AG Voice | Trends that will dominate the sphere of luxury brands in 2015

The affluent consumer with discerning tastes is the veritable driver of growth in any luxury market. With the socio-economic and political changes that have swept the country in 2014, there is a concomitant wave of optimism and propensity to spend that is palpable. To truly optimise the value of this positive buoyancy, luxury brands will have to keep up with the altering attitudes of the aspirational consumers and aficionados alike in 2015.

Through marketing initiatives, brands will have to elucidate their promise of delivering superlative experiences and turn the spotlight on how their products or services can offer an unparalleled exclusivity. Marketing endeavours that build a deep engagement with consumers will be pivotal in the coming year for luxury sanitary ware or premium brands in any domain, for that matter. Certain specific marketing trends will play a defining role in driving this change, fuelling growth and sifting the clear leaders.

Emotional Value  

In 2015, brands will have to connect further and leverage the emotional quotient they offer. There is now quite a staggering number of sanitary ware brands in the Indian market purporting to be ultra-premium. However, market leaders will have to clearly differentiate themselves from competition by emphasizing on innovation, quality and complete solution products across communication channels.

For instance, there are multiple brands offering touch-free faucets in the market. But as the leading bathroom fitting brand, we at GROHE highlight how our faucets go beyond just allowing a hands-free experience. We offer a plurality of products that are physically therapeutic while offering a truly rejuvenating sensory experience. The Aquatherapy from GROHE, for instance, bestow customers with the calming caress and the invigourating vitality of water. The spa environment unfolds as a welcome oasis in an otherwise stress-filled lifestyle. Here, customers can experience how the amalgam of water, temperature and pressure, perfectly orchestrated through GROHE showers, stimulates the points of the body where stress and tension accumulate. The muscle-relaxing, pressurised water enhanced by the dynamic GROHE DreamSpray technology facilitates the blood flow, and further relaxes and soothes tired bodies while lifting the spirit.

Elucidating such solutions and their value will help the brand engage emotionally with those consumers looking to welcome pure, unadulterated pampering into their home.

Customised Experiences

Turning the spotlight on personalised and customised experiences will be imperative for brands in 2015. As the market gets cluttered, the customer seeks something more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Brands will have to demonstrate how their bathroom fittings and solutions can be modified to offer a showering experience suited to specific bathrooms, interiors and preferences of consumers.

Communicating solutions such as tailor-made showering concepts that are intuitive will do exceedingly well. More potential customers are likely to get lured by a brand that allows them to create and re-create their shower surroundings in their desired cubicle or with a bathtub that suits the area they have at their disposal. A vibrant range of showers, side shower panels and water controls for a customised showering concept will not only engage more consumers at product level but also create an aspiration towards the brand.

Best of Online and Offline Marketing

Come 2015, luxury sanitary ware brands will have to drive marketing more through technology centres. All activities will need to be a perfect blend of online and offline techniques. A highly synchronised user-friendly online consumer interface, be it a website or social media platform or blog is imperative. However, this year brands will have to go beyond just portals and use the online medium in its entirety for consumer dialogue and wider engagement.

2013 and 2014 saw a lot of focus being laid on multi-platform digital models that necessitated social media incorporation in every marketing effort including customer acquisition, experience, product design, sales and development. 2015 will witness the opening of differentiated experience centres as a key marketing activity. Brands need to back up their promise of delivering superlative experiences by showcasing their offerings in state-of-the-art showrooms and display centres where customers can walk in to see how exactly their future bathroom will look. These outlets will not only enhance the brand image but will also nurture a desire in the customer to bring home an oasis of rejuvenation similar to the one they see in luxury resorts and five-star hotels.

In the approaching year, one can expect some very pleasant highs for the sanitary ware sector in India. If the influx of new designs and technology-enabled solutions is backed by powerful marketing strategies, brands will enjoy a competitive advantage. By carefully targetting potential customers and reaching out to them creatively, luxury sanitary ware brands can uncover a new realm of possibilities in India in coming times.  | By: Ramesh Kaushik, Head-Marketing, Grohe India 

About the Author: 

Ramesh Kaushik, Head-Marketing, Grohe India has more than 13 years of extensive industry experience in both B2C as well as B2B segment. Having worked in both consumer segment as well as in advertising and media agencies he has deep insight into both analytical as well as creative side of consumer marketing, be it B2B or B2C.

In his current role as Head-Marketing at GROHE India, Ramesh is responsible for facilitating growth, and conceptualising and implementing an effective marketing strategy to maintain leadership position in India and Sub Con.


 

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