Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Wednesday, May 08, 2002
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Wednesday, May 08, 2002 |
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Marketing
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Brands Wills Sport dresses up its customers Harsha Subramaniam
CHENNAI, May 7 IMAGINE you walk into a store to buy clothes and a film star or a former Miss India tells you what suits you the best. This was the brand building exercise carried out at the Wills Lifestyle store, where models Jas Arora and Nafisa Joseph advised the customers of Wills Sport brand, the kind of clothing and accessories they should wear. The focus of this `Fashion Guru' initiative was not selling the product, but to enhance the brand's relationship with its existing clientele. In an interview to Business Line, Mr Sanjiv Keshava, Chief Executive Officer, Wills Lifestyle Retailing Business Division, explained, "The fashion guru is a concept of fashion consultancy service that was created to help a customer choose garments best suited to his or her lifestyle." He said the company handpicked these fashion gurus who reflected the brand's personality and could instil a high level of confidence in the customer's mind who approached them for fashion advice. "This initiative was to provide customers with a unique brand experience," he said. Explaining the brand's communication strategy, Mr Keshava said the Wills Lifestyle design team has been working with leading European designers to track international trends in fabric finishes, technology and fashion. He said, "Wills Sport is a prêt fashion label and not just a premium apparel brand. So the entire brand communication, unlike other apparel brands, is focussed on lifestyle and not on the category." Though the brand offers three variants (clothes for work, party or leisure) now, Mr Keshava said that the product range would increase and include items that complete the urban wardrobe. Mr Keshava also said that the company has invested close to Rs 150 crore in this business and the total investment along with its trade partners (franchisees) will be around of Rs 250 crore. ITC plans to expand its lifestyle retailing business by covering the entire range of lifestyle products, including personal care products and accessories. The company hopes to achieve a 10 per cent market share in value terms in three years, during which it plans to launch 100 stores across the country.
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