TABLE OF CONTENTS

01. Executive Summary

02. List of Illustrations

03. Introduction

3.1 – Purpose

3.2 – Scope

3.3 – Methodology

04. Company Evolution

4.1 – Company Background

4.2 – Mission and Goals

4.3 – Advertising and Public Relations

4.4 – Unique Selling Proposition

4.5 – Brand Positioning

4.6 – Mood board

05. Brand Elements

5.1 – Name

5.2 – Logo

5.3 – Brand Personality

06. Situation Analysis

6.1 – PEST Analysis

6.2 – SWOT Analysis

07. Target Market

7.1 – Demographics

7.2 – Psychographics

7.3 – Behavior

7.4 – Mood board

08. The Marketing Mix

8.1 – Product

8.2 – Price

8.3 – Place

8.4 – Promotion

09. Primary Research – Questionnaire no. 01 – Ensemble, the Brand

10. Customer Based Brand Equity

10.1 – Brand Salience

10.2 – Brand Performance

10.3 – Brand Imagery

10.4 – Judgments

10.5 – Feelings

10.6 – Planned Resonance

11. Primary Research – Questionnaire no. 02 – Kids wear Industry

12. Opportunity Identification

13. Primary Research – Interviews with Management

14. Primary Research – Interviews with a few designers

15. Product Line Extension Plan

16. New Brand Elements

16.1 – Name

16.2 – Logo

16.3 – Brand Personality

17. Industry Analysis

17.1 – Kids wear Industry analysis

17.2 – Designer wear Industry analysis

17. 3 – Major Players of both industries

18. Primary Research – Questionnaire no. 03 – Cuddles, By Ensemble

19. Situation Analysis

19. 1 – New SWOT Analysis

19.2 – New Positioning Strategy

20. Competitor Analysis

20.1 – Present

20.2 – Potential

21. New Marketing Mix

21.1 – Product

21.2 – Price

21.3 – Place

21.4 – Promotion

21.5 – Mood board

22. Integrated Marketing Communications

22.1 – On the Web

22.2 – Printed Material

22.3 – Public Relations

22.4 – Sales Promotions

23. Product Market Focus

23.1 – Points of Difference

23.2 – New Unique Selling Proposition

24. Implementation Plan

25. Conclusion

26. References

27. Acknowledgements

28. Work Credits

01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In today’s competitive world, the consumer is spoilt for choices. Be it

any commodity, a car or a simple brush, he has an option to choose from the

innumerable brands made available to him, and it is here than the ‘hard

work’ of the brands come in, they have to get the consumer to pick their

brand’s merchandise over the competitors; an exercise which may be

explained in a simple way, but forms the crux of the corporate industry

worldwide. Launching the best products is difficult, but even more difficult is

to earn a consumer for it, and to retain them too.

Today, to retain the fickle minded consumer, it is necessary that

companies constantly re-update their services and goods. They have to not

only match up the current market trends, but also the needs of the

maximum number of consumers. Brands have to grow internally, to grow

externally with the consumers and with society. An excellent and time

consuming way of growing internally is extension. Extension of the product

lines of the company or of the brands of the company, or into a new category

all together. This report focuses on these extension strategies that

companies are actively making use of today. We have come up with a

product line extension strategy, for India’s first hi fashion retail brand,

Ensemble.

In this report, we not only have studied the current organization of

Ensemble, but also the market trends, the consumer needs and wants, as

well as the organizations of the competitors. Ensemble, will soon be

completing 25 years in the industry, and really needs a push now, to get

newer customers join their family. For this we have come up with a product

line extension plan, into luxury kid’s wear, which is a new concept in India,

already sees exceptional demand and is the need of the hour. Our concept –

Cuddles by Ensemble – has been studied and tested in detail, ready to be

launched in India, to serve the innumerable kids who deserve this, who need

this!

02: LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Image 01: Tina Tahiliani -http://www.verveonline.com/images/74images/people/powerlist/tinatahiliani.jpg

Image 02: Ensemble event invite - Original Scan

Image 03: BCG Matrix - http://www.vectorstudy.com/management_theories/BCG_matrix.htm

Image 04: Ensemble advertisement in Vogue - Original Scan

NOTE: All Images used in the Integrated Marketing Communications, have been scanned from magazines, L’officiel (November 2007) and Hello (February 2010).

All Mood-boards were made by hand, the image in the report is self clicked by camera, the images used in the board are from www.google.com and www.corbis.com.

03: INTRODUCTION

3.1 PURPOSE

The principal aim of this report is to study a brand in the most

comprehensive manner and the various means and techniques by which a

brand can be expanded and moved forward; in this case the brand, being

famed Indian designer boutique - Ensemble. The plan is to make a product

line extension by incorporating a kids wear range. This thesis analyzes and

provides justifications as to how the range can be incorporated and how

viable the concept really is.

3.2 SCOPE

This report covers various aspects in detail. It focuses on kids wear as

a whole, the evolution, the current market, future prospects and

shortcomings. It also includes relevant feedback from representatives from

ensemble and their views on the concept. The report also talks about

Ensemble, its history and its current position in the market.

3.3 METHODOLOGY

Systematic and methodical techniques have been used in the

conceptualization and construction of this dissertation. As soon as the topic

was decided, meticulous secondary research was carried out via vehicles

such as: - the World Wide Web, books, magazines, periodicals, journals and

numerous other publications. Later on, in-depth research was done in the

form of primary research wherein three different questionnaires were

distributed to a total audience of one hundred and fifty people. The results

obtained have been illustrated in the form of graphs and pie charts. Coming

to the report, it has been crafted in an organized manner it includes an

executive summary, introduction, body and a conclusion along with other

significant information and elucidations.

04: COMPANY EVOLUTION

4.1 COMPANY BACKGROUND

The concept of a house retailing hi-fashion garments was a novelty in

India till the eighties. It was apparent by the mid-eighties that India under

Rajiv Gandhi had finally come of age where consumerism and fashion were

concerned. The rich in India now expected international standards in clothes

(Fashion Kaleidoscope, 1994). In the year 1987, India saw phenomenal

changes in a number of spheres of everyday living; however, the most

notable change in the year was with regards to Indian Fashion.

