The new hardware brand Avova has been on the market since spring 2019 and focuses on safe and simple child seats. Luna Journal spoke with Manfred Held, Managing Director of Avova GmbH, about the market entry and his strategy to establish Avova on the market.

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They have been developing child car seats since the 80s. Now you have founded the company Avova. What is the motivation behind it?

Basically, I wanted to do something really great for child safety with the help of a great team. Our goal is to create excellent child safety seats without frills and limitations.

What technical innovations will you be offering your customers in the future?

Among the most important safety features are improved belt guides, which ensure that the lap belt sits properly. This significantly reduces the risk of injury in the abdominal area.

A further innovation is the integrated side impact protection, which is built into the particularly deep side bolsters of the child seats: ISIP (integrated side impact protection). Instead of putting on width, we have integrated smart safety technology into the seat for improved protection from the side - and space for more passengers on the rear seat.

Our Sperling-Fix i-Size has a retractable Isofix system that simplifies installation. It is also very easy to convert and offers a correct reclining position that can also be used by the older children.

How do you plan to establish yourself in the highly competitive hardware market?

With reliability, the highest quality standards, commitment and customer proximity.

To what extent do you differ from other hardware manufacturers?

We manufacture Made in Germany and we only develop seats according to the latest European standard UN ECE R-129. This means that all seats are approved according to the latest test standards. As a small, lean company, we can respond much faster to customer requests.

Will there be an Isofix or i-Size child seat from Avova?

We currently offer two products. One is our “star” for a height of 100 - 150 cm. It is available in two versions - one with Isofix, our Star-Fix, and one in the “belted” version.

Our second product is the Sperling-Fix i-Size, which is approved for body sizes from 76 to 150 cm. As the name suggests, this seat has Isofix connectors and is also i-Size.

To what extent will you allow customers to influence your products in the future?

Feedback from customers is very important to us. We will regularly send questionnaires to our dealers and are in close contact with them.

One of our first projects that we launched was our social media channels. Consumers can contact us at any time - all enquiries about it end up on my desk.

In which countries do you plan to distribute Avova child seats in the future?

The focus will be on our home market, the German-speaking countries. We will approach the rest of Europe step by step.

Where will the child car seats be offered in the future? Do you focus more on stationary or online retail?

Our focus is on stationary retailing. Our product is a safety product that requires advice. We recommend trying out the seat in the car and letting the child “try it out”.

They produce Made in Germany. What does this mean for you in terms of sustainability?

The clear advantage is the short transport distances. We source the majority of our components from Germany and Europe. We have very good suppliers here who supply us with outstanding quality.

According to which guidelines do you produce?

We produce according to the latest ECE R 129 standard, which means that all our child seats meet the most modern and stringent test criteria.

Which testing institutes do you work with?

We work together with DEKRA - proven experts who are very familiar with the new standard. This is not a matter of course.

How important are test results from Stiftung Warentest and other testing institutions to you?

For us, tests are always a good indicator of whether we are on the right track. Test results from Stiftung Warentest are also an important component, but until then we still need a certain market share to be selected for this test. This is one of the homework we are currently working on.

What marketing measures are you pursuing? Are you interested in working with influencers?

Marketing measures - in the sense of making our brand better known. We are in cooperation with various dealers and trade magazines. We will also be making a major appearance at the Kind + Jugend trade fair in Cologne in September this year. We are looking forward to meeting a wide audience there.

As already mentioned, we are also active on social media and, of course, also follow the active influencer scene there. A cooperation with influencers is quite conceivable.

What is your goal for next year?

The main goal is to establish ourselves in the market. We are also working on the development of further products.

 

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Avova - New German company for child seats

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Link: Avova the new hardware manufacturer

Image: Avova

//JP