Menswear Style Podcast

Daniel Niederer, Founder of SEVENFRIDAY / Bold Watches

February 22, 2020 Menswear Style Episode 47
Menswear Style Podcast
Daniel Niederer, Founder of SEVENFRIDAY / Bold Watches
Show Notes Transcript

SEVENFRIDAY is a global lifestyle brand that creates industrial inspired watches, eyewear, apparel and accessories for individuals around the world who live everyday like it’s Friday. Pushing and challenging the norms within the industry according to their own beliefs, dreams and experiences, SEVENFRIDAY is a Life attitude. ‘Show me don’t Tell Me’ is their brand tagline: emotional instead of rational, action instead of words, creativity instead of unquestioned standards. Headquartered in Switzerland, SEVENFRIDAY has a global network of best-in-class partners in 90 countries, more than 700 points of sale and a multi-cultural, multi-national team of experts in design, operations, logistics and administration.

In this MenswearStyle podcast episode Peter speaks to Daniel Niederer, the Founder and CEO of SEVENFRIDAY. They discuss where it all started for Dan and where the idea came from. He explains that SEVENFRIDAY isn't just a watch or eyewear brand, but a brand more about life attitude. He also touches upon why he wants the business to be disruptive and innovative within the industry, with unique and striking watch designs that stand out from the norm to gain identity and recognition. He also gives insights into how he took advantage of the growth of social media such as Instagram for branding.

Whilst we have your attention, be sure to sign up to our daily MenswearStyle newsletter here. We promise to only send you the good stuff.

Unknown:

Hello, welcome to another episode of the mentor star podcast. I'm your host, Peter Drucker and on this episode we'll be talking to Dan, that seven Friday guy. Trust me, that's his official title. That's what it says. On the business card is every Friday is a global lifestyle brand that creates industrial inspired watches, eyewear, apparel and accessories for individuals around the world who live every day. Like it's Friday. Now, I found Dan to be one of the most charismatic guests we've had on the show for a long time. Any man that has a Chesterfield in his office is all right by me. That interview with Dan coming shortly, but first, let me tell you about our website menswear style, menswear style.co.uk Click the Member Area button on the top right of the homepage and you'll be taken to our discounts and loyalty section. This is where you'll see exclusive discounts and privileges from hundreds of your favourite High Street brands within fashion, lifestyle, beauty and more. We currently have 20% off at New Balance 15% off at Hawes and Curtis 10% of a tm loan and 50% five oh 50% off at Cornerstone we've also just added some more heavy hitters 15% of our pasta 20% of a person who fitness and 35% off at my protein who you can use these discounts both online and in store helping you to save over 2000 pound per year so well worth checking out. And lastly, if you're on social type in men's wear style into your smartphone, they're open up your smartphone and will come up almost everywhere. If you type in men's wear style. If you'd like to get in touch with the show or become a guest and talk about your brand your journey. What you got written on your business card, let us learn. Email us at info at menswear. style.co.uk Okay, here is that interview with Dan that sevenfriday guy. It's my great pleasure to introduce to the podcast Dan the seven Friday man not the seven Friday. Both words, those words. Extend. Listen, thanks so much for taking time out your day jumping on the podcast, seven Friday the eyewear and watch brand. I want to know all about it. But maybe Dan, give me a thumbnail sketch of you and then we'll move on to the brand please. Well, thanks for having me. Sketch about me. That's a difficult one. Basically. That's what I do. I live seventh Friday. And I was lucky enough to make it a brand and a company where I can live actually what I want. That's what it is. So if you take seven Friday, if you take me it's pretty much the same. Okay, you are simpatico so. The brands mean four years ago now is this is this when it first launched? No, it said seven and a half years actually already? Uh huh. Okay, and it feels like yesterday. And what was it to begin with? Was it What was the germ of the idea? I think? Well, I used to say it's a combination of three things that maybe it's sometimes a bit misunderstood midlife crisis, frustration and stupidity. So I was when I started was in the 40s. So it wasn't corporate life. So I was frustrated want to do my own you noticing like everybody wants to do his own being independent bla bla bla. So that's my last chance. And then stupidity because you go, okay to go family and to start a business from scratch at that age. It's my it's a lot of risk, also in the family. So I think that takes a little bit of stupidity as well. No, it's sometimes a blitz to be a little bit stupid. You know, you don't know