During our coverage of SIAL, we met many entrepreneurs redoubling their ingenuity in their internationalization strategy. The Lithuanian DIONE glacier is a shining example! First, the family business has grown extensively on its territory, before embarking on an international expansion that is inspiring to say the least. Today, the manufacturer can boast of being recognized all over the world. Europe, Middle East, North Africa, and East Asia: DIONE ice cream travels the world thanks to an effective marketing mix. We reveal here the keys to the success of one of the rising stars of the agro-food sector!
Summary
- A family business with a well-established internationalization strategy
- DIONE products go around the globe
- SEO: the company ranks high on Google
- How to succeed in your internationalization strategy according to DIONE
- Maintain a brand image in line with market trends
- Reimagine the packaging and make it a selling point
- Obtain partnerships with major local players
- Estimating social media marketing at its fair value
A family business with a well-established internationalization strategy
Founded in the 1950s, DIONE is above all a family structure. Building on its success on its Lithuanian lands, it quickly set its sights beyond its borders. Now, the brand is distributed in many countries, and the internationalization of its natural referencing is worth the detour.
DIONE products go around the globe
At present, the manufacturer based in Klaipeda (Lithuania) sells its products in about twenty countries! Indeed, thanks to the distribution channels of its many partners, DIONE ice cream is available to consumers:
- Moroccans
- South Koreans
- Portuguese
- Spaniards
- Bulgarians
- Czechs
- Estonians
- Icelandic
- Finnish
- etc.
In order to understand the reasons for the success of DIONE’s internationalization strategy, we must first look at the products themselves. To tell the truth, its production chain obeys three conditions: quality, local and efficiency. The ingredients used are either sourced locally or imported from European regions known for their good cuisine. Thus, the milk is produced in Lithuania, while the pistachios come from Sicily, and the chocolate from Brussels.
Finally, the originality of the brand is not limited to the innovative shapes of its ice cream. It is also reflected in the speed of product transformation. It only takes him 48 hours to make his ghost writers. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons pushing foreign retailers to include DIONE in their product range. Finally, its marketing positioning has the merit of being clear: DIONE ice creams are high-end products. Here, ice creams are no longer consumer goods, but rather gifts for loved ones!
SEO: the company ranks high on Google
The brand is now recognizable on several continents, and this translates into good natural referencing. Indeed, according to data from Ahrens (as of November 3, 2022), DIONE manages to generate organic traffic in no less than 31 countries. Additionally, DIONE slid into the top 100 Google searches for 332 keywords in these states. This is proof of a well-executed inbound marketing strategy!
To illustrate this point, please find below the top 10 nations most fond of the brand.
What elements should be retained from this table? First of all, we note that DIONE’s internationalization strategy does not only include Europe. This is why this table includes countries from the Middle East, Asia and North Africa. Then, as for the keywords generating the most traffic, we would like to point out two things:
- DIONE manages (almost) systematically to generate organic traffic thanks to its name. This means that its brand image is strong and anchored in the minds of consumers.
- The brand is renowned for its premium positioning, but also for the “healthy” nature of its products. On this last point, it is therefore in line with the “free” market trends in this year 2022.
How to succeed in your internationalization strategy according to DIONE
Let’s go back to four key points on DIONE’s choices for its various international marketing tactics. In short, the manufacturer’s good performance depends on four marketing aspects: brand image, packaging, partnerships and social networks.
Maintain a brand image in line with market trends
DIONE’s SEO statistics show that the brand is much more than just an ice cream maker. It is destined to become a major player in the consumption of tomorrow. More ecological, healthier, and always more original. In this sense, the company perfectly follows the codes proposed by agro-food trends. Finally, its intercontinental success proves that the direction taken by the sector is intended to be global.
Reimagine the packaging and make it a selling point
Next, DIONE’s marketing innovation also involves innovative packaging. As the end-of-year holiday season approaches, the packaging of its ice cream fulfills a dual purpose. Once the product is consumed, the packaging turns into a decorative object. Its attractive colors and the warm messages written on the packaging make it an ideal decoration under the Christmas tree. Then, keeping the packaging amounts to encouraging recycling, and therefore creating a real parallel market.
Obtain partnerships with major local players
How to increase its notoriety outside the domestic market? DIONE definitely has the answer to everything: the brand has opted for high standing partnerships abroad.
In Portugal, the company has partnered with Rock in Rio in 2022, one of the biggest music festivals in the world. Thus, festival-goers were able to discover its products and help spread the name “DIONE” across the country. Moreover, this collaboration led to the appearance of a 100% Portuguese version of the DIONE site. Secondly, the manufacturer is one of the official sponsors of CD Leganes, a professional football club on the outskirts of Madrid. This partnership established in 2019 has recently been renewed for the 2022/2023 season. Thanks to this, the company made a name for itself in Spain:
- Distribution: DIONE ice cream is available inside the club stadium
Communication: CD Leganes creates content with the help of its partners, and DIONE is no exception to this rule. The club recently released a video in which players in the squad try their hand at blind tasting. This example of Song Writing Services, a guerrilla marketing technique, highlights the transfer of notoriety anticipated by DIONE.
Finally, direction South Korea, where DIONE struck a blow! By partnering with a major local teleshopping show, the manufacturer has made a spectacular breakthrough in the South Korean market. In one show, the ice cream parlor made several thousand sales, 7,000 kilometers from its native Lithuania!
Nearly 5,000 boxes of DIONE-stamped products were sold in the space of an hour’s broadcast.
Estimating social media marketing at its fair value
Finally, DIONE’s strong presence on social networks greatly facilitates the implementation of its internationalization strategy. The manufacturer strives to maintain a regular, multi-channel editorial calendar, both on Instagram and on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Social blade’s figures are unequivocal: the glacier publishes constantly, and this is reflected in the number of subscribers gained. Between May and November 2022, DIONE recorded community growth of around 7.3%. This corresponds to an increase of 290 subscribers in six months. Its editorial line is intended to be aesthetic and gives good advice to its followers, as evidenced by this post dating from last September.
