How Global Brands are Indianizing themselves Brands don't just work on the marketing campaign that announces their arrival; but also on their products to suit the Indian taste
By Sanchita Dash •
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When a global brand plays out its grand debut in India, there's excitement in the air. Marketing campaigns make sure that the brand name is out there on the television, radio, hoardings etc. On the day of the launch, a long queue of excited shoppers awaits. But sometimes, once the doors open, there's nothing but disappointment? Why? Because while the products on display are the same international products, they do not go with the Indian psyche.
Understanding this, brands don't just concentrate on the marketing campaign that announces their arrival; they also work on their products to suit the Indian taste. Entrepreneur India takes a look at the various ways in which global brands glocalise themselves to adapt to the Indian needs.
Launching new products
To satisfy the end user, while products have to maintain their unique quality, it's important to also change the look of the product so as to understand the culture of the country they are in. And that includes festivals, especially in a country like India, where festivals mean new clothes. Now that the festivities are around the corner, with Diwali just two weeks away, Jimmy Choo has announced an exclusive collection for India. The collection named Celeste has the signature golden sparkle that comes with Diwali. Similarly, Hermes had even introduced a sari collection for its Indian audience.
Revamping existing products
For many luxury brands, while launching a new product or line specifically for the Indian market might seem like a difficult task, revamping existing products is an easy way out. The brand American Tourister, for example, produces the largest version of its backpacks only for the Indian audience. Even the fabric and the stitching of the product are Indianized. The pen brand Montblanc too has designed the marketing of its products by regionalising it for different states and languages of India.
Change in their Sale Pattern
Gone are the black Friday sales and 4th of July discounts and taking their place are Diwali discounts and Independence Day sales. The Indian consumer tends to shop when a big festival is around the corner. Keeping the same in mind, there are major shifts in the sales pattern for most retail stores. Even e-retail outlets like Amazon had to switch to the Indian sale schedule.
Partnering with Indian Biggies
Another way in which global brands decide to take on the Indian market is by partnering with already established names in the Indian industry. In the luxury footwear segment, Christian Louboutin had collaborated with the Indian designer Sabyasachi for a limited edition collection.
But the idea isn't just limited to luxury lifestyle. The very famous game Cut the Rope, produced by Zepto Lab had partnered with Nazara technologies to Indianize the game for the Indian market.
Glocalization
When global brands enter the Indian market, they "glocalize" themselves by adapting to the needs of the Indian market. Tech companies too have changed their methodologies to reach out to a wider audience in India. LinkedIn India has partnered with IL&FS Skills Development Corporation to provide blue collared jobs in India. While LinkedIn was primarily known for creating connections for white collar jobs, considering the Indian market where people seeking for blue collared jobs are plenty, the move seems to be a good one. The social networking giant Facebook too launched Facebook Hindi for the vernacular audience in India.
