Diono is an established and successful travel accessories brand in the UK with a number of market leading products and over the last 12 months in particular has  built on the brand with a revolutionary innovation in car seats.

Head of Marketing Jo Ebdon-Muir shares the challenges this brought and why the change is pivotal for the Company’s future.

How does an accessories brand get into car seats?

Diono has a lot of heritage in car seats and a team of experienced engineers and technical specialists. We launched Radian in the US over 10 years ago and now have a 10% market share of the convertible market. With this significant market share in the US and an increasing awareness of extended rear facing, we knew there was a market for the seat here. Radian 5 started the trend for multi-group car seats in the US and after working to adapt it to EU regulations; we were able to launch Radian 5 (the 5 refers to 5 point harness for longer) at the start of 2016.

What’s different about Radian 5 compared to other products?

There are so many unique features but the top 3 reasons people buy Radian 5 are:

1. Capacity. They want extended rear facing with a seat which is really big enough to fit children up to 25kg. The Radian 5 is tall and has a wide internal seat with narrow side walls because of the strength from the steel frame.
2. Parents want a 5 point harness for longer when forward facing because at the age of 4 most little ones don’t know how important it is to stay sitting in a booster with the seatbelt in the right place.
3. Parents who are looking for a narrower seat, often choose Radian, particularly those who are trying to get 3 across the back seat. With its multi group capacity covering 7 years use and flexibility for a number of different configurations Radian 5 is great value for money.

What were the main challenges with launching Radian 5?

Its unique differences including its weight and no need for an isofix. The seat is heavy because of the steel frame but this makes it ultra-strong. Explaining this has been crucial because it is actually a big positive for the seat. We have invested heavily in build quality using the best materials and production techniques to provide ultimate protection. We have a significant amount of real world crash data with stories of children who have been protected from serious collisions and accidents because of the strength of the seat.

One of the biggest things to overcome is the fact the Radian 5 hasn’t got an isofix. The general car seat industry is promoting isofix because it aids correct installation but it has significant limitations, most obviously that there is a restricted weight. A seatbelt will hold more than twice the weight of isofix and by using a seatbelt installation, Radian 5 can keep children in a 5 point harness both rear and forward facing to 25kg. We are also able to offer a seat which is compatible with more cars especially those without isofix points and models with storage boxes in the foot well. The flexibility of a seatbelt installation also allows 3 radians to be installed across the backseat in many cars.

How have you raised awareness for Radian 5 and supported the launch?

With so much to explain we knew we had to invest in a dedicated retail trainer to support our retail stores full time. This has been a really worthwhile investment with great feedback from our retailers and more stores buying into Radian 5 all the time. Consumers are increasingly asking for extended use seats with longer rear facing and 5 point harness use and we now have over 50 retail specialists on board.

We have invested £500,000 in consumer advertising and PR to drive awareness and footfall to the stores. This is a big lump sum but combined with trade programs to offer in store displays, rewards and training means we have seen sales continue to increase, received great reviews from consumers and been awarded a number of industry accolades.  We also have a new customer support team to assist with technical enquiries and keep our retailers up to date with monthly mailings and news.

What’s the next step for Diono?

Radian 5 and Monterey are just the start of our car seat range with more to come over the next few months. We will be rolling out our patented safe stop technology which actively slows down the impact of crash forces, taking the real world crash data to best utilise our steel frame technology and using consumer insight to drive our development.

This is a really exciting time for Diono, with our new branding, focus on product development to create products with a wow factor and significant investment in marketing. Baby Brands Direct is an exclusive wholesaler of the brand to the independent trade sector and is able to offer trade prices on the whole range of Diono products, alongside next day delivery and aftercare service.

Personal Questions

What is your favourite film?

Technology has really changed the way films are produced these days – I’m a bit of a traditionalist and like silly humour, a film you can have a good laugh at, without it necessarily being a classic. Anything by Mel Brooks is perfect for this – Blazing Saddles is one of my all-time favourites and I never get tired of watching it in fits of laughter.

Which famous person, contemporary or historical, would you most like to meet and why?

Marlon Brando – I’m really interested in people who are a bit of an enigma. The celeb culture in the UK coupled with the huge social media awareness means we have to endure too much of little interest or meaning – the chance to spend some time with a real icon, that has kept himself relatively sheltered from the public would be fantastic. I’m sure there are many stories from his life that have never been uncovered!

If you could choose any superpower, what would it be?

To be able to see into the future: not just for the lottery numbers! Life is so hectic, and the world is changing so fast the ability to foresee and plan for future events would be amazing. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and a lot of the work I do is future focussed with no real guarantee that everything will work – product launches, campaigns, events would all be a lot easier to plan if I already knew the outcome!