Enjoyed as one of the most popular treats, butter cookies have delighted millions of people all over the world with their crisp, sweet and buttery taste. The delectable treat was also responsible for a love story that blossomed in a small Danish village more than 80 years ago. Selling his beloved Anna's wonderful buttery cookies to neighbouring villages, Marinus Kjeldsen and his wife opened their first commercial bakery in 1933. This established and sealed Denmark's spot in the global cookie industry. Known today as the Kelsen Group, the cookie company's flagship brand Kjeldsens was appointed as purveyor to the Royal Danish Court in 2009. Each tin of Kjeldsens butter cookies therefore proudly displays this appointment with a golden crown in its logo, symbolising the brand's authenticity, quality and status. "When the Kjeldsen family established this bakery, they had a special sense for quality, so they put a lot of love and handcraftsmanship into the products," says Brian Ronsholdt, CEO of Kelsen. "Making high-quality Danish butter cookies known under the Kjeldsens brand today is the heart of the company." Kelsen has not only captivated the Danish royal family, but it has also won customers in Europe, the Middle East and the United States. Kelsen products bring smiles to families in Asia as the company continues to use Kjeldsen's original recipe to create a range of cookie brands and variants, all made in Denmark. Mixing great taste with good-quality butter, natural ingredients and processes that are certified by international standards, Kelsen continues to strengthen its brand's positioning as a prestigious gift for friends and family. It exhorts customers to celebrate "golden moments" with loved ones, making Kjeldsens a common sight in Asian homes and offices, particularly during Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. "We are popular in two seasons in Asia, and we are working on doing a lot more seasons throughout the year," Rønsholdt says. "We are also focusing our resources on expanding the organisation, intensifying marketing activities and strengthening our distribution structure in Asia to serve markets in Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan." Acquired by Campbell Soup Company, Kelsen applies the food manufacturer's knowledge and resources in managing multiple brands as leverage to increase its Asian footprint. It ensures a continuous supply of premium Danish cookies in Asia through its retail setup in Hong Kong and distributors on the mainland, particularly in Shanghai and Guangdong. Apart from collaborating with top retailers such as Wellcome, ParknShop and Watsons, Kelsen also nurtures a long-term distribution partnership with LF Asia. "We're building on this strong foothold," Ronsholdt says. "The key is to build on our good platform and strong brand equity. We have been doubling our business in China every five years, and we want to continue growing at an even faster pace in the future." Anchored on its vision of "a Kelsen cookie for every golden moment", the company develops partnerships that promote the values of ambition, co-operation, respect and open-mindedness. It is reinforcing its premium standing by linking its reputation as an imported product from Denmark to the country's top stature in global food safety ranking lists. With a majority of its revenue coming from Hong Kong and the mainland, Kelsen continues to engage markets through social media platforms. It spends a substantial part of its revenue on advertising activities such as in-store campaigns and promotional materials to showcase its factory processes and to spread its story of quality and excellence. Offering smaller cookie packs for convenience, Kelsen invites consumers to enjoy its heritage of good quality - not just on special occasions, but on any day. Kelsen Group http://www.kelsen.com
