Interview with Jana Koristova, CEO of ZeoZoe.
- History of the company in short: The ZeoZoe brand was created as a joint project of three women – Jana Koristova, Iveta Henzelyova and Aurélie Prasličková. Over time, Ivetka and Relika started to work on their own projects and I led the ZeoZoe project together with my sister Eva Czermaková. We continue to collaborate with Ivetka and Aurelia, so the original idea and values of the brand remain. The brand name combines two ideas: “ZEO” refers to zeolite, the key raw material of the products, and “ZOE” means life in Greek. We wanted to bring people cosmetics that are natural, effective and honest.
- When, why and with what product/service did you start to consider expanding into foreign markets, in what territories and what opportunities/challenges did this bring you. We knew from the beginning that our products had the potential to expand abroad, mainly because of their effects and uniqueness. Our dental tablets are unique in their composition (and use). Markets: ideally within the EU due to easier product registration. Challenges – finding a reliable and strong partner who knows the market and therefore has realistic expectations.
- What are the specificities of the territories? Our products are natural, made in Slovakia. We cannot compete with cheap cosmetic products from China. In some countries, price is still the most important factor for decision making and less consumers are hungry for origin and quality.
- Which products/services are the most successful in your export portfolio and why do you think they are competitive? Tooth powder and dental tablets, because of their unique effects. The uniqueness of our products is also our biggest challenge, we have to explain and educate people a lot.
- What are the most common obstacles you encounter when exporting (regulation, logistics, cultural differences)? Regulation, even within the EU, we have to be careful about claims, legislation and what effects we communicate.
- How do you assess the competition in international markets and how do you differentiate yourself from it? We have no direct competition, our biggest challenge (by bringing something new to the market) is that we are changing people’s habits (from brushing their teeth with toothpaste, powder or using dental tablets) so explaining, educating…
- How have your export activities changed in recent years, especially in light of economic and geopolitical challenges? We have not yet launched any significant export activity. Open potential collaborations, remained open… The situation in Ukraine has slowed down some of our activities, I think many were waiting to see what the impact would be for Slovakia.
- How do you manage the risks associated with exporting (political, commercial)? So far it has not been necessary.
- Do you have any partnerships with locals in foreign markets? How do you choose your foreign partners? Not yet.
Thank you for the interesting interview.