A portal for fashion was born, giving designers and craftsmen a

platform to showcase their talent. ‘Ensemble’, founded by Tarun Tahiliani, an

engineering graduate and ace Fashion Designer today, converted a machine

tools showroom into India’s first Haute-Couture store and stressed on

innovation, style and quality, set in an ambience of relaxed elegance, and

efficient personalized service (www.ensembleindia.com). Initial designer’s

included Rohit Khosla, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Zandhra Rodhes, Niel Bieff

and Amaaya (Fashion Kaleidoscope, 1994). Constantly showcasing and

highlighting India’s hottest talents, it encouraged fashion and its affiliated

fields, such as styling, fashion photography and ramp modeling, as serious

and viable professions

(www.ensembleindia.com).

Today, 23 years later,

‘Ensemble’ managed by its Executive

Director, Tina Tahiliani Parikh has

firmly established itself in the

forefront of the Indian fashion

industry. Moving to fashion in 1990, she handles the merchandising, marketing,

finance, and strategic decisions at Ensemble. Innovative marketing is her forte

the fashion show in Goa in 1994, Image 01: Tina Tahiliani,

verveonline.com

where 200 guests witnessed a spectacular show on the beach is still one of

the most talked about fashion shows, India has ever seen. ‘Ensemble’

currently operates through its four stores spread across the country, with the

name still being synonymous with the best that Indian contemporary fashion

has to offer (www.ensembleindia.com).

Today, a premier fashion house, ‘Ensemble’, houses innumerable

noted Fashion designers which include Anamika Khanna, Rohit Bal, Tarun

Tahiliani, Savio Jon, Surily Goel, Wendell Rodricks, Monisha Jaisingh, Bhairavi

Jaikishan, Varun Bahl, Tarana Masand, Ekru, Ensemble Design Studio, Gopi

Vaid, Rakhee Grover Jain, Gaurav Gupta, Malini Ramani, Minaxi Dadoo, to

name a few…Ensemble, is the only leading Haute-Couture store in India, that

can boast of not only showcasing a vast array of Fashion designers but also

Accessory designers like Prabha Israni, Bansri, Amrita Hans, Breathing

Space, Bling Queen, Stoffa, Kan, Kokomoo, Priyali Chopra, Veena Advani,

Meera Mahadevia, Malini Agarwala, Just Jewellery by Jasmine, to name a

few…

With its polished wood and glass interiors creating the necessary

avant-garde ambience, with its average price tag in five figures is doing

exceptionally well, with a turnover of two crores in 1992 and has had a 100%

annual increase since then. It is a grand success story and indeed, Tarun

Tahiliani is having the last laugh (Fashion Kaleidoscope, 1995).

4.2 MISSION AND GOALS

Everyone in India knows who Tarun Tahiliani is; He is the man who

owns Ensemble (Fashion Kaleidoscope, 1995). This statement shows the

growth of the brand, the success of Ensemble. However, having already

achieved a part of its mission and goals, Ensemble is among the top three

fashion houses of the country.

Ensemble’s mission is to lead Ensemble to a place synonymous with

the best in contemporary fashion with the persistence of innovation, style

and quality.

Their goal is to come up with fashion stores that offer fashion to a wide

range of consumers with the best names of fashion at affordable prices.

4.3 ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Ensemble does not indulge in too much of campaigns. The advertising

that Ensemble does on a frequent basis is advertisements in leading fashion

magazines like Vogue, L’officiel. Their PR activities include store promos

where, a designer’s new collection is launched with the designer in store for

a day to help clients, this is not only advertised in the local newspapers but

after event reviews are also published in leading newspapers and fashion

websites. Apart from this, Ensemble gives out its merchandise for photo

shoots to various magazines; it also gives it to stylists for celebrities to wear

for a public function.

Image 02: Ensemble event invite, original scan

4.4 UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

Ensemble’s unique selling propositions have been listed below: -

- Ensemble prides itself on being India’s oldest and first fashion

boutique, it was established in the year 1987 which means that it has

been around for 23 years which makes it a seasoned player in the

fashion field.

- Another key unique selling proposition that Ensemble possesses is the

fact that one of its founders and key administrators is veteran fashion

designer Tarun Tahiliani who is also considered to be India’s top

designer. So his knowledge and experience has assisted the

conglomerate tremendously.

4.5 BRAND POSITIONING

The Boston Consulting Matrix is a chart that is used to project Brand

Positioning. It gives the position of the brand, it’s cash view point and its

current and potential market growth rate. Given below is the BCG Matrix:

Image 03: BCG Matrix, vectorstudy.com

According to the above BCG Matrix Ensemble will fall into the ‘cash

cows’ segment, as the definition of cash cows is - products with a high share

of a low growth market. Cash Cows generate more than is invested in them.

So it is ideal to keep them in one’s portfolio of products for the time being

and Ensemble is exactly what is mentioned in above definition. The potential

position is ‘Star’.

Ensemble’s current brand position is that it is a hi-end luxury

designer boutique, which caters to members of the upper-middle, and upper

class strata’s of society. Its clientele includes the who’s who of Bollywood,

socialites and industrialists

4.6 MOOD BOARD

5. BRAND ELEMENTS

5.1 NAME

The thesaurus defines Ensemble as a collection or a group. In a

way, the name of the brand itself sums up what the firm is all about.

Ensemble houses collections created by India’s established and upcoming

designers and also has its in-house clothing line. So there are groups and

collections from different designers each having their own distinct style and

craftsmanship, there are collections but each has its own presence and

individuality. The name of a brand is an integral part of it and it must speak

volumes of the brand and in the case of Ensemble it certainly does.

5.2 LOGO

The logo that Ensemble has is pretty straightforward and simple

yet classy and chic. The insignia is entirely in capital letters and it has a dull

gold finish. The part of the emblem that is most attractive is the ‘E’, which is

distinguished, as there are just three horizontal lines, which do not meet,

almost like three hyphens placed one below the other. Designed by high

profile artist, Urshila Kerkar, her classic stylized ‘E’ is used to represent the

brand often. The logo is classy, elegant, and eye catching!

5.3 BRAND PERSONALITY

Ensemble comes across as a brand that is very diverse, in terms of

the product assortment and price ranges. One can find saris, kurta sets,

short kurtas, western wear, watches, bags, footwear, men’s wear and other

paraphernalia. The price range of products is also varied, right from fifteen

thousand to a Lakh of rupees. From what it stocks, once can deduce that the

personality is an amalgamation of serious and casual. One can come across

serious, heavy and detailed designs like those of designer Bhairavi Jaikishan

and at the same time find uber cool and fun designs like those of New Delhi

based designer Manish Arora. The confluence thus formed is one of great

beauty and exquisiteness, of a fun yet sophisticated brand personality.

