product offerings, as Skandinavisk does with Scandinavian balance and nature in its scents.
Successfully expanding distribution requires a dual DTC and wholesale strategy, meticulously creating and managing partnerships with key retailers like Selfridges and Sephora to maximize reach.
Leverage certifications like B Corp to not only validate your commitment to social and sustainability practices but also to enhance brand visibility and consumer trust.
Invest in compelling sensory branding (e.g., unique scent profiles) to differentiate products and create an immersive experience that tells a brand story beyond mere functionality.
Anticipate and strategically address distribution as a primary challenge, recognizing that both creating and managing these channels are crucial for scaling a physical product business.
Skandinavisk is trying to sell the experience of Scandinavia in a scent.
The brand launched in 2012 with a line of candles that tried to embody different aspects of Scandinavian life. Current scents include "Skog" ("calm of the boreal forest"), "Fjord" ("carved from glaciers") and "Regn" ("after the rainfall"), among others. Some of these scents showcase literal things, like local trees, others try to give a sensory experience to more ephemeral attributes.
Its founder, Shaun Russell, originally hailed from the U.K. but found himself in Denmark and Sweden around twenty years ago, and fell in love with the region.
"It kind of gets into your blood," he said. "I felt the secret of Scandinavia is in balance -- in the balance with nature, the domination of nature that surrounds the region; the balance within society, which it is famous for; but also the balance of the individual, balance of the self." This realization of what made Scandinavia different as a region was the starting point for his brand, Skandinavisk.
Russell joined this week's Modern Retail Podcast and spoke about his brand's growth over the last decade.
Since its founding, Skandinavisk has expanded beyond candles into diffusers as well as bath and body care. And it's also worked on becoming an international brand beyond its Copenhagen roots. The company has a thriving DTC presence, but has also expanded its wholesale presence into stores like Selfridges and Sephora U.K.
Russell is proud of Skandinavisk's retail expansion, but still sees it as one of his biggest challenges. "Distribution is one of the hardest challenges for any business -- both creating it and then managing it," he said.
But one thing that has helped Skandinavisk get in front of more eyeballs is its B Corp certification, which requires approved companies to prove they follow strict social and sustainability practices while maintaining the highest form of public transparency. Companies must go through a rigorous process to receive the certif
Frequently asked about this episode
What does this episode say about brand & content?
To build a resonant lifestyle brand, deeply understand and translate a specific cultural ethos into your product offerings, as Skandinavisk does with Scandinavian balance and nature in its scents.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Successfully expanding distribution requires a dual DTC and wholesale strategy, meticulously creating and managing partnerships with key retailers like Selfridges and Sephora to maximize reach.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Leverage certifications like B Corp to not only validate your commitment to social and sustainability practices but also to enhance brand visibility and consumer trust.
What does this episode say about supply chain & operations?
Invest in compelling sensory branding (e.g., unique scent profiles) to differentiate products and create an immersive experience that tells a brand story beyond mere functionality.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Anticipate and strategically address distribution as a primary challenge, recognizing that both creating and managing these channels are crucial for scaling a physical product business.
