Melbourne-based accessory brand Cygnett is celebrating 20 years of operation this year, with the business currently rolling out a new branding campaign across the 42 countries they operate in.
At CES 2023 I caught up with some of their management team to talk about the future for the brand and the issues facing the future direction of the accessory industry.
Cygnett is a trusted Australian brand, according to the organisation’s CEO Paul Santoro, and this was clear when we spoke to customers packing into the Company’s stand at CES 2023. 
Also on show was the new packaging designed by their Melbourne-based design studio. The new design is sleek and clear and, according to Santoro, a major contributor to the Company’s growth.
In recent months the business has added new industrial designers to their team and are currently looking for additional staff.
“To secure a sale in a congested retail environment it’s important that packaging stands out and clearly communicates to the consumer what the product is and its key features,” explains Santoro.
At CES 2023 a big hit with attendees was the basketball hoop and shooting area at the entrance to the Cygnett stand which came about because Cygnett is the major sponsor of women’s basketball in Australia as well as Australia’s Olympic basketball team, the Opals.
According to Cygnett’s head of marketing, Michael Broadhurst, 2023 is all about the “evolution” of the brand.
“We are a trusted brand with five-year warranties for our products and having name recognition in the market, especially with our back-up power and charging products, is essential. Being Australian and trusted appeals to overseas customers coming to our stand at CES,” he says.
According to Santoro, one of the keys to success during the past 20 years has been their strong partnerships with retailers. “We are a successful brand for key retailers because we have products that are well-designed and are easily recognised by consumers, plus serve a need for protection and power for their digital devices,” explains Santoro.
Cygnett is not only a market leader in fast-charging products, it’s also one of the tech industry’s fastest growing scale ups. Our global expansion into more than 42 countries firmly cements Cygnett as a scale up technology business that helps people protect their devices and stay fully charged. A Cygnett product is sold every three seconds, and in 2022 we’ve sold more than 1.4 million metres of cable or over 4.6 million feet of cables, the equivalent of flying from San Diego to Seattle. Ultimately, we’re striving to help more people stay connected and protected around the world,” says Santoro.
“Right now, retailers are concerned about stock and stock levels. We have recently invested in 8000 square metres of new warehouse space in Melbourne, which triples Cygnett’s warehouse capacity. We’re also carrying 6-12 month’s supply of stock across 90 per cent of our SKUs. Retailers know they can rely on us,” says Santoro.
When asked about where the market is going, Santoro outlined two key issues, including whether Apple will stick with a lightning charger or move to USB-C. He also believes a move to MagSafe for Android devices will drive the market this year.
Another market where Cygnett sees opportunities for growth is in the home automation market, however he warns that before Cygnett invests further in this space there must be clarity around what Apple is doing with Matter and Home Kit, which many people believe needs to be improved.
Currently, Cygnett is offering home automation products across the Google Apple and Amazon eco systems. As for USB-C accessories, Santoro says there is still a “lot of confusion” around this category.
“Consumers need to be better educated,” he says. “We aim to play our part in educating consumers by providing detailed training with our retail partners and designing concise and clear packaging,” he explains.
Currently, Cygnett has an extensive range of wall chargers which has witnessed growth since smartphone brands no longer included a wall charger at the time of purchase of a new device.
“This has led to growth, especially when consumers seek out multiple USB-C charging options for their smartphone and a new generation of PCs that are USB-charged,” says Santoro.
Another key area where Cygnett looks to grow is in portable power. It’s an area where the company is currently achieving “significant growth” with their portable power solutions.
“The portable power market is growing and with energy problems such as more frequent power outages, consumers are replacing a torch or candles with a portable backup power station for their home. They also need power backup when travelling or when using a new generation notebook that are USB-C powered.
“What we’re finding is that consumers are better educated today. They want multiple options when it comes to accessories in their life. What we’re delivering is a new generation of accessories that are key to people’s lives, and we will continue to innovate in delivering the right solutions,” concludes Santoro.
For more information, please visit the Cygnett website.