6. SITUATION ANALYSIS

6.1 PEST ANALYSIS

No business can function alone; it all has to function together, like

a team – both internally as well as externally. Having equilibrium internally is

very important, but having one externally is more important, as it is

something one really cant control much and external factors affect the

business in major ways. PEST analysis studies the possible influence of those

external factors on the business.

Political

The current political situation in India is that it is the Indian National

Congress party that has recently been reinstated as the ruling party, that too

by a huge margin. The congress and its allies are ruling almost all the

nations in the country barring a few like Gujarat and Karnataka, which are

under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stronghold. Diminutive political parties

like the Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Communist Party of India

(Marxist) have one or no state under their authority. The women members of

some of these parties are quite fashionable and do wear designer Indian

clothing, it is possible that a few of them might be Ensemble clients as well.

Some of the members are - former bollywood actresses Hema Malini, Jaya

Prada, Jaya Bachchan, and social activists like Renuka Chowdhary and

Shaina NC.

Economic

Most parts of the globe are still recovering from the once-fatal

financial recession. India was never really in any grave danger and whatever

little hazards were prevalent. Especially for the middle and lower classes

have been efficiently dealt with thanks to the Indian government and the

incentives and cost reductions that they have provided. As a result one could

say that India is back to normalcy. In fact annual incomes of people from the

middle and upper classes have somehow sky rocketed and citizens

nowadays have more spending capability and power. The banking system in

India has also improved greatly. Both national and privatized banks are

providing attractive loans and schemes. Equated Monthly Installment rates

offered are very good and affordable as a result one can find a plethora of

luxury automobiles and abodes in the country as of now.

Social

The current social position in the country is exactly how it has been

since the very beginning i.e. the rich are getting richer and the poor are

getting poorer. Social events and engagements are taking place on almost a

daily basis. Bollywood rules the hearts and minds of the younger generation

in Mumbai. Indian society has become more welcome to alterations be it in

the transportation sector with the building of skywalks, metros and private

taxi services. In terms of brands as well, many international apparel labels

have entered the Indian market and have received an overwhelming

response. Examples would be – Diesel, Zara, Jack and Jones and Guru.

Technological

Like in any other fast developing country in the world, Technology

is ruling all in India. One significant trend that has been noticed in India is the

fact that American based electronics company Apple’s products have

become very common and one can come across its products in almost every

household, be it their range of laptops, Mp3 players or cellular phones, they

all have takers in abundance. Additionally, technology in India is seeing

frequent up gradation, which is a very good and positive sign for the country.

Technologically there is a vast difference between the India of today and that

of say maybe five years earlier.

6.2 SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths Weakness

India’s first fashion house

It is a well known, well

renowned name across the

world

It can compete with the

international standards

It is still the first choice of

medium for all the designers

(well known and upcoming) to

sell their merchandise

Popular among the crème de la

crème crowd of India

Located at hotspots of the

town

Since it’s evolution, there are

only three stores across

Mumbai and five across India.

Merchandises of the store and

not taken proper care of and

are poorly handled

Not enough security in the

store

Allows a medium for low key

designers along with the

mainstream designers,

hampering the image of these

well known designers

Caters to women wear more

which sidelines the men’s wear

Opportunities Threats

Keeping the popularity in mind,

it could open more stores

Competitors like Aza, Kimaya,

etc are a major threat to

Expand more into men’s wear

Find a way out to promote new

designers in such a way that it

does not affect the affect the

image of well renowned

designers

Ensemble

Increased govt. taxes result in

the increase of price of the

merchandise.

Bad word of mouth because of

the poor security.

7. TARGET MARKET

“Having been a client of Ensemble for over 15 years, it is the first place I

recommend to visitors and the only place I go to when I’m in town. Ensemble

has reflected the way Indian Fashion Industry has changed over the years.”

- Kavita Chellaram, Ensemble loyalist (Vogue India, June, 2008)

“I have never been to Ensemble and not bought something. The fact that

they are growing strong after 20 years, shows they have the right mix and

I’m excited to be a part of this history.”

- Natasha Poonawala, Socialite (Vogue India, June, 2008)

Demographics

A ge : 18 yrs – 65 yrs

Gender: Male and Female

Location: It specifically targets South Mumbai. But it also covers upper class

and upper middle class of the suburbs residing in Mumbai and outside as

well.

Geography: Within India as well as overseas.

Occupation: Businessmen, Corporate heads, Models, Sportsmen, Bollywood,

Socialites

Income: Minimum INR 40000000 per annum

Family Size: Nuclear or Joint

Social Class: Upper Class

Psychographics

Lifestyle and Personality: They are usually higher managerial, administrative

or professional entrepreneurs – they could be prominent celebrities in the

fields of theatre, movies, television, corporate world, who lead a tiresome

social life, are highly covered by the press and being judged upon. Apart

from these prominent figures, they could also be unknown faces belonging to

the target market.

As quoted by Nagasubramaniam, M, Images Retail, November 2009,

“The Ensemble consumer is distinguishable, different, dignified, classy, gets

noticed, successful with the different personality and character, has fun,

exciting and memorable experiences and are extremely friendly and

knowledgeable people. They consider their own pleasure to be more

important than any other rational criteria. They value intangible elements

like the sophistication atmosphere in the store or an opportunity where they

can meet famous people.”

After the launch of Cuddles by Ensemble, the demographics for it would be:

Age: 5 yrs – 13 yrs

Sex: Male and Female

Location: It specifically targets South Mumbai. But it also covers upper class

and upper middle class of the suburbs residing in Mumbai and outside as

well.

Occupation: Businessmen, Corporate heads, Models, Sportsmen, Bollywood,

Socialites, wealthy unknown faces who will buy clothes for their kids.

Income (Parents): INR 4, 00, 00,000 per annum

Social Value

Self Actualizes - Focused on people and relationships, individualistic and

creative, enthusiastically exploring change, 'in a framework of non-

prescriptive consideration for others

Innovators - self-confident, risk-takers, seeking new and different things,

setting their own targets to achieve.