you have loads varies in length. And lucky enough things really took off now, and maybe more More precisely, I really wanted to create a company and there wasn't a job to do and live what I believe is worthwhile, what I enjoy, and what I'm passionate about. Work these people, I really appreciate them like and try to avoid assholes. Yeah, we simply makes life so much better. Yeah. And we tell the stories, we don't make up stories, right. So the stories we tell it's what we do. And if we do something stupid, we also talk about because it can be fun, we also need to be grown enough to laugh about ourselves. So it's a lot of those aspects. So we don't want to share it. We don't want to meet too. We want to create our own identity, we want to create our own universe. And if you want first and foremost for me and for us here in the office, and not the only one obviously sevenfriday is not a watch brand. And it's not a sunglass brand. 75 days, if you want to live attitude, it very much has that look and feel of like a rebel brand almost. That's probably a bit too binary in black and white beds. It does feel like it's not supposed to be there for the people that want to play by the rules or the people that just want to kind of have something safe. Yeah, it's always it's always difficult about those titles. I get what you mean and in a way, maybe Yes, but it's not like oh we don't we have to react rebel over other people like this is the word disruptive. Yes, we all we all that but not for the purpose of just being that it's like we just want to stand out, we just want to be great cons against about what we believe in and follow that. Because you know, let's face it nobody needs to watch. Now you don't need you have a mobile phone shows the time perfectly actually more accurately than any mechanical watch. You have alarm function you have everything you need. Otherwise you can buy a smartwatch review into that and get all the features. But that's not what we do. It sevenfriday is a product representing a certain lifestyle and attitude. Maybe it's a bit rebellious. But it should still be respectful. Maybe it's still a bit disruptive. We also try to be innovative in what we doing it the way we do we have the way we communicating. Because let's face it, it's not just because we win, obviously, as well. But it's not just because you think we're going to win more customers. But also because we have a lot more fun like that. Also, yes, you're dead, right? We don't really need to tell the time on our hands anymore. Because like you say, we have the mobile phones everywhere we are in front of the laptop a lot of the time we you know, we can have access to the time, unless I have found that when you're in hotel rooms, they have removed a lot of the clocks in hotel rooms. Now I have no idea why but it's super effing annoying because you might you might be like me where you kind of wake up at several times in the night and you don't really want to go over to the phone to look at you look at the clock on the phone, because then you think I've got enough notification. I'm gonna have to look at that. And then, by the way, you're now spending 20 minutes rolling through Instagram at 330 in the morning. clocks in the clocks in hotel rooms. I think I should start some kind of petition. Let's let's get those back in the game. Yeah, we should maybe maybe we should do a special hotel clock. Please. Oh my god. Yeah, that could be something please get that up and rolling. And then let me know where these clocks are. So anyone they can take it with you. Because you can't come to the hotels, I guess. The missus will be like, why are we staying in this hotel again, so I can see the goddamn time at four o'clock in the morning. Okay. For in the desert. It's true. Actually, it's true. And nobody mentioned it as this, it happens to me a lot when you travel time. So everything is fucked up in the system. And you wake up and you actually, you know, the moment you look at your phone, you're awake. Yeah, that's it, you're when you start working. That is true. Not just I just think it's good to head around, I think most brands accepted that now. For a long time the function was in the function has to be correct. And it has to work, it has to be accurate. And it has to be really quality for the same time. It's a necessity. I think that's what it is. And then according to your taste and do what you need and what you want. And so I say the symbol or not. Some people make a statement by not playing a watch. Even so they claim I don't want to make a statement, but it is a statement. And other people then it's important to have a $200,000 watch because the dollar you can't live in the restaurant, but so people still see that they're rich. And another people just have more maybe an expression of style. It's like why do you wear bracelets? Or why do you have expensive sneakers? Or why do you have a fancy car because he you know, any Toyota or Honda brings it from A to B to So how much did you know about watches before getting into war taking him