Lenskart.com – With a Clear Vision

It was during my school days, I recognised my difficulty in reading letters written on the blackboard. I was taken to an optometrist and was diagnosed with myopia. I and my mother visited the adjacent optical shop and bought a spectacle as per the prescription (choice is minimum). I was pleased to get my vision clear. But to my embarrassment, everyone started calling me “Soda Glass” seeing the thickness of the glass. The picture is not different even today. However the eyewear industry has evolved over the years. I have discarded my spectacles and now wear a Bausch & Lomb soft contact lens with pride.

As a marketing enthusiast, I was indeed very curious in knowing the consumer behaviour. To me firstly, eyewear market even today is doctor – driven. Consumer seldom takes decision without consulting a doctor. Retailers have resolved this by employing in-house optometrist and through this, I presume the industry developed but with low penetration. Secondly, the stigma towards people wearing a “chashma” (Spectacle) still prevails in the society in general. Thirdly, eyewear is a product by force rather than by choice. Due to this, given a chance people evade wearing specs.

As the consumer evolve industry provide us with enormous opportunity. This cue was taken by the promoters of brand Lenskart.com which disrupted the eyewear industry by leaps and bounds. Lenskart modified the consumer behaviour. Thanks to the technology revolution. Lenskart started in late 2010 was the first homegrown online eyewear marketplace in India. To me, it was a clear clutter breaker. The brand broke the “buyer resistance” by launching free home eye test. The game changer was the 14-day money-back policy which abridged the inhibitions. The whole process of ordering is hassle-free as a Lenskart salesman accompanies the optometrist and helps you in placing the order. Lenskart was also careful in positioning. All their campaigns communicated an aspirational element to spectacles similar to jewelry and made it a fashion statement. Their 3D frame selection was an instant hit.

To make their distribution more perfect, Lenskart started offline stores. Currently, 350 Lenskart offline stores are present in 90 cities which enhances the visibility of the brand. Riding on the trust gained, Lenskart developed their own brands which to me is the most significant decision which will make the brand sustain in the long run. Another tipping point is the value for money pricing. My personal experience is also in the similar line. The website provides catchy discounts which can retain the consumer with the brand. 

What haunts me currently is can we make the consumer brand loyal. My personal experience is that I have changed stores as per convenience while buying eye wears. As of now, Lenskart is pretty safe as the majority of their consumers are brand loyal. But what will happen if competition intensifies?

Anyway, kudos to Lenskart to democratize otherwise a category product to a product of choice.

At 40 "Main Hoon Toofani"

The power of a brand lies in what resides in the minds and hearts of customers. However one can envisage how challenging it is to stay relevant even for the next minute. Then how successful brands survive? Borrowing the words of brand pundits either you reinforce your brand or revitalize it. Over the years numerous brands have undergone this. What if a let alone brand with limited marketing shows a colossal growth?  How good will it be if a company own a Black Swan brand?

For Coca-Cola, it is indeed a blessing in disguise. In a period when consumers turn hostile towards carbonated beverages Thums Up which celebrated its 40^th birthday a few days ago is growing strong. What amuses the pundits is the journey of Thums Up without much support from the company. During my B School days and even after that I have read that as a strategy Coca-Cola planned to withdraw the local brands Goldspot, Limca, and Thums Up which they acquired from Ramesh Chauhan in 1993. While GoldSpot and Limca had a sudden death, Thums Up was allowed a slow death. But, till today Coca-Cola was unable to eliminate Thums Up from its portfolio. Currently, the sales revenue of brand Thums Up is between Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 5,500 crore (approx) marching ahead to be a million dollar brand in sales by 2023. What made the Thunder Strong?

Thums Up, since its launch in 1977 had an image of a “Tough Man’s Cola”. This image/positioning ideally mirrored the personality of a consumer in the rural hinterland. The brand was for a matured and tough man with a sense of adventure. Thus the brand differentiated itself from the clutter. Even though several new advertisements were launched during this four decades of existence, the essence of the brand was never compromised. The tagline “Taste The Thunder” explains the identity of the brand which is unique. Even though the investment in marketing is very constrained for the brand, Coca-Cola succeeded in maintaining continuity in the brand meaning thereby reinforcing the brand.      

To unleash the aspirational quotient of the brand, a new positioning “Mein Hum Toofani (Heroic) was launched last year. I should consider this as the first major change happened to the brand in its life. From a “Tough Man’s Cola” Thums Up now caters to a wider spectrum of consumers who like to unleash their heroic spirit. This is a careful preposition leveraging the trust and excitement people express towards the brand. Besides, this seems to be a more compelling Point of Difference the brand delivers.

Another interesting piece in the story is the brand was unbroken by competition.  That’s why it took 40 years for a product innovation to happen under the brand Thums up. To me, Thums Up Charged the new innovation is also aligned perfectly with the brand image and so I hope it will enhance the brand relevance. It is premature to predict the success of the new brand but I feel that Coca-Cola missed a countless opportunity during these years.

Let The Thunder be there for long unleashing the Toofani of the consumers

Poppins – Truly Eternal But…….

People tend to cherish childhood memories. Old habits live with us all the time even if dormant. Given a chance we do romance with our past. Reading through the pages of an autograph book or a glimpse of an old photo brings in nostalgia and warmth in us. What if when a brand travels with you in all phases of your life without much change in its form? It sounds fantastic.

Poppins popped into the market in the year 1950. Since its inception, it maintained a clear edge over its competitors. The rainbow filled candy (borrowing the words of Parle) was definitely a clutter breaker. A pack of Poppins had 10 candies inside with different colours which attracted kids. Parle with the aggressive promotion was able to register a place in the minds of the consumer. 'Ram & Shyam' comic strips for Poppins which have featured in books like Champak, Chanda Mama, Chacha Choudhary, Amar Chitra Katha, and Tinkle were a massive success.

Over the years, Poppins accompanied consumers in all walks of their life. 10 candies for just INR 20 made it a value – for – money brand that everyone can afford. Since there existed limited competition in those days, the journey was smooth for Poppins. Barring competition from Gems, it was able to position itself as the most sought-after candy among kids. Every brand in order to sustain should evolve. I suspect whether Poppins was late in it. Are the youth of today prefer Poppins?

In 2008, Poppins came with a “for all ages” proposition but lacked persuasion. Gems, the major competitor for Poppins with its value – for – money proposition as well as with eye-catching colours was quick to reposition as a brand for all ages (“Raho Umarless” campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap5LitH6OJk). The new generation is now attracted towards Gems than Poppins. The sweet candy market today is highly competitive which also restricts the path of Poppins.

I personally believe that Poppins is Truly Eternal, but it needs more nurturing as it is beyond the so-called Product Lifecycle. It still possesses the brand strength to surpass any competition and sustain for more years to come.