Hobbies and Interests: Spending quality time with friends and family,

socializing, fashion savvy.

Behavioral

Occasion: Birthdays, Anniversaries, Festivals, Weddings, Personal

memorable occasions.

Benefits: “Ensemble consumer does not purchase basic products; they are

purchasing special objects that give them the benefits of acquiring their

emotions, fantasies and dreams.” (Images Retail, November, 2009)

Usage Rate: As being statement pieces, they can’t be repeated very often

and are many a times passed on to someone else dear, however, even the

number of times the buyer wears it, he/she relives the happiness every time.

Mood Board

THE MARKETING MIX

Product

Ensemble houses an assortment of both, Indian as well as western

garments. It also boasts of an impressive line-up of India’s top upcoming and

established designers, namely - TarunTahiliani, Anamika Khanna, Monisha

Jaisingh, Bhairavi Jaikishan, Krishna Mehta, Raghavendra Rathore, Rajesh

Pratap Singh, Manish Arora, Rohit Bal, Gopi Vaid, Varun Bahl, Vineet Bahl,

Surily Goel, Wendell Rodricks. The various types of merchandise available

include – sarees, lehengas, kurta sets, western wear, foot wear, wrist

watches, bags, costume jewelry and stoles. Ensemble also carries its own in-

house design label titled the ‘Ensemble Design Studio’.

Price

As mentioned earlier, Ensemble has an object for every pocket. The

prices of saris and lehengas start from ten-twenty thousand and can go up to

five-six lakhs depending on the designer, the work and craftsmanship. Kurta

sets can start from twenty five thousand and go up to around sixty thousand.

However, during the sale period, that lasts four to five days, products are

sold at a subsidized rate, this in turn leads to a heavy influx of consumers

and eventually to solid sales.

Place

All Ensemble boutiques are located in up market areas. Lets take

the Mumbai stores for example. There are three Ensemble’s located in

Mumbai. The original and first boutique is located at Lion Gate, Southern

Mumbai in a building dating back to the British Raj. Lion Gate is a prime

location and the area around it is home to many affluent families. It is like it

is located in the core area of its target market. There is another Ensemble

outlet located at Kemp’s Corner which is again in Southern Mumbai and it is

a posh area. The third Ensemble outlet is located in Suburban Mumbai i.e. in

the Bandra vicinity. This particular locality is not as posh as Lion Gate or

Kemp’s Corner. Nonetheless, it is home to numerous people who are

associated with Bollywood and the glamour world, who are also a part of the

firm’s clientele.

Promotion

Ensemble does not advertise or promote itself much. The only time

that they carry-out full fledged advertisements is when there is a sale or a

preview approaching. For these events, they advertise by posting and text

messaging invites to their clients. Additionally, one or two days before the

sale or preview an advertisement is placed in popular daily newspapers;

most often it is the ‘Bombay Times’ newspaper. They also have banners

placed outside their stores with ‘SALE’ written in capital letters. They do

however have a company page on the social networking site - Facebook.

Most of their promotion is done by word-of-mouth and in the case of a

preview there is always a review article that one can find in the ‘Bombay

Times’ one or two days after the preview has taken place.

Image 04: Ensemble advertisement in Vogue

09. PRIMARY RESEARCH: QUESTIONNAIRE NO. 01 – ENSEMBLE, THE BRAND

For this survey we have made it a point to have fashion and trend

savvy people as our audience. We have put forth this survey to people who

have shopped at Ensemble and other boutiques on the same lines and also

to people of different ages and with different occupations, so as to gain a

varied and whole perspective.

THE QUESTIONS AND THE RESULTS

60

40

Have you ever heard of Ensemble before ?

YesNo

55

45

Have you ever shopped from Ensemble

YesNo

19

32

15

25

9

What kind of items did you purchase ?

Kurta SetsSareesWestern OutfitsAccessoriesMen's Wear

40

25

15

4

2

14

Which designer's creations did you purchase ?

Tarun TahilianiAnamika KhannaEnsemble Design StudioGopi VaidMalini RaminiRohit Bal

80

20

Do you think there is enough variety available in terms of designers ?

YesNo

60

35

5

What do you think about the price ranges at Ensemble ?

Value for moneyExpensiveNeeds to do better

45

36

3

10

6

Other than Ensemble , which designer bou-tiques do you frequent ?

AzaKimayaOgaanFuelZoyaOthers (pl specify)

90

10

Do you like the designer previews that take place at Ensemble ?

YesNoCan't say

68

32

Do you like the sales that take place at En-semble ?

YesNo

80

10

5

Do you think that Ensemble should house more Men's wear ?

YesNoCan't say

85

10

5

Do you think that Ensemble should expand and open more retail outlets in other cities of

India ?

YesNoCan't say

80

10

10

Do you think Ensemble is located at the right locations ?

YesNoCan't say

ANALYSIS

The survey results have been got as expected. There have been

questions which have got an overwhelming majority and there are those

whose figures have been almost neck and neck. The question that asked the

audience whether they think that Ensemble should house more men’s wear

has got ninety-nine people saying yes and a mere one persons response

being negative. We didn’t expect such a response as Ensemble does house

men’s wear albeit not much. We will definitely forward these results to the

Ensemble team as well since we feel it might help them and they will know

how they fair in the public’s outlook.

10. CUSTOMER BASED BRAND EQUITY

10.1 Brand Salience

Salience means awareness. Ensemble, a haute couture store, which

was started by Tarun Tahiliani, has an extremely high brand awareness

among its customers. This awareness means knowing the brand and what it

offers to its customers. Ensemble is the first fashion house of India and has

played a key role in the journey of fashion in India that stocks a huge line of

high profile designers under one roof. Ensemble is not only renowned for its

Indian traditional wear but it also has a huge attraction towards its western

wear collection as well.

10.2 Brand Performance

As far as performance is concerned, Ensemble has seen been

successful since its very start and even now, with many other competitors

stepping into the industry, it is still hard to beat. Making it to Ensemble is

considered as making it in the Indian Fashion Industry. Being able to share

the shelf place with high end designers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Anamika

Khanna, Monisha Jaisingh, etc and Tarun Tahiliani himself, is considered as a

big achievement. Even though Ensemble has a tough competition now, it has

still not lost its edge.