before into watch is nothing when people think like oh yeah, your space naturally watches. Yeah, no, we don't grow up and have special lessons in school above water. Especially not in Surrey ground for maybe in the French part a bit more. No, I actually, it was an accident getting into water. But that's a long time ago in 2000. I just wanted to travel the world and work in different countries. And I got a job offer to manage a subsidiary of a trading company in Australia. And they happen to distribute watches and other luxury goods. And I remember that time I've never sold a luxury goods. I have never been in Australia and I said this company's either stupid. But if they're stupid enough to hire me, I'm going to be stupid enough to go there and do it. And that's how it all started. And I did 10 years in Asia restructuring of subsidiaries and distribution companies. And the good thing, it's very taxing, but the good thing about restructuring is it's always companies that are in trouble. And that's how you learn most. Right? And that's why I found for me, and that is objective, obviously, but I found a lot of things brands do especially new brands or smaller brands just doesn't make sense. And what are those? What are they doing? Now? I mean, number one is if you're new brand, don't go out there and look what Rolex and ultimate big is doing and try to do the same because it does not make any sense. You don't have the history don't have the finance you don't have the capacity. You don't have the people you don't have to reach when people come and discuss CRB wanted to egg. So I said, and he asked why you want to do that. But you see rolexes in the Gulf is in the blah, blah, blah. And is it okay? If that's the reference, I think we really royally screwed. And that, for me never made sense. But obviously, nobody listened to me. Right. So I had the conclusion either Shut up or just do it on my own, but it's gonna work. And the good thing when I started sevenfriday had really no money left, because I bought before design studio Antoine, which we built and sevenfriday. And so the good thing is about having little money, you have to be creative. Otherwise, it's really difficult, especially in communication. So we entered social media and Instagram in particular, when all the watch friends A few years ago, there was the best thing. Not that we went but equally that other brands didn't come. So we had like a vacuum in there where we could build a brand, nearly a loan for one year because other branches refused. Why were they so reticent to get on board with social media? I think it's like a 15 year discussion, the industry had away the RV a luxury via motherfuck. Do you I don't know why we are so good at old art and social media cheapens the image of the product. That's one. The second thing is brands are always afraid to lose control. So they sing by going on social media, they're more prone to be attacked with negative comments. They didn't realise it's out of the control anyway. I mean, the people attacking or hating, they don't wait till you're online. They don't need you to be online because they can go online on their own. Yeah. And obviously now everybody is online, on this also different social media platforms. So I think it's proven that it works. And it's necessary. It's just sometimes industry that work well. And the watch industry was what was the one of this industry that just grew up on here? Not anymore, but they used to. And when things go, Well, people don't want to rock the boat. They just don't want to do things differently. And I think that goes to the whole industry really big time. And how did you manage to leverage Instagram and social media when you were first there? How did it prove a benefit to you? Why it's very simple. I mean, I was alone in the office. And obviously, nobody knew that I exist, or the brand exists. So I had people to get to know what I'm going to be doing. Right, the simplest that and I can call people up. And that's taken a lot of time. And it's not very efficient. So you have platforms where you can reach people. And again, at that time, the whole algorithm story about Instagram wasn't as complex as today. Yeah, it had multiple aspects. Number one, we build a distribution. And like, after one year, we had 50 countries. Next, thanks to reaching people with social media. Very simple. It wasn't my history. It wasn't the connection from the past, it was really predominantly via social media. And the other thing is, when you start the brand, you know, when you're alone in the office, and the phone doesn't ring and nobody's looking for you, you get a bit desperate, maybe something's instead really good. Is everything correct? What I'm doing is it is it the right way. And having Instagram at that time, I remember every day I posted a picture, and you just get the likes, you know, you can do the settings. So you see all the likes. And I did obviously that so he was always busy. And I felt really ever felt amazing. Shit, see my product? I reach people out there I reached