398In the field of consumer electronics accessories, there is such a brand. It started from a small computer cable and has now grown into a globally renowned industry giant. This brand isBelkin.
In the United States, more than 60% of computer users have at least one product from this brand at home. In 2023, it once again proved its strong strength with sales of $480 million (approximately RMB 3.495 billion).
How did Belkin achieve this?
Image source: zippia
The Story of Belkin's Founding
According to available information, Belkin's founder Chet Pipkin established the Belkin brand in Compton, California in 1983.
At first, the company's business focused mainly on the production and sales of computer cables. At that time, computers were gradually entering thousands of households, and the demand for data connection and information transmission was increasing. The Belkin brand quickly gained a foothold with its stable product quality and flexible market sense.
By the late 1990s, as the business developed, the Belkin brand was no longer satisfied with the cable market and gradually expanded its product line, entering multiple fields including wireless networking devices, mobile device accessories, power protection solutions, etc. It also established multiple branches and logistics centers worldwide, laying the foundation for its subsequent global market development.
However, in 2018, the brand was acquired by FIT Hon Teng Limited, a subsidiary of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Foxconn) in Shenzhen, for $866 million, becoming a member of the Hon Hai Group.
With the help of Hon Hai's supply chain and manufacturing capabilities, the global layout of the Belkin brand accelerated further, opening a brand new storyline!
Image source: Belkin
Driven by Market Demand
The continued success of the Belkin brand is not only due to its product strength but also inseparable from the continuous growth of consumer market demand.
On the one hand, the popularity of consumer electronics such as smartphones and tablets has led to an explosive growth in demand for accessories. As phone sales increase, the markets for chargers, data cables, and wireless headphones have also risen accordingly.
On the other hand, the rise of smart homes has also opened up new opportunities for the Belkin brand. Consumers are pursuing convenient smart lives, and products such as smart sockets and smart switches have become standard in homes. Belkin seized the market opportunity by launching corresponding products in a timely manner.
In addition, the spread of environmental protection concepts has also greatly benefited the Belkin brand. As consumers' environmental awareness increases, Belkin has launched eco-friendly material products, further strengthening its brand image and winning users' favor.
Image source: Belkin
Diversified Layout: Online and Offline Efforts
Of course, the popularity of Belkin's products among consumers is also inseparable from its multi-channel layout both online and offline, especially its careful planning and precise marketing on the phenomenon-level social media platform TikTok.
To accurately cover user groups in different countries, the Belkin brand has established an account matrix on TikTok.
Image source: TikTok
The brand's main TikTok account @belkin is mainly used to showcase videos of the brand's full range of products in various scenarios. It has accumulated 185,100 followers and 365,700 likes.
So far, there are three videos on the account with over one million views, with the highest one reaching 1.8 million views.
The content is very everyday—a short video shot inside a car, showing users that Belkin's wireless power bank can also be used as a phone stand. This way, the phone can be wirelessly charged directly in the car, without worrying about forgetting the data cable, and it can also be used as a phone stand—killing two birds with one stone and making it more convenient!
Such authentic daily display content can better integrate into users' lives, capture their needs and pain points, and facilitate the process from interest to placing an order.
Image source: TikTok
The brand's TikTok sub-account @belkinvnstore is a newly established account targeting the Vietnamese market. It currently has only 1,154 followers and is still in its early stages, but it maintains a good update frequency, posting a video of daily use of Belkin products every 2-3 days.
Such a regular update frequency is more conducive to the account being seen by the target audience, thus achieving a certain publicity effect and successfully retaining these followers and converting them into loyal users.
Image source: TikTok
In addition to working hard on content creation, the Belkin brand is also good at leveraging external forces by cooperating with influencers to feed back into the brand.
According to third-party data platforms, the total number of influencers Belkin has cooperated with has reached 3,000.
When selecting influencers, Belkin did not blindly pursue top-tier influencers but focused on mid-tier and lower-tier influencers.
Although these influencers do not have the highest number of followers (ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands), they have high interaction rates and strong fan loyalty, allowing them to accurately reach their target audience.
Image source: Echotik
The product promotion videos created in cooperation with influencers record daily usage scenarios and authentically demonstrate the advantages of Belkin products to the audience. This kind of real sharing based on personal experience is very practical, making it easier to retain viewers and thus improve product conversion rates.
For example, influencer @travelingrosas shot a product promotion short video for Belkin's wireless power bank, which reached 153,600 views.
Many users in the comments expressed interest, saying they needed this wireless power bank when going to the park, and some asked whether it was suitable for Android phones. These indicate users' willingness to learn more and purchase, which greatly helps promote sales conversion.
Image source: TikTok
In addition to video promotion, the Belkin brand also values live-streaming sales, having accumulated 498 live broadcasts so far.
During live-streaming sales, TikTok influencer hosts demonstrate the specific usage methods of their products and patiently answer various questions from viewers. This interactive approach allows users to fully understand the products, better establish trust, and thus stimulate their desire to buy.
TikTok influencer @mjvillafradez promoted their products, attracting 2,700 viewers in a 1-hour and 45-minute live broadcast, with an estimated 101,800 items sold and sales reaching $2.56 million (approximately RMB 18.65 million), achieving impressive results!
Image source: Echotik
After talking about online channels, let's talk about offline.
Offline, the Belkin brand is also solid and steady, cooperating with large retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, and Target, selling products through their stores so that consumers can buy without going online.
At the same time, they have also opened a small number of brand stores in places such as California, USA, to provide users with professional product experiences and services.
Image source: Google
Independent Website Layout: A Key Step to Take the Initiative
The Belkin brand has also established its own independent website, supporting multiple language versions. Consumers can switch languages according to their country, lowering the browsing threshold. Not only that, the independent website also supports online purchases, and users can freely choose from multiple payment methods when purchasing products, effectively improving the shopping experience.
Because the independent website has the attributes of a mall, it also avoids the risks of over-reliance on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, especially in terms of preventing sudden account bans, policy changes, etc. It is more calm and flexible, and is an important guarantee for long-term stable development.
Image source: Belkin
Conclusion
By interpreting Belkin's overseas case, it is not difficult to see that whether it is consumer electronics or other niche fields, there is still demand in overseas markets. The key is whether someone truly explores it.
For domestic brands that want to go abroad, now is still a good window of opportunity.
Although competition abroad is indeed fierce, as long as the products are solid, operations keep up, channels are well laid out, and every step is steady, I believe everyone can always find their own space.
Instead of waiting and watching, why not give it a try now!
