Elegant Baby is an Experienced Brand that Never Shows Its Age!
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After more than forty years in business, Elegant Baby has become one of the most recognized specialty baby brands. Offering a diverse collection of quality products in a wide range of categories and price points, from apparel, soft goods and accessories to gifts and keepsakes, Elegant Baby has kept up with the changing times in beautiful style! Elegant Baby shows great versatility, but holds true to its brand image and corporate vision, with both loyal retailers and consumers. Here, we get an insider’s look at the birth and growth of the well-known and respected brand.
When was your brand born, and what was the initial inspiration?
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- The inspiration was to produce and distribute newborn basics (Evenflo bottles, nursing items) and utilitarian/safety items including door latches and outlet covers.
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What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting?
“Trying to carve out enough of the market to survive among a sea of baby companies; founder Fred V. Hooper bought out a number of his competitors in a daring move that nearly brought bankruptcy, but instead saved the company.
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What do you feel are the three biggest keys to your success?
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Diversity – We have products more suited to L.A. and some more suited to Alabama, from department stores to hospital gift shops, Mom and Pop boutiques and everywhere in between.
Progressive Thinking – A trait that set founder Fred V. Hooper apart and lives on in his son Yates. The ability to think for the future instead of the now has allowed us to see trends developing and take advantage of them.
Customer Service – In the end, the retailers and consumers who buy from us are the most important, so we are always striving to make things easier for them, more convenient, and more service-oriented.
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Do “green” or eco-friendly concerns influence your business decisions, and if so, how?
“Absolutely! We are always looking for ways to make our products friendlier to the planet and better for babies at the same time. For example, our Organic Socks are not only made from organic cotton, but the packaging is recyclable. We’ve got plans to move all of our products in this direction in the coming years.
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What is one new trend you’re seeing in the marketplace?
“Safety is a big deal. The media is always pounding the newest scare, be it BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, products that break or get too hot or too cold. So the trend now is to keep the consumer very informed as to how the product is safe, and to find new ways to make the product both eco-friendly and safe.
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What types of marketing have been most effective for your business?
“The coolest new marketing effort that we’ve been a part of this year has been the online catalog. We posted our catalog online with a few tradeshows and on a catalog-sharing Web site so that people could view it and contact us for more information, and it’s been huge. People love being able to see our products on their iPad or Kindle, their mobile device or their computer any place, any time.
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How does your business make use of the Internet?
“We are always striving to work with the latest technologies. We have developed a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, we’ve posted some videos on YouTube, we’re e-mailing updates as we come out with new product and are constantly working on our Web site (www.elegantbaby.com) to build a better engine for reps, retailers and consumers alike. And we would be remiss if we didn’t give some love to our page with The Giggle Guide. In short, when it comes to the Internet, we’re everywhere!
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What is the biggest challenge your business faces today?
“The baby category took off a few years ago, and the market got saturated with vendors and retailers. When the economy crashed, many of them fell by the wayside. Now, those of us who are fortunate enough to have survived are fighting for the remaining consumer dollars. As people save more and spend less and always want the most bang for their buck, the challenge is constantly to provide the best-selling products with the right mix of contemporary style and tradition that will appeal to the value-conscious consumer.
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What is one change/addition that’s had a positive impact for your business in the last year?
“This would have to be putting our catalogue up with online sharing sites.
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About Elegant Baby
Elegant Baby recognizes that parents are trendy, hip and stylish, and so are their babies. Since 1967, our goal has been to provide style-conscious consumers with affordable baby gifts featuring the best quality, design, craftsmanship and tradition. We design beautiful baby clothes, plush blankets, bright rubber ducks and more. Our sterling silver baby jewelry, baby bath accessories, piggy banks and baby keepsakes are all designed using the hottest patterns and colors inspired by runway fashion and interior design. We do this because we understand that today’s elegant babies deserve fashion that is just as fresh and unique as they are! We’ve been featured in People, USA Today, Pregnancy & Newborn, and O: The Oprah Magazine as a great baby gift idea! Angelina Jolie, Tiger Woods, Gwen Stefani and Tom Cruise give our products to their children. Elegant Baby has become synonymous with fashion-forward baby chic.
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