the real world he was it was motivating at ascent. Did you ever consider doing like a kickstart or a crowdfunder? Like you see, so many watch brands start that way now? My six, seven half years, it wasn't really that actually yet, but I was never really big fan of it to be honest. Because there's no control over what is going to be launched. There's a lot of very dodgy projects, in my opinion. I read a lot of stories. And I think it's not a bad thing. But I want to really, as a brand owner be the destiny of the brand. Right. And I think we have to put the trying to pull the middle make the money, put the money where our mouth is. So we try and resolve because I think it's a bit too so we call it two edged sword or how he called a double edged sword. double edged sword. Yeah. What do you tell us? What does it tell tell about me as a brand not being competent enough? You know what I mean? It's like, yeah, could he Okay, it's fine. It's nothing bad about it. But at the same time, I believe in brands, they're confident enough to put something out there. They're convinced. And maybe it's something I haven't really thought about myself. That's a good idea. Yeah, we want to surprise people you want to innovate. And as an innovation, we have to drive. We can't do everything like communication, we count a lot of our customers as well. So there's a lot of customer generated content, which does a lot of good for the brand and really appreciate that. Well listen. Congratulations. I think you got a really cool product here. I mean, especially I've just been going through the website, which people can find sevenfriday.com and you can really fall down a rabbit hole with some of these watches, and especially the glasses as well. There's so many different things that I mean, how I don't really want to do it myself how best would you describe, say some of your watches like the psycho, for example? Yeah. I mean, it's, everything has we doing we tried to follow the laws of it that we, it started, somebody else told me once a follow is never a winner. It's not about winning, but it's about identity. And if you follow that you don't win if you follow orders that you don't have your own identity as it makes a lot of sense. So when we create when we design we have our own language, our own parameters, you know, the the most produced watches around so we don't around the most produced complication is coronagraph. So we don't do chronograph. We try to to avoid opportunism, and go maybe sometimes a little bit too hard away. But therefore strengthening our identity and recognition as a brand and uniqueness so so the rocket is collection collaboration we did with the artist is obviously something out there we did the first one was it two or three years ago. And I didn't expect that it was 50 pieces only. Anyone crazy. I mean, people wanted to buy off my wrist on the street. And it just showed that you know, bring a big colour and it's something the watch industry never considered doing. Because it's not serious enough. It's not boring enough. But we take what we do face a serious but we want to give it a certain flair of fun of amusement. We want you to look at the product of ours and you have a smile on your face. It looks great in a nightclub. It really when I saw some of the photos online, I thought, yeah, that that could actually encourage me to go out and start going to clubs again, at the age of one. We have a good excuse. I'm sorry. I have to go. Yeah. Yeah, it's a mission. I can't just hang around the house looking. Other people need to see me look sexy. I can't just do it for you, woman. Yeah, no, it gives you something back to the world. And you absolutely right. Well, listen, if people are in London town, you can find some of your watches down in Selfridges, I believe. Yep. And butcher as well. And Hanover Street. You're International. You're in over. You're now in Shanghai. Is that right? And you've got we open? No, we have in China several spaces that we have in Beijing and Xian. And they're probably pronounce half the cities wrong in German, even as I'm travelling there frequently. In Shanghai, we opened the most recent flagship space because we don't do boutiques because we hate shopping. So we do space where you have COVID rings, we have a Paris used to be a French restaurant, actually. And there was Shanghai now in Taiwan, which has opened the second one totally, we have about 25 spaces. So in Singapore, in Malaysia, in Jakarta, we have a restaurant. So in Zurich, we have one actually. So it's the idea of creating a space where you want to spend quality time with people you like. So it's not just about buying products. Well, I look forward to seeing the one in Jakarta. I'll be there in a couple of months. So I'll see you when you're going when you're going. So we are going in May, we're going to do like the Bali trip, go across Indonesia and places like that. So we'll be in Jakarta, there'll be a touchstone land there and be there for a day or two. What is the what is the Bali trip? We're in the throes of