10.3 Brand Imagery

Ensemble experiences a complete loyalty from its target market i.e,

the people from the upper class society, the crème da le crème people from

around the globe. It has been popular among its customers ever since it

opened up.

It has four branches in India till now, three in Mumbai and one in Delhi.

It is open all 365 days a year. To maintain its brand status, it is located at the

hotspot areas of the town, both, in Mumbai and Delhi. As far as its

personality and values are considered, Ensemble is perceived as a brand

that is totally extravagant, sophisticated and competent.

10.4 Brand Judgement

Customers judge Ensemble on its quality, design and service. They see

it as the best fashion store that provides them with quality of product with a

vast variety of design and designers to choose from and a store that gives

them the best service and attention. They also consider Ensemble as an

innovative, fresh and a reliable brand as it stocks high-end designers that

can never go wrong and also, the upcoming designers who are spurting with

immense innovation and creativity. Ensemble is considered as a pioneer

brand and a market leader, so the customers feel the brand superiority in the

market.

10.5 Brand Feelings

As far as the brand feelings are considered, customers feel that it

evokes a sense of pride, sophistication, style and elegance in them. It makes

them feel special, unusual and unique as compared to anyone else. It also

brings a sense of comfort, self-respect and social approval in them.

10.6 Brand Resonance

Brand resonance is the ultimate social status of the brand and how

much loyalty it gets from its customers. Since Ensemble is the first haute

couture store of India, it has around 90% loyal customers and approximately

85% of repeat purchasers. As it is a symbol of style, elegance and

sophistication in the society, it has a complete affiliation from the people as

a result. It evokes a feeling of social approval and uniqueness among its

target group. And to make this bond even stronger, it stocks almost all the

famous, well known designers of the industry along with upcoming creative,

energetic, innovative designers.

11. PRIMARY RESEARCH: QUESTIONNAIRE NO. 02 – KIDSWEAR INDUSTRY IN INDIA

To understand the psyche of the Indian customers for the kids wear

industry and to understand their needs, a brief survey was conducted among

100 people who regularly shop for kids:

QUESTIONS AND RESULTS

70

30

Do you like to dress your kids to the latest fash-ion?

YesNo

24

56

16

4

How frequently do you purchase clothes for a kid in a year?

3 Months6 Months9 Months12 Months

81

19

Are you fashion savvy?

YesNo

16

2559

What kinds of clothes do you purchase for kids?

TraditionalCasualBoth

100

Do you think there are enough options available in the market ?

yesNo

20

32

48

How much do you spend on your Kid's wear ?

Rs 1000-2000Rs 2000-5000Rs 5000-7000

84

16

Are you brand conscious ?

YesNo

65

35

Would you prefer designer clothes for your kids ?

YesNo

15

30

35

20

How much would you spend on designer kids wear ?

Rs 5000-10000Rs 10000-30000Rs 30000-50000Rs 50000-100000

45

55

Do you think there are options for the right accessories for your kids ?

yesNo

88

12

Do you like to accessorize your kids ?

YesNo

95

5

Does the idea of a one stop shop for kids wear excite you ?

YesNo

ANALYSIS

The result of the survey conducted wasn’t surprising at all. Fashion has

not only become a major part of the adults but it also has its influence on the

kids now. The kids of today’s generation have also become fashion savvy

and prefer to wear their preferred personal brand. Where bollywood has a

major impact on everybody’s life in India, it is only obvious that the kids

would also want to look like their favorite superstars. But, sadly, there are

not many choices available in the market for them to choose from. Hence,

when the concept of a new designer store was asked about, almost each

candidate seemed excited. Where they have to run to different places to

shop for different things their kids would want to buy in terms of fashion, an

idea of a one stop shop, made them feel like a dream come true.

12. OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION

“Shopping in India is a complete family experience, so a store offering

apparels for men, women and kids is likely to see more footfalls. Therefore,

more stores catering to adults have begun to offer kids wear range to

provide a wholesome solution to the family. Very often, when parents come

in to shop for themselves, they end up purchasing clothes for their kids too

leading to more purchases per person. Existing stores that plan to venture

into kids wear, have some obvious advantages like they know the tricks of

the trade well, they do no require any market research, they can enhance

brand identity with existing customers and thus save on their marketing

initiatives. To provide a variety of tops and bottoms, to both, boys and girls,

also comes as a challenge.” (The Franchising World, December 2009)

Based on the primary research, it was very evident that there is

immense scope for Ensemble to grow. According to the target market, the

management, they expect much more from Ensemble – be it in the form of

designers, stores, products, and the entire package. This proved to be a

major opportunity identifier for us, the result for which is our concept, of

Cuddles by Ensemble, India’s first one stop luxury store for kids

13. PRIMARY RESEARCH: INTERVIEWS WITH MANAGEMENT

Ensemble is one of the most reputable fashion brands of the country. It is

a place where every designer dreams of supplying too and since our concept

is attached to this ingenious brand, we wanted to see the reactions of the

Ensemble management to our concept. We wanted to check what they feel

about Cuddles, is this concept practical and possible from Ensemble’s point

of view. It was very essential to get the approval of the management, for if

they had rejected the concept, the entire product line extension plan would

fall flat. The Ensemble management that we interviewed includes:

- Bansuri Dattani, merchandiser for Ensemble

- Dinky Nirh, visual merchandiser for Ensemble Bandra

- Aarti Malani, visual merchandiser for Ensemble Lions Gate

- Supriya Hiremat, communications in-charge for Ensemble

- Vimal Vasudevan, Human Resources and Communications Head for

Ensemble

Keeping their busy schedules in mind, we didn’t have a set question-

answer interview with them. Rather, we explained our concept in detail to

them, how we came up with it and why do we think it is practical and highly

possible of being successful and this is what they had to say:

“We at Ensemble always believe in growing and providing our clients with

what they need. Kids wear in India is indeed a neglected field, which is

ironical keeping our population in mind. These students, have come up with

a great concept, an interesting name too, with if put to practicability, when

combined with professional experience, funds, more creativity and passion

will be a highly successful venture.”

- Bansuri Dattani.

“Ensemble has been the pioneer of fashion for nearly twenty five years

now. The competition levels are skyrocketing too, in such a scenario it is

very important for Ensemble to come up with a new concept that bangs the

market. That only installs the fact again, that Ensemble is and will remain

the best fashion house of the country and what better than a new segment

of kids wear; Incredible, fantastic concept that has really got me thinking of

its success and popularity.”

