E-business excels in marketing

E-business is a widespread business model, but for some businesses it has been with varying degrees of success. The Danish company SmartGuy A/S has existed for almost 12 years and has therefore survived several challenges where others have failed.

This year they received Denmark's largest marketing award at an event hosted by CBS. Each year, the HBH Foundation presents a special marketing award to a person, company or organisation whose marketing efforts have attracted special attention. According to Mogens Bjerre, Associate Professor and member of the HBH Board, several elements decided the winner, but especially the perseverance of SmartGuy A/S has made an impression.

- This year's award winner is based on common sense and sound business acumen, which has implied that every krone earned was invested in marketing and inventory. This company also survived the burst of the dot.com bubble, says Mogens Bjerre.

The endless possibilities of the Internet

SmartGuy.dk is an on-line fashion store, who recently opened an off-line store. The company was established in 2000 by Christian Kusk, Nicolai Kærgaard, Jens Dalsgaard and Poul Kusk. For many years, their focus was placed on the Internet and they only communicated virtually with their customers. This gave them a very special understanding of the endless possibilities of internet marketing, which has not only made the company one of the leading e-providers of the industry, but which has also resulted in the prestigious marketing award.

- I'm glad that CBS hosted the HBH Foundation Award Ceremony 2012. It was a festive event with happy award winners, and I noted that some of the SmartGuy A/S award winners have a degree from CBS. I'm also very excited that the HBH Foundation also rewards the students for best master's thesis, says Per Holten-Andersen, President of CBS.

Award to CBS students

The Foundation also granted an award for best marketing thesis of the year, and the winners were Christina Dornslund Steen and Marie Søndergaard Risborg for the thesis ” Free-of-trenden, postmoderne forbrugere & NIVEAs strategiske udfordring” (the free-of trend, postmodern consumers and the strategic challenge of NIVEA). Free-of products can often be found within cosmetics and the food industry and be marketed as products free of parabens, colouring agents and other protectants.

- This thesis deals with a very hot topic - the increased focus on the health consequences of use of cosmetics. Based on a thorough and consistent literature review of consumer behaviour, values and norms, the students have managed to set up a conceptual model with a view to illustration of connections between personal consumer values, free-of lifestyle, intention-to-buy and free-of purchases in a very independent and convincing manner, says Mogens Bjerre.

The marketing award is worth DKK 100,000 and the master's thesis award is worth DKK 25,000.