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A former journalist and PR account manager has joined Dragon’s Den-winning watch company, Slappie, as its marketing and development manager.
Kim Bougourd, who joins the firm from local PR consultancy, Liquid, will focus on raising the brand profile, through traditional and social media, as well as helping Slappie grow its global footprint.
‘Slappie is an exciting company with huge potential for growth, both within the UK market and overseas. The product is fun, easy to use and looks great, all of which are important to the success of a fashion accessory,’ said Mrs Bougourd, who produced a weekly fashion feature during her time as a reporter at the Guernsey Press.
Slappie featured on the BBC show, Dragon’s Den, in 2016, when it secured £50,000 investment from the Moonpig.com founder, Nick Jenkins. Within minutes of the programme airing, the brand’s website crashed due to the number of hits generated. Since then, interest from retailers has increased, and Slappie watches are now stocked in Wicked Uncle, Freemans Grattan, Saltrock, BrightMinds and Southbank Museum.
In June this year, local businessman Scott Carre bought the company and began operating it from premises in Glategny Esplanade, St Peter Port. Since the acquisition, Mr Carre has received requests from retailers wanting to stock the watch range, including international airlines and world-renowned department stores.
‘We are in a period of rapid growth, with a huge amount of interest in the product globally. With Kim on board I am confident that we can see Slappie fly the flag for Guernsey on a worldwide stage,’ said Mr Carre.
During her time at Liquid, Mrs Bougourd worked on some of the company’s largest Channel Islands’ accounts. Prior to that, she was a journalist for 20 years, working in radio, television and print media at Island FM, BBC Guernsey, BBC South West and the Guernsey Press.
