Interview Angelcare
Talking
tech
Nursery Today talks tech with Angelcare UK’s CEO, Julie Ebrey. How is technology playing a role in nursery products?
Technology is encroaching in every aspect of our day to day lives. Our children are faced with it every day in all that they do. They will never remember a time without it and nursery products are no different in this.
By adding a tech aspect does this give parents a stronger level of peace of mind?
Not necessarily, sometimes this just provides just one more aspect of childcare to become anxious about or over complicate things. We believe what gives the consumer a true sense of support from a particular product is faith in the brand and that their technical know-how offers features that really make a difference to the parenting situation. With us, that’s primarily the movement sensor pad.
Do you feel that tech is being added to some nursery products as a gimmick rather than a solid purpose?
There is a degree of that. Some people will always want something because its ‘new’ but it’s not necessarily adding a benefit to parenting. Although we have been selling Angelcare monitors across the globe
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We have been selling Angelcare monitors across the globe for well over 20 years, we have ensured they have stayed up to date with the current technologies available while focusing on our key product features.
for well over 20 years, we have ensured they have stayed up to date with the current technologies available while focusing on our key product features. It is important for us to remain loyal to our brand heritage since that’s what we are known for and we have a loyal consumer and retail following because of our consistency. Some technology can be so complicated that it can overwhelm parents at a really sensitive time in their journey. Some products that are difficult to set up, or that have other parts that need to be used in conjunction, can add to parental anxiety. Parents just want something they can rely on and set up with the flick of a button. Because of this we have really concentrated on ensuring our monitors are easy to set up with clear instructions.
Are Apps playing a stronger role within nursery products? For sure, especially around the areas of monitoring. It’s great having your phone with the ability to manage your home or nursery but there is always the underlying fear of hackers, or the wifi or phone signal going down. We’ve steered away from apps because of this. Our monitors use digital technology with a choice of 19 channels to ensure they don’t conflict with anyone nearby.
Does this type of enhancement also appeal to dads? Dad’s love tech; what more can we say, however Mums prefer to know that the product works and gives them the reassurance they want. They want the product to be stylish and fit in the with décor too.
Are we experiencing a greater level of innovation when we look at products that also have enhanced features?
Innovation is the essence of product development, but we have to be mindful that we don’t undermine the skills of parenting. We believe that no product should be used as alternative to getting to know your baby and your baby’s cues. Fundamentally the relationship between parent and child is so strong that a good product only serves to embellish and support that relationship rather than replace it.
How do you convey features and use to your retailers for demonstration of product?
We love the idea of interactive videos to show how our products perform in real settings. This allows the consumer to understand fully the features of the product when they are making their purchasing decisions.
