• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Sankar Radhakrishnan

"The company is looking at a rather conscious progression towards on-ground promos that focus on relationship building rather than merely creating awareness."

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, March 10

CATCH 'em young' is a phrase that often finds its way into marketing strategy. And that is the route the Chennai-based Hasbro recently adopted to promote its `Genesis' brand of formal wear for men.

Just before the B-school placement season began earlier this year, the company distributed discount coupons to final year MBA students at Chennai's Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA). The coupons, which offered a discount of 30 per cent on purchases over Rs 1,500, could be redeemed for `Genesis' or `Basics' apparel at any of the company's outlets. Along with the discount, the company also handed out copies of The Corporate Jungle - A survival guide, a book that talked about corporate grooming. Developed by Radical Advertising, the book includes tips on the essentials of good dressing.

The rationale behind this promo, says Mr Hanif Sattar, Director, Hasbro, is that B-school students are a potential target audience for the company's apparel brands. With many of them choosing to revamp their wardrobes prior to the placement season, the promo was a perfect opportunity to `connect' with them and give them a feel of the brand, he explains.

With some 31 of the 65-odd coupons that were handed out being redeemed, the promo was quite successful, claim company officials. Mr Hanif Sattar clarifies that the promo was more about establishing contact with the target audience and less about redemption. The objective was to educate the target audience about the importance of dressing well, while simultaneously creating an opportunity to introduce them to the brand and create brand loyalty, adds Mr Suhail Sattar, the other director of the company.

The company is looking at a rather conscious progression towards on-ground promos that focus on relationship building rather than merely creating awareness, declares Mr Suhail Sattar. The strategy, therefore, is to create a "buzz" around the company's two brands and also add life to its retail outlets, all the while trying to enable people to get a "feel" of the brand, he says. The `B-school promo' is part of this process, he adds.

The success of the test initiative at LIBA has persuaded the company to extend the coverage of the `B-school promo', says Mr Hanif Sattar. Next on the list are B-schools in Hyderabad, New Delhi, Bangalore and Tiruchi, besides a few more in Chennai, he adds.

Simultaneously, the company is looking at more localised promotions in the various cities it operates in, says Mr Hanif Sattar. The focus is on developing easily replicable, simple and cost-effective promotional models, he adds. On the anvil are loyalty programmes and partnerships with other brands and organisations in each city, he declares. On the retail front, the company hopes to increase its reach in Kerala and in Karnataka in the next few months.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication

Stories in this Section
JWT sweeps Spark awards

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line