putting a itinerary together the girlfriend and I will be going to see like Komodo dragons just backpacking basically. So you should drop by we gonna be on the sea. Have you heard about the seven Friday games? No, please tell me. Shit, we really have to work on our communication. You know, like companies and brands say to conventions? Yes, I'm sure you have been at some of those super borings in a hotel room. They show you a PowerPoint presentation what emotionally the brand means. And I never understood that. That's another thing. I when I when I worked with Audible, I didn't understand how can a PowerPoint, show me emotion. And then you get really bored of the first days and you get obviously drunk in the evening. So the next morning, it's really painful, more PowerPoint hangover, a very bad combination. So I had to bring the people together after one year when we had all those people and it's countries. But I didn't know the format. So a friend of mine told me basically why don't you do the sevenfriday games. So basically, we all get together from all around the world. And it's always a different place. They rent out a hotel, which is unique. And we do the game. So basically we build teams and you always use different nationalities and really meet people. We have creative faculties with this and we have sporting activities. We have huge celebrations in the evening. And you win points and winning teams gets the biggest August trophy we could find. So in my this is going to be on ppln right. Okay. James Bond Island, so you can just get on the boat then. And Hippo disenchant ever seen James Bond Island class? I have. Yeah, I've been it's tiny. I know. From the moment you think, Oh, well, somebody moves in there, then it's this tiny little thing. Yeah, it's just it's so small and then you just go around one part of the island and there you find 15 different market stores. And you get taken up too much fuckin space over here. Jesus h Christ. What's funny about those if anyone sees like James Bond Island photos on Instagram, but the hilarious thing is that you'll get all of the chicks that will be in the water. There'll be up to like knee deep and water with the nailhead Island in the background going look at my life, Isn't it fantastic? People don't realise you can't swim in that water because it's just filled with fucking mud. It's because you want to get the perfect picture. So you go out like halfway in the water. Are you gonna come back? You're gonna be bit about you're gonna, you're gonna have to think about about all these Instagram influencers or whatever. I mean, half of them die of clay full of clips, just to make a glaze of pictures. It's really insane. Yeah, I find when tragic. They are the true rock and rollers, but only only after they fall off the cliff. Yeah, I think you have to fall off the cliff to something you have to fall off. Yeah, I agree. I agree. I've always had just annoying. Oh, actually, am we gonna do the? No, because a podcast? I think that's something I really missed. Because we're gonna do now as seven Friday news channel. Oh, fantastic. Yeah, I got we got inspired by Monty Python and remember Flying Circus. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I think we have to bring that into today's time a bit. And, and now for something completely different. Yeah. And the thing is, you know, I want to have fun in the office. I want to look forward to go to the office, and we need to do a little bit stupid things in between. Oh, fantastic. Well, listen, I hope you can reach out when the show is up and running. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Let me know. And we will check him. Have you ever listened. In the meantime, seven friday.com is the place and seven Friday on Instagram is where you'll see everything that gets uploaded daily and keep your eye out for a podcast in the near future. Dan, thanks so much for coming on to the podcast. Thanks for having me. And one last thing. If you want the news live form, you can also go on to seven Friday app. Absolutely. Yeah, check that out as well. Fantastic. And I got to say it for people that are really into something different. And I don't really know how to describe it that way. I think you've already done it a bit more articulately than I can. But the seducer sunglasses, and the psycho watch is just something that you need to see to believe. So get on to the website and check those out. And in the meantime, Allah, I'll speak to you soon. Sounds good. Thank you very much. Have a great weekend. Thanks, Dan. Take care. Bye. Bye. Thanks. Bye bye. Many thanks, Dan. I really enjoyed that one. Thank you, Dan. And thank you all for listening, sharing, telling a friend that's how this thing works. If you're diggin the free content, then make sure you're supporting us. Maybe leave a review on iTunes, wherever you can do just send them cash in the post if you have to. That's what you feel compelled to do. Until next time, remember it's only fashion people and you never fully dressed without a smile.

Podcasts we love