Dear myJBL Community,
When my team and I look back on the past year, we can say with pride: What a year! THANK YOU for your support.
We’re not basing this just on statistics and numbers (which have once again seen double-digit growth) - it's the active community in our apps, on the website and in our many campaigns.
And you, as a reader of this blog post, are a part of it. THANK YOU for your interest and your activity.
Being so thrilled by this growth of interest, we are continuously expanding the range of services for the myJBL community. We “feed" on your feedback, product reviews and comments. But that's not all. Our internal processes ensure that your feedback is channelled to where it can be used for improvement. We don't just do what we like, we do it to meet your animals’ needs. And we never forget your wishes as pet owner.
Buzzwords of 2023
Before I get lost in the details, telling you what was and what will be, I would like to give you the most important buzzwords from 2023.
PRONOVO, PROTERRA, TROPENFIEBER - Hobby meets nature, MEGA #jbldeal CASHBACK, JBL Expedition, JBL Themeworlds, JBL TV, WILD NATURE AQUARIUM, #jbldeal SALE, JBL Competitions, #myJBL reviews, myJBL local deal, ...
That’s enough for now. The list is long, and we have shared a lot of experiences. 2023 was more than successful, and we owe that primarily to you, our great community!
JBL Insight
Did you know that many of our 170 employees run their own aquariums, terrariums and ponds? Many of us have been working at JBL for more than 10 years and were led to their job through their hobby.
Even our 3rd generation managing director, Stella Kaltenmeier-Böhme, loves her office aquarium and helps look after it. Our youngest offspring, the 4th generation JBL, is already looking at the underwater world with fascinated baby eyes.
We are a family business and that’s important to us. We are committed to an unpretentious hobby and to safeguarding the hobby in the future. Not only with products or services, but also politically, socially and through voluntary involvement in the industry. Sustainability is not just a slogan at JBL. We have been continuously expanding and implementing new strategies for over two decades, without the prompting of any external requirements or financial benefits.
But there were not only positive events. Our sales manager, Didier Lergenmuller, passed away in December after a serious illness forced him to stop work. This year we have had to say goodbye to a number of long-serving employees, as they embark on their well-deserved retirement. However, we are proud to say that our new colleagues have taken their place with great vigour, bringing a breath of fresh air to the family.
Because digitalisation thrives on change, my team for digital marketing 2023 has continued to grow - this is the only way we can develop further services for you.
Our short communication channels, open doors and direct line to department heads and management ensure that JBL really feels like a family, despite our many employees. This helps to ensure that ideas and wishes are heard and can be translated into solutions - holistically and comprehensively.
That's why I'd like to say that I'm happy to be part of this family and look forward to our community and the team every day.
What happened in 2023?
We worked hard and developed ideas to promote and reward your passion for aquariums, terrariums and garden ponds. Below is an overview of the most important aspects of the year.
Digital - Up close and informative
With the new Podcast TROPENFIEBER - Hobby meets nature, we have given you even more insights into JBL's research expeditions and taken you on a journey to the rainforest and Amazon. More than 100,000 listeners have already listened to our 7 episodes and a trailer and streamed a playback time of 1,944 days or 5.3 years - not bad!
Digitally, you have received the new format WNA ( Altum Angelfish | WILD NATURE AQUARIUM ) from us, and it will continue alongside JBL TV, to deal with the natural habitats of fish and reptiles on the JBL expeditions.
We have reworked the reports of the two JBL expeditions Colombia I ( Expedition 2022 Colombia I ) and Colombia II ( Colombia Expedition II ) and put them online for you. The experiences, impressions and measurements from the South Pacific 2023 expedition are already being finalised (click here for a preview of the trip: Expedition South Seas ).
In addition to our popular competitions from the myJBL world ( Competitions ), we distributed sample packs of our new PRONOVO food range to over 10,000 customers for the first time and launched a new competition for PROTERRA with a QR code on the sealing film: PROTERRA SCAN + WIN
We have refreshed and expanded the range of content for you in the Blog and the Themeworld . And, while we were busy with that, we also created a new Food advisor for your fish.
We have published numerous short videos for you on TikTok and Instagram. Two very popular videos were these two: Instagram and TikTok .
And I almost forgot, the popular format JBL TV (click here for JBL TV Titles and Schedules ) with my colleague Heiko Blessin brought some new aspects to light in great detail and further expanded the information offered in the myJBL world. He’s able to explain the most complex of aquaristic topics in a simple and understandable way.
Always popular - our offers. Our specialist retail partners regularly have JBL products on offer. To coincide with such popular shopping events as Black Friday, Schools Out or Prime Day, we supported our local retail partners with the MEGA #jbldeal cashback. All through the year, including in the Christmas season, we gave you the opportunity to enjoy discounts on the purchase of your JBL products and to make your visit to your local specialist retailer even more enjoyable. And once again our classic #jbldeal promotions proved to be very popular. In addition, we came up with the #jbldeal SALE to sell off our discontinued PROFLORA bioCO2 and NOVO ranges. This was jointly offered and organised with our specialist retail partners. You can find an outline of all current #jbldeal promotions here: #jbldeal .
But I’m sure you know most of this already, due to our expanded communication channels and the increased personalisation of the information you receive. We haven't reached the end of the journey yet, but I'm sure you're already noticing the benefits.
Products - Useful and tangible
Which new products did JBL launch in 2023? The two biggest ones come to mind straightaway.
The introduction of the new JBL food ranges PRONOVO for aquarium fish (to overview: : Feeding ) and PROTERRA for aquatic & terrestrial turtles (to overview: PROTERRA ) not only signified a complete variety of foods designed in accordance with the latest scientific findings, but also a food that is manufactured using modern, gentle production techniques with high-quality raw ingredients.
In addition, we have expanded the JBL PROPOND food range for pond fish (to overview: Feeding ) for further countries and added small can sizes - an explicit request from you.
Classic products such as JBL Cermec , JBL PROCLEAN POWER and JBL PhosEX Pond Direct in canister were also refreshed.
A total of around 200 new items were launched in 2023 - a mammoth task for the entire team.
A preview of 2024: Bright and colourful - Growing as a team
As we all know, the best is saved for last, and we assure you: 2024 will be even more exciting! We have so many ideas and, even better, so many developments already on the home straight. Our focus is on making the world of aquariums, terrariums and garden ponds safer, easier and more enjoyable for you.
In 2024, there will be no let-up - I can promise you that much - and a large number of new products will appear on the market. This includes the latest versions of existing products as well as the next generation of JBL LED SOLAR NATUR and EFFECT, which will be coming soon.
We plan to replace some existing product ranges with some real innovations. These are the improvements that we take from your feedback and requests and incorporate directly into our processes.
But that's not all. Some completely new products, which have not previously been available in the JBL range, will soon see the light of day. It's going to be a banger!
I wish I could reveal more, but that would spoil the surprise…
In the digital area, though, I will be more forthcoming … Finally we can hold the popular fan meet-up "Online meets offline" for the 5th time after a 4-year Corona break. We are very much looking forward to it. By expanding our video studio (you won’t believe what's coming), 2024 will see some new video formats and content, on social media, but also on our website.
My goal is for JBL to always be there when you need us. To achieve this, we will continue to incorporate new communication channels and personalise our content even more. You’ll never again receive information that doesn't interest you. We will also further expand the range of content offered in the Themeworlds, JBL TV and the TROPENFIEBER podcast, so that you’ll get an informative answer to every question and every problem.
Service begins long before your purchase of a product and it doesn’t end with it either. We stand for the responsible treatment of animals and we support every hobbyist.
Matthias Wiesensee, M.Sc. Business Informatics - Head of Digital Marketing
2024 – Let's go! Now that it’s 2024, we can't wait to show you what we’ve planned for the year. We'll keep you up to date.
The year in pictures
It is always easy for marketing and sales to show the successes and results and receive positive feedback in return. But without our colleagues in logistics, purchasing and production, the many products and the ready supply of the entire range simply would not have been possible. The work of our other colleagues in back office, accounting, quality assurance and research also play a key role in ensuring that we can continue to make great strides forward.
Do you have any requests for JBL? Are there any products that you think are missing from the range? Let us know. Write your ideas in the comments of this myJBL blog post.
I wish you a successful and happy 2024 with lots of positive experiences and time for your hobby.
My team and I will be happy to help you. Our colleagues in the customer service center are also there for you should you have any questions or problems. As part of the myJBL community, we also offer you GarantiePlus and Customer satisfaction as free premium services. It’s a piece of stability and security in a very volatile world.
And so it only remains for us to send you our warmest greetings,
Matthias Wiesensee and the JBL Team