- Dinky Nirh.

“Ensemble has already set itself firm as the leaders of women’s wear

fashion, in men’s wear we are still growing as this segment too has only

recently shown growth. Kids wear, is something which is still untouched in

India. There is high demand, no doubt, but there is zero supply. Ensemble

carries with itself a brand image, that when combined with such a raw

concept will do wonders for us, the Indian consumers, the Indian economy,

and the fashion industry in general.”

- Vimal Vasudevan

“Ensemble has been at the top of the table for so long now. We are the

‘original’ designer boutique of India. We hand-pick designers whom we feel

have the potential to leave their mark on consumers and the fashion

fraternity. One will only find top draw collections from top draw designers in

all our stores. I think the kids wear concept that you all have put forth is

great, especially if we are dealing with traditional attire because it is not

easily available in India barring of course – amarsons and premsons. My only

doubt is whether parents would want to spend high amounts on children’s

clothing since they are growing and what is bought eventually goes to

waste. But aside from this I think it is a fine concept.”

- Aarti Malani

“Ensemble has been in the fashion world for 23 years now, 23 years of

quality and excellence. Whether it be through other designer’s creations or

our own in-house productions. Its been owner, Tina Tahiliani Parikh’s hard

work that has got us where we are today and has helped us maintain the

position solidly. Coming to he Kids wear concept that you all have in mind, I

thinks that it’s a wonderful concept since there is so much variety and so

many pieces available for adults. Whey should the young ones be left out?

They should also get a chance to present themselves in all their finery. I

think it’s a great concept.”

- Supriya Hiremath

Rather kind words of appreciation, much more than what we had

expected. We were told by the management, that Ensemble is currently

focusing its attention on its men’s wear, which they plan to expand on. Kids

wear, is something, they have thought about, but just not given it a serious

thought yet, which they will after our report! With such positive feedback,

excellent research results, the entire concept of Cuddles by Ensemble only

seems already alive, only waiting for the final signal to begin the high

amounts of revenue to come in.

14. PRIMARY RESEARCH: INTERVIEWS WITH DESIGNERS

To test whether such a concept of Cuddles is practical and innovative

for the market, we decided on conducting a further primary research by

doing an interview with three budding designers – who are successful in the

field, and are growing towards become established names in the industry.

Our concept, involves designers in a major way – for they will have to

restructure their costing and come up with their trademark designs in

smaller sizes, it was very important for them to give us valuable comments

on such an idea and prove its effectiveness.

The designers who were interviewed are Kunal Tanna, a budding

designer who has been an assistant to the highly acclaimed designer, Manish

Malhotra for five years and recently launched his label, ‘ Kunal Anil Tanna’

and supplies to stores in Mumbai and Delhi. Second designer who we

interviewed is Minaxi Dadoo, based in Kolkatta, she is a designer who is

widely getting popular in the society circles, she currently supplies to a

number of stores across the country including Ensemble. She has also been

an assistant to the much-admired Anamika Khanna. And finally, the third

designer we interviewed is the favorite of innumerable celebrities, Suchana

Parasrampuria, who is the head designer of Ensemble Design Studio, Angor.

INTERVIEW

How would you describe the status of the Indian fashion industry today?

Kunal: It is very difficult to describe the status of fashion today, there are a

number of unworthy fashion show happening, a lot of established designers

are getting monotonous with their work and the actual ‘buying’ power of the

Indian consumers, except the wedding seasons is also very unclear. But,

indeed, things will change!

Minaxi: There are a lot of fashion weeks happening, which is good for it

means extra bread and butter for a lot of people, but in such a case the

credibility gets affected. Having fashion shows post cricket matches, reduces

it to a level of mere entertainment, which we are not. However, with more

attention on menswear, on resort wear, on new fabrics, it can be said, it is in

a good phase, which will get better.

Suchana: Fashion in India is growing; there is immense talent that is getting

recognized every day. Slowly, there is a change in India coming about –

which is very important. Fashion is no more in just wedding clothes, it is

getting into the lives of the common man on an everyday basis – ofcourse,

Bollywood plays a major role in that!

How good is the scope to grow?

Kunal: Tremendous! Indian Fashion will be across the globe by 2015.

Minaxi: Womenswear was always growing, the growth in menswear is great.

Suchana: Infinite, our population is diverse in their choices and designers are

constantly innovating themselves to meet these demands, which is why we

are growing well.

How does the idea of designer wear for kids sound to you?

Kunal: Interesting, but it’s a very dicey concept that has more chances of

failing. Its success which be based on the concept creators, the name behind

it, the designers, the prices, the promotions, etc…but yes, the scope to grow

and succeed is huge.

Minaxi: I like it. I have been designing for my daughter, as the market for

kids wear in India is very raw. Kids in India need that attention and its high

time they get that.

Suchana: Indians have a spending capacity which is tremendous, with

occasions and festivals nearly every week, the demand for that exclusive

product is good too. But where the parents end up getting the best labels,

the kids have to make do with stuff from local brands, when they can buy it,

why not give it to them?

How would you judge it, in terms of practicality, innovation and success rate?

Kunal: Like I said, it depends on various factors. But yes, if executed in the

right manner it is practical, innovative, much needed, and possibly

successful.

Minaxi: It is practical in every sense seeing our population and the number of

billionaires that reside in India. Success, indeed, but it has to be completely

for the consumers, just the way they want it.

Suchana: It is what parents especially are waiting for, as I get innumerous

requests to make clothing for the kids, when parents are dressed in the best,

they want the best for the kids too. Successful, Popular, and later

Competitive is what this concept will be!

Reactions on ‘Cuddles by Ensemble’?

Kunal: Love the name! Great Team behind, success is on its way baby!

Minaxi: My creations are a sellout there, it’s a store run by great passion and

this too will get immense accolades from old as well as new clients, would

shop at Cuddles too!

Suchana: With the kind of team, Ensemble is, the name is perfect, the

concept is worth considering, for we can come up with this, and it will for

sure be a grand success!

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

This interview proved to be more important after we finished

conducting it, as it gave us more confidence of our idea, gave us valuable

feedback of not an emerging designer, but also of a popular designer who

already supplies to India, and Ensemble’s in-house head designer.

