Belkin has been around for decades, bags, cables, IOT devices keyboards, mice, they have had a crack at everything, but all that has changed, today the US accessory Company is a focused on key markets that can deliver growth and good margins according to local CEO Stephanie Ogden.
Belkin was founded in 1983 in California, by Chet Pipkin and Steve Bellow, they wound audio and computer cables from a home garage.
In March 2013, Belkin acquired Cisco Systems’ Home Networking Business Unit, including the Linksys brand and product line and right now that business is undergoing a change with a focus more on the B2B and enterprise market than the consumer.
On March 26, 2018, Foxconn announced its intent to acquire Belkin for US$866 million and that became the turning point for the Company that is still managed by Chet Pipkin.
In Australia, the Company has ditched their ill-fated WeMo connected home devices which Ogden admits should have been launched as an extension of the Linksys networking brand instead of the Belkin brand. Today the Company is witnessing significant growth in the wireless and Power Couple charging markets.
Today It’s all about the new brand Belkin, ‘Its Better By Belkin” is the new catchcry for the 26-year-old Company.
Recently the Company launched new Rockstar headphones and a new range of power banks that are “lighter than past models” while also delivering improved performance.
One thing we do know is that 2020 is set to be a big year for the US Company following the Foxconn acquisition.
At the backend the Company is streamlining production and manufacturing while also moving to deliver “better quality products” said Ogden.
A classic example is the new generation of “braided” cables which not only look good but are designed to be “highly functional” especially for travel and commute warriors. Simple additions such as a leather clip and button that allow the cables to be easily wound up and stored are going down well with consumers according to JB Hi-Fi management.
Also coming are new cables for audio fast charging as well as an expansion of their relationship with French audio brand Devialet.
Both domestically and in the USA and Europe Belkin is now finding themselves competing for floor space at retailers with Cygnett a local accessory company that was spun out by former executives of Melbourne based security Company Swann.
This year Cygnett will exhibit at CES for the second year running as they move to take on Belkin in key global markets.
Key partners of retailers such as JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman as well as The Good Guys Belkin staff in Australia have “worked hard” to deliver the instore marketing that grows sales said Ogden during an exclusive interview with ChannelNews.
The NSW North Coast-based Company has recently undertaken a successful JB Hi-Fi trial of SAS and Spark with the Company planning new e-commerce initiatives in 2020.
In the business space, Belkin has had a lot of success as a supplier to the Australian Federal Government where they have been able to deliver significant growth for their KVM business with new supply contracts with the department of defence.
The Company is now targeting Health and Mining sectors with their Universal KVM’s which have a DisplayPort/HDMI all in one multiport.
The Belkin Secure Universal SKVM supports most current and many future display resolutions.
Ogden claims that Belkin’s innovative Universal KVM models eliminate compatibility problems between KVMs and the systems and monitors connected, for the easiest deployment and upgrades which governments and large corporations are looking for.
Shortly a new campaign will be kicked off in Australia that Ogden claims will “Establish Belkin as the Brand of choice for both consumers and retailers”.
The 360-degree marketing campaign kicks off in November.