Advertising Success, the Playful Way
An inspiring story of collaboration and achievement
Spectron is a Dutch toy distributor offering a wide range of toy brands and has been collaborating with bol for years. Mik Oosterveld, an account manager at Spectron, shared insights about their partnership, the challenges and successes they’ve encountered, and how sponsored products play a key role in their marketing strategy.
“We’ve been working with bol for many years,” says Mik. The company represents popular toy brands such as Silverlit, Moose Toys, and Bing. “We are the exclusive distributor of these brands in the Benelux. We supply major toy retailers but also online marketplaces like bol.”
Mik explains that their company has been actively using sponsored products for about 2 to 3 years. “We now really feel like we understand how to use them effectively,” he says.
A Refreshed, User-Friendly Platform
Initially, Mik was hesitant about the transition to the new sponsored products platform. However, he now finds the system to be much clearer and more user-friendly. “The new platform works more smoothly and is much more organized,” he explains. “It displays all campaigns in a neat list, making it much easier to set up and manage them. Analyzing results has also become simpler, allowing me to create and adjust campaigns in a more targeted way.”
A Game of Continuous Analysis and Optimization
Mik emphasizes the importance of regularly evaluating the performance of their ads. “It’s an ongoing process of figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and which adjustments to make. By closely monitoring metrics like ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales), I can disable placements that underperform and optimize our campaigns. This allows me to allocate more budget to better-performing ads, ultimately increasing the effectiveness of our campaigns,” he explains.
Smart Structuring: Product and Brand Campaigns
Mik shares how he strategically organizes his campaigns by clearly separating product campaigns from brand campaigns. “For product campaigns, I group similar items, such as interactive plush toys, into a single campaign. Brand campaigns, on the other hand, focus more broadly on the brand itself, like Bing toys, and promote a variety of products ranging from plushies to playsets.” According to Mik, this approach is both efficient and effective, ensuring that products across different categories gain strong visibility on bol, even in a competitive market.
Synergy between sponsored products, influencers, and TV commercials
For Spectron, sponsored products don’t operate in isolation. They smartly integrate TV campaigns and other media into their marketing strategy, combining various channels for optimal results. “In the toy industry, influencers are becoming increasingly influential in the purchasing decisions of young people,” Mik explains. “For example, the popularity of creators like MrBeast on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok draws significant attention to products, making them even more in demand.”
Sinterklaas and Christmas: Preparing for the Peak Season
As Sinterklaas and Christmas approach, the demand for toys increases significantly. This is a key peak period for Spectron. To prepare for the holiday season, Mik begins gradually increasing the advertising budget as early as October. This helps make products visible in search results early, allowing the algorithm to pick them up and rank them higher organically. This strategy strengthens their competitive position, especially as the holidays approach.
Tips for Other Suppliers
Mik shares his valuable tips for suppliers looking to advertise with sponsored products on bol:
- Use sponsored products for new products
Start immediately with sponsored products to quickly boost visibility—both paid and organic—for new products. - Use automatic campaigns
Rely on bol’s algorithm for keyword selection, but continue to monitor and adjust as needed. - Combine sponsored products with other marketing campaigns
Ensure that campaigns like TV ads and online advertising complement and enhance each other. - Preparation is key in peak periods
Start advertising early in the lead-up to peak periods to make products visible well in advance. - Keep collaborating and optimizing
Regularly consult with bol’s sponsored products specialists and continue to learn and refine your strategies for long-term results.