As Minaxi Dadoo said, Indian fashion is at its turning point, where the

focus is finally shifting away from bridal wear, towards not only resort wear,

but more focus on accessories, and most importantly menswear with an

individual men’s fashion week. The only ‘unattended’ group left is kids wear.

Two of the three interviewed designers have already started designing

kids wear, in their own way – Mrs. Dadoo for her own kids and Mrs. Suchana

for her clients as a special request. This proves the immense possibility of

growth in kids wear in India. Kunal Tanna on his part, too is highly

encouraging of this concept, given that its execution is done in a very strong

way. With the agreement of the designers, the concept is not only practical

and innovative but also with a high success rate.

Our final question was on our brand name – Cuddles, which to our joy,

was loved by all three. They were pleasantly surprised on hearing

Ensemble’s name being attached to it, and went ‘wow’ with success being

ensured, without such a passionate team working on it. This interview has

really helped us in formulating our plan in a more concise way, getting

approval nods from the most important part, the designers is a huge boost

and driving factor for Cuddles.

15. PRODUCT LINE EXTENSION PLAN

“Adding on to the existing portfolio is very important when one

endeavors to grow. Hence, a moving from kids wear to adult wear or vice

versa is a natural extension of business. Affordable pricing is important,

especially when it comes to kidswear, since kids outgrow their clothes very

quickly. Variety arising quality and innovation must cater to the all time

needs of the customers.” (The Franchising World, December 2009)

Our concept for Ensemble is a Product Line Extension strategy.

Ensemble, which already has four stores retailing high end fashion, will

launch a new sub brand – ‘Cuddles’, which will retail high end fashion

clothing and accessories for kids.

Our concept is to start with one store at Mumbai, and based on the

response, further stores will open. By using this product line extension, the

brand will provide with its target market, a complete experience – where the

parents not only shops for themselves but also their kids, making it a one

stop shop for high end designer merchandise for their loved one.

16. NEW BRAND ELEMENTS

16.1 THE NAME

What is a cuddle? Going by the dictionary meaning, it means a tender

hug. But cuddling is not just about a hug. It is more than that. A cuddle is a

prolonged embrace that lasts more than a simple hug. It means more

affection, more love, more comforting than just a mere hug.

According to an article, ‘Cuddle Your Child to Stability’, dated 23 rd June

2006, ‘All parents know that cuddling children is a vital part of bringing them

up. But what most parents don't realize is that those cuddles can help

children become happy and stable adults, by releasing chemicals in the brain

which aid the development of healthy stress-regulating systems.’ A child’s

heart is innocent and all it needs is, love to grow into a happy and sound

individual. Keeping the magical powers of cuddling in mind, Ensemble have

decided to come up with the name ‘Cuddles Ensemble’ for its new line

extension into kids wear.

16.2 THE LOGO

A general perception of the

color ‘Black’ is usually negative. It is

considered to be a color which is

associated as a symbol of menace or

evil. It is also a color which is

perceived as unhappiness. But as a

famous singer, Amy Grant quoted,

“Without black, no color has any

depth. But if you mix black with everything, suddenly there's shadow. No,

not just shadow, but fullness. You've got to be willing to mix black into your

palette if you want to create something that's real.”

Inspired by this thought, we decided to keep the logo for Cuddles by

Ensemble as black and it also has colored handprints which supports the

above mentioned statement.

16.3 BRAND PERSONALITY

Since the very beginning, Ensemble has set its root firm in the fashion

wear for men and women. It is perceived as a brand that brings styles,

elegance, individuality and sophistication to an individual. This is the first

time it is exploring and experimenting with the fashion wear for kids. Since

Cuddles is an extension of Ensemble, the brand image will only get

enhanced. Cuddles by Ensemble will also be perceived as a brand, which is

the first designer wear for kids.

Keeping the brand image of Ensemble in mind, Cuddles by Ensemble

would also be associated as a brand that brings fun, style, elegance, colours,

individuality and sophistication to a child’s life as well. After Cuddles by

Ensemble, the brand personality of Ensemble would be such that it is India’s

the first high fashion luxury store that provides a complete family

experience.

17. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

17.1 KIDSWEAR INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

“Kids today have emerged as an independent customer group with

their own specific needs and demands. The demand for branded apparels is

on the rise owing to children becoming more fashion conscious and parents

willing to satisfying their demands due to their enhanced purchasing power.

Branded kids wear garment industry is estimated to be Rs. 3500 crores

market growing at a double-digit rate.

The number of garments kids consume, is far higher owing to their

lesser usage period. Increasing brand consciousness makes it mandatory for

the parents to plan whether they want branded or non - branded garments

for their children on various occasions. Quality is of utmost importance when

you are serving small kids who need more tender stuff. The effort is more

while offering clothes to children, the work is exacting and less rewarding.

There was a time when only the taste and preferences of the parents where

to be satisfied. Today, the kids have an equal say, if not more. Managing

these two sets of sensibilities is what makes children apparel, more

challenging and interesting.” (The Franchising World, December, 2009)

According to the article, ‘Indian kids’ wear market on a high growth

trajectory’, by Gomes, J, dated 4th November, 2009, ‘The kids’ wear market in

India is witnessing high sales growth, thereby surpassing the men’s and

women’s wear segments and subsequently bringing about growth in the

overall retail sector.

In India, the market for kids’ wear is witnessing rapid growth.

Currently, the kids’ wear segment reflects huge opportunities for growth in

the Indian apparel retail segment, as compared to men’s and women’s wear

segments. According to KSA Technopak, a consultancy firm, branded as well

as small retail players in the country are gradually realising the potential of

the kids’ wear market and are looking to make investments in this segment.

Major UK-based retailers and German brands are entering the kids’

wear segment in India with their own kids’ garments range. “By the end of

2010, a number of major international retailers and garment manufacturers

are expected to launch their kids’ wear segment in India and are likely to

witness high sales,” says Praveen. K. Parmanandka, proprietor of R. D.

Parmanandka Textiles Limited, a mid-sized manufacturer, supplier and

exporter of men’s, women’s and kids’ wear based in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu.

The influx of international brands looking to launch their own kids’

wear range in the Indian market will pose stiff competition to reputed

domestic kids’ wear brands such as Catmoss, Gini & Jony and Lilliput. Major

sports goods companies such Reebok and Adidas have also emerged with

their kids’ wear wing in India. These activities are sure to invoke growth in

the overall retail sector in India.

“As of now, the demand and subsequent sales of kids’ apparels are

mainly restricted to the major cities in India. However, smaller cities are also

likely to witness similar growth in the near future,” says Rajesh Shah,

proprietor of Spark, a mid-sized manufacturer of kids’ wear in Indore.

Western wear lures kids

A recent study conducted by Insight Instore, an Indian trend research

and shopper marketing consultancy, claims that apparel brands are

increasingly catering to the demands of the ‘little’ consumers who prefer

wearing western clothes. It is being noticed that at present kids’ wear is

highly influenced by techo-fictional American animated series Ben 10 and

musical entertainer Hannah Montana.

Companies selling kids’ wear have realised that selling kids’ apparels is

not an easy task; innovative advertisements as well as promotional activities

are required to popularise kids’ wear.’

Another article, ‘Kids wear in upward swing’, by Neha M, dated 23 rd

December, 2009, talks that, “The kids apparel market is divided into

organized and unorganized segment which exceeds Rs.17,000 crore, of

which Rs.3,000 – 4,000 crore is constituted by branded kids wear. The kids

wear market is growing at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, which makes it

one of the fastest growing markets.

The unorganized players have always dominated the market. Cheap

manufacturing, high volumes and offering myriad of styles, these players

have had an upper hand in the industry. Today bigger companies have

started venturing into this market. The scenario is changing and consumer

awareness towards branded kids wear has definitely grown- thanks to the

world being a global village. Kids along with the parents are becoming

extremely brand and quality conscious paving the way for the industry to

become more organized.

Growth factors

Style is an aspect, which has become very important, as children

nowadays are aware what is in vogue and what is not. Another reason why

the kids wear in the branded segment is fast growing is because of higher

disposable incomes and changing lifestyles. Both in India and abroad, with

development in technology, the world is becoming increasingly smaller by

the day. Kids today belong to the screen age and thus are more aware of the

latest trends and fashion.

Children being vulnerable are easily influenced by advertisements on

television and this activates "pester power", i.e. where the children harass

their parents to purchase products they want. With the increase in number of

working couples and their respective disposable incomes, the child's pester

power becomes inversely proportionate to the time available with parents.

These factors are the major drivers in the growth of the Kids wear segment,

be it in India, or abroad. Heena Nayar, Director, Woolways India Ltd says,

“Kids wear is not as focused upon as it should be and Unikid hopes to change

that.” With so many contributing factors this industry is on the rise.

In the times to come

There is still a large part of the market that needs to be tapped which

means a lot of opportunities for more players to enter the market. According

to the 'Global market review of children's wear - forecasts to 2012', the top

ten global markets - the US, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China,

India, Russia and Japan are expected to account for an estimated

US$131.5billion in children's apparel retail sales by 2012. There is a lot to

look forward to in the kids wear market as it holds immense potential within

the country and also across the oceans.”

17.2 DESIGNER WEAR INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Fashion in India offers several opportunities for Indian fashion

designers. The Indian fashion industry is growing everyday. Indian Dress

Designers combine Western trends with Indian touch, creating garments

which are truly outstanding. The Indian Fashion industry is a 180 crore

industry and is growing at a pace of almost 1000 crore a year. An industry

that has no stopping to its gurgling potential all because of the talented

Indian designers that have taken the Indian ramp to the international walk.

Ritu Beri was the first Indian designer to go global with her designs.

She showcased her collections in Italy to receive an overwhelming response

making her come back again and again. Choice of colors, cuts and patterns

suiting the international palate along with a hint of traditional style, helped

her achieve the unimaginable.

Fashion in India has grown in leaps and bounds. Not only at the

designer or bollywood level but also at ground level zero. Indian men and

women are no more the one shirt and pant to work anymore. They love to

have a range of colors, styles and cuts that flatter their body shapes and

sizes. Accessories too have not been left far behind. Belts, shoes, bangles,

earrings and bags are now to go in sync with what one is wearing. Shoe

apparel sale are at an all time high anytime in the year. All thanks to the

growing importance on fashion.

So be it a basic office scenario where an executive sports trendy

formal attire to the senior that buys stuff only off the branded shelf. Fashion

is everywhere. Also designers like Remanika, Anita Dongre, GAP, GAS

customise designer outfits for patrons making Designer Wear available to the

middle class and upper middle class. Then again there is top Indian

designers Manish Malhotra, Neeta Lulla, Manish Arora and Rocky S to name a

few who design for Bollywood damsels and heroes. As the song or the movie

goes a hit so does the design and fashion, that trickles down to the common

market.Ritu Kumar is an all time favourite traditional wear designer. Girls go

crazy on her bridal wear and wedding ensembles because she makes you

stand out wherever you are. Other designers reckoned at the national level

include Rohit Bal, Hemant Trivedi, Shahab Durazi, Shantanu & Nikhil and

Krishna Mehta to name a few.

A Fashion designer has to be creative. They have to express their

designs in sketches. They need not be a excellent artists but should be

capable of combining tones, shades and colors. Dress designers need to

have good imagination and an ability to think in three-dimension to translate

into fashion what they can contemplate. A fashion designers has to be

fashion savvy and have the knowledge and experience of elementary

tailoring skills and techniques and be able to distinguish among various kinds

of fabrics.

Good designers are always original, experimentative and inventive in

designing custom made outfits & designer dresses. Designers are always

experimenting with new design styles every season. Several fashion

institutes like National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Indian Institute

of Fashion Technology (IIFT) & Pearl Fashion Academy have been established

where students learn to translate their creativity into dresses and fabric

designs (Indianchild.com, 2000).

17.3 MAJOR PLAYERS IN KIDSWEAR INDUSTRY

One of the most fascinating and complex facets of retailing happens to

be branded children’s apparel. This segment has been till now small and

largely stable. But exciting times are in the offing. In the kids apparel

market, the large variety, segmented customer profile and changing tastes

plays a big role. Also, the children’s buying behavior, influence of parents

and media makes a huge difference in the purchase decision. Selling kids

apparel you would soon realize is no child’s play. Spunky wear, for instance,

is an iconic global apparel brand. Its premium name commands a loyal

customer following. In India, Spunky wear has been a prominent brand in

adults wear segment. The company