https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/puma-edges-past-rivals-in-india-sales-to-emerge-as-top-sportswear-brand/articleshow/68090513.cms
This small but meaningful heading didnt escape my attention today . Now then , I am not a student of marketing and neither do I claim to be a great expert in the same . But as a metrosexual man , I am conscious of the eternal changes in the ever evolving industry of BRANDS.
Manmohan Singh amongst many other things opened up this - we became beneficiary of a host of international brands which were hitherto unknown or thought of . The M&S , Zara, Gucchi , H&M, Jack & Jones of today are thankful to Mr. Singh for what he envisaged way back in 1996.
Our childhood was spent marvelling about the IDIOT box - the colour television which we had in our house in 1987 ( the first TV we had ) and couple of programmes on Doordarshan which threatened to break the monotony of stupidity . Till 1996 when cable broke through ,our only entry into brand and western world was our television - a 21" Phillips.
From 1996 to 2008 when Cable was replaced by its successor Tata Sky in our house hold (DTH started in 2003 & Tata Sky in 2006 ) and in 2013 when we opted for HD channels at a premium and in 2018 when Tata Sky paved way for Airtel altogether , brand loyalty in our house was often a foregone conclusion - something which when installed brought in many questions but when questions were asked about its' replacement it was almost next to impossible.
In all modesty , I call myself an educated middle class man who grew like many others in a very conservative family in a slow decaying Bengal in the 80's where if you had Television and a 4 wheeler you were touted RICH . We had a Small colour TV by 1987 but no car .
From 1996-2008 Cable ,From 2008-2018 TATA SKY - the point am trying to make here is the durability of the brands in our house . Initially Cable had no competition but when TATA SKY came in 2006 we still stuck to Cable for two full years knowing that the latter was providing better quality and channels . It was only when the Cable guy made some errand and that too for some months ongoing that we changed into TATA SKY. Same for Airtel , inspite of Tata Sky losing out on channels over a period of time we stuck to it till one day we had to take a call in November '18 when the calculations showed Airtel was cheaper and providing a better deal ( TATA SKY lost out on the Sony channels which they had lost the rights and CWC matches in 19 are mostly on Sony).
So much so for brand loyalty in a middle class home of ours that am sure reflects the tone for many others in India . What then is brand loyalty ?
According to me its very difficult to define Brand Loyalty especially these days when you are spoilt with riches in every brand your eyes may feast on - from small fittings in your cosy washroom , to your closet and cloakroom, to your room, to your wardrobe and clothes, the perfume u smell, the pen you write, the LED you flaunt , the expensive I Phone or Samsung Galaxy you use , the bed you sleep, the sleek laptop that you use , to the expensive bi focals and the jazzy shades you put on, even to the shoes you wear (snickers when you run ) and of course for the MEN for their toys they flaunt - their 4 wheelers. One big negative effect of consumerism that we experience - our lives are tied invisibly with BRANDS .
Our discussion today is not Brands or their (ill)effects - it is the more myriad issue of what makes people loyal to them .
Brand(s) for me is a psychological panache of telling this world that I have arrived . I know many people who are stinking rich and not brand conscious and vice-versa (pay out of their pockets to tell every one about the brands they use) .
Let us then limit this argument to people who use brands - conscious or not takes a back seat. My main discussion point this evening is - once a brand is chosen how long is it going to stay with us ? What is common man's behavioural pattern in sticking to a brand , once it is selected ?
Let us now examine the headlines in this light particularly - In a sports crazy country like India where following sports is like religion and not playing it so much , apart from Cricket ( which is played by 10-12 nations at most ) we are world beaters only in BADMINTON now and a handful sports like Archery, Shooting, Weight Lifting , Wrestling we are creating some ripples. Safe to say not exactly the headline you would see up in the morning .
So for a country like India be it Adidas, Reebok, Nike or Puma - everything should be same . After all we are not the USA, Germany, UK , China ,Japan of World Sports . So if this is not so which brings me to the question of writing this blog is - brand consciousness is to a major extent a psychological phenomenon spurted by media & money consciousness. Bringing back my childhood examples as basis points for reference it is safe to say that unlike the world of DTH, sportswear being external to life , the show off is evident .
Lets get deeper - India is the only market where Puma has gone ahead of other giants like Nike Adidas and Reebock. This on the back of the athleisure trend that has gripped the sportswear market. While other co.'s flaunt performance & technology Puma focusses on style that makes it so attractive to casual dresser. The same style which once was the German brand's iconic face . On a personal note again the 100% cotton T shirts of Adidas, the 100% cotton Tracks , and the leather finish shoes which were so sleek and sexy to wear - a owner's pride and neighbours' envy . Being a staunch & loyal fan of Adidas , their migration to 65%-35% Polyester Cotton mix in T shirts and the same in Tracks and shorts , and also a drastic change in shoes to Resin Look ones from the leather ones ' was slowly but surely putting me off.
A sportswearbrand is meant for comfort primarily - whether be it Shirts /tracks or be it shoes - I presume Adidas and Nike's success at the top in India was primarily due to two factors - comfort laden with extremely good looking shoes. Not taking away anything from ADIDAS ( they must be having a good enough reason to change over from pure cotton to polyester ), this change in loyalty in India from Adidas & Reebok (owned by Adidas) to underdogs PUMA suggest only one thing - Brands are up for change if customers' dont see any value in them any more - after all each and every brand that this consumer centric world throws up is for the consumers only .
For me brand loyalty is a word thats cliche yet never old - like most of my era I prefer to stick to a brand once I start using it ( that's more so because anything I use and electronics included I do a lot of research make myself doubly sure and then only go ahead and start using it , but once I do home in on something I stick to it like a blind man sticking to his stick) - and going by the reasons given above unless there is a major problem in that brand , I dont change it . Same I guess goes for majority of people for whom brand is a in between word between luxury and necessity . Since 1996 when privatization happened , Adidas has been the dominant name in India as far as sportswear goes and YOURS TRULY has been a loyal follower since 2000. Citing the reasons given earlier , it was impossible for me to think of Nike or a Reebok and Puma was a distant fourth. That we are discussing the ascent of PUMA as the no.1 brand in India speaks for itself the trivial subject of brand loyalty - its like the shirt you love wearing again & again till such time you find quality in a better shirt with an affordable price . What is indispensable now becomes disposable at the wink of an eye !
This ascent of Puma in an era where people dont change brands easily is a direct co relation of the fact of the ever evolving strategy of these conglomerates in a breath taking fight to stay alive in the race for supremacy ( Puma Signing MaryKom as brand ambassador and roping in Kohli a glittering example of the same ) . You dole out less money for more comfort - thats what brand loyalty has become now in an ever competitive world of multiple brands that fight to keep its' neck above the other .. In an era of multiple and too many good brands to chose from , when one brand that too which was an underdog becomes numero uno in a country where consumerism is as varied as the cultural diversity , you have to understand that the underlying psyche of people whose buying power we have been talking all this while has come to change and will change in future given the dynamics of money and the offerings vis-a-vis the same . 21st century Indians will not wait for a second to remain emotional and loyal given the affordability of the price range & the comfort and likings they have . Like society which has undergone a sea change in India after 1996 , brand loyalty or the lack of it has also come to stay for good . The lack of it is the myth that got busted with this news. Tomorrow I wont be surprised if another giant comes and takes this plave by shelling better cost effective strategy. Indian men/women are happy experimenting with multiple brands - thats the new loyalty !!!
