Interview with Anne-Sophie Lange and Aliénor Schillio, founders of Nêge Paris !
Sqwad has decided to meet (for real) its community of brands. Nêge Paris had the pleasure of starting this new format.
To start, can you introduce yourselves?
We are Aliénor and Anne-Sophie, co-founders of Nêge Paris, a new brand of eco-responsible women's pajamas with unique prints hand-painted by an illustrator.
What was the trigger to start this business?
Before Nêge Paris, we both worked in large corporations, and we wanted to try something new. Anne-Sophie once told me about her idea of launching a pajama brand together, and that was the trigger. The idea of starting our own brand, of choosing exactly what we do, and being able to have our own actions and results, immediately seduced us. So we started just after the lockdown, in November 2020.
If you had to pitch the brand to your grandmother, what would you say?
Nêge Paris is the first pajama brand that you want to wear day and night, with elegant prints hand-painted.
And in three words, what would it be...?
Eco-responsible, comfortable, and elegant.
Why the name Nêge Paris? What is its history?
We were looking for a short word that people could easily remember. What we like about the name "Nêge" is the very cozy side with the desire to snuggle under the covers. We also wanted a name that was an analogy of the word "dream", which is why we chose the "ê" with the circumflex accent.
Now that you have started, I imagine you have had some mishaps, can you tell us about one?
Our biggest mishap occurred during our first photoshoot in June 2021. We had organized the shoot with two professional models but also eight Instagram subscribers who came to participate in the shoot. However, two weeks before, the printing workshop of our patterns informed us that there had been a fire and that all our fabrics were destroyed. So we had to reschedule everything, cancel the apartment rental for the shoot, and quickly find a date that would suit everyone's schedules: our subscribers, the models, the photographer, the videographer, and the make-up artist. It was our first photoshoot, so at the time, it seemed like a disaster. If it happened today, we would take it more calmly and with more perspective.
And your greatest success?
The satisfaction of our customers, and especially their messages, because we co-create our pajamas on Instagram with them. These daily messages of support are our biggest source of motivation!
What is your biggest learning at Nêge Paris?
If we can give advice to someone who is launching their brand, it is not to have any preconceptions about their target audience.
Originally, we had an idea of our target audience as quite young, between 25 and 35 years old. In the end, our target audience is closer to 30/45 years old, and older than what we had imagined at first. So you should not have any preconceptions about this and remain very open, in order to adapt your marketing strategy as best as possible.
What are your plans for 2023?
There are many! First, the arrival of new products: we will release a new summer collection by the end of March, with three new prints and a new top model. We will also have exciting projects for next winter, including a new model that we believe in a lot. It's still too early to talk about it, but we can't wait to show you!
Then, we plan to continue developing retail. New pop-up stores are on the agenda, probably one in September and another for the end of the year
Are you advocates of partnership?
Yes, absolutely!
Six months before launching Nêge Paris products, we opened our Instagram account. We began cross-promoting through partnerships, based on an exchange of visibility between brands. This allowed us to become known among their target audience, as well as other brands.
Once our products were launched, we also organized contests on Instagram, as well as cross-promotional newsletters.
For example, we ran a marketing campaign with Maison Plouf, by sharing a promo code with our respective communities.
Another recent campaign, for Valentine's Day, we added a Pace lip balm to orders from our customers. On the other hand, Pace customers participated in a drawing to win our kimono by ordering from their website.
Finally, we wanted to take our concept further. So we developed a tab on our e-shop dedicated to what we call "good night essentials". We grouped together our partner brands that also offer products related to night-time. These include cosmetics to take care of the skin, sleep-inducing infusions, remedies to aid sleep, or even socks for those who get cold at night.. all tested and approved by our team on a daily basis!
This tab extends our customer experience, as they can complete their night routine during their purchase. It's ultimately an upsell strategy: offering an element that will help them sleep well when they buy a pajama!
Why and how did you choose these brands (Pace, Maison Plouf..)?
We have two primary criteria in selecting our partnerships. Obviously, we choose partners who share the same universe as our brand. Then, we pay particular attention to values shared with our partners. We encourage more responsible consumption, limit our impact on the environment, so it's logical to partner with brands that share the same mindset.
What would be your dream partnership with Nêge Paris?
We dream of a collaboration with Angarde from the beginning. It's a brand that we love and are customers of. We can easily imagine Angarde slippers with the toe inspired by our prints. So, if they are also interested, they should not hesitate! A word to the wise, you never know!
And you, apart from Nêge Paris, what would be your dream collaboration?
We have several collaborations in mind. Céladon, the tableware brand we love, could partner with the Season restaurant and offer, for example, a brunch at the restaurant for a kit of dishes purchased. Bonsoirs and Oh My Cream, with their cozy spirit, would also benefit from a partnership!
And, how did you discover Sqwad?
We discovered Sqwad through a LinkedIn post. This allowed us to learn about post-purchase recommendation through partnerships. We then contacted Anis who supported us in implementing the solution!
Could you tell us a little more about your experience?
The ability to choose our partnerships adds real value to our Sqwad experience. It's important to have brands that share common values and vice versa. The reciprocal acceptance of partnerships allows us to remain consistent with our brand image.
Next, the concept of post-purchase recommendation is a real plus for us. It allows us to gain visibility among potential customers who match our target audience. For example, Krème customers could also be customers of Nêge Paris, which is very interesting!
In a context where advertising is becoming more complex, this is even more relevant.
Everyone says that the Instagram algorithm is complicated and it's becoming less profitable. Therefore, we need to find other channels to get known and acquire new customers.
Finally, post-purchase recommendation also allows us to enhance the experience of our customers. We can recommend brands that we appreciate and trust.
Thanks Nêge Paris ! If you wish to purchase a Nêge Paris pajama, go to their website.