A breath of fresh air in the blinds industry

Everything comes down to moving with the times. Writing a column for issue 1 of 2024? Immediately, all sorts of topics pop into my head. The importance of good photography, online visibility, consistency in the customer journey and - a general and hot topic in 2023 - AI.  

Meanwhile, several editions of Z&R appear, obviously with fascinating contributions to The Pen. There I see the items described - explored or briefly touched upon - that also play at CORNELS. Flip through the stack of Z&Rs again or click through them online. Notice that The Pen (read The Keyboard) is mostly written by marketing colleagues. There's even one partially drafted using AI! 

The common thread in all issues of The Pen in 2023 was surely the dusty image of the sun protection industry. It was up to us - suppliers and dealers/sun protection specialists - to blow the dust off! To inspire the end customers, especially now that the private market is quiet (after the peak we all experienced in 2020-2021). Our industry offers wonderful products for everyone to enjoy the outdoors all year round. Show, tell, share and sell your story unequivocally! 

CORNELS works with dealers to sell our products. A previous The Pen rightly states that it is up to dealers to ensure consistency in the customer journey. Cautious statement, because you can also put it more directly: rigid! That's a trait that suits many entrepreneurs in the awning industry. 'We've been doing it this way for years. Why should we do it differently?' That is also the paradox, because the only certainty is change. 

That is why I personally think it is so cool to work in a young team, at a young brand that thinks ahead and continuously works on beautiful developments. 'He's just starting out,' are quotes from an older guard. I am by far the oldest in our team (20 years difference on average; you'll have to guess my age) and I see daily how many new insights and passion my young colleagues bring with them. And not only them, passionate young professionals among our dealers also stand out. They too are bringing a breath of fresh air to the sun protection industry. 

Don't get me wrong, obviously also many 'older' dealers full of passion ánd with a lot of experience are moving with the times. They sell from their beautiful showrooms, are intensively engaged in marketing (or outsource this) and professionally install projects. Professionals without a showroom use our central showroom and this is how we help each other. Our portal is also widely used, but there are also dealers who need more guidance with digitization and to stay current. 

Speaking of current events, as I type this text, Christmas music is playing. And as you read this, it is almost Easter (so to speak). Developments continue and my words could well be outdated by now. So the question is, with the fresh wind blowing through awning land, will magazines continue to exist in print? And you? As a reader, do you go along with the fresh wind blowing through awning country? Or will you stay behind the glass windshield? Oh yes, another question arises. With all the related products on the market, is the term "blinds industry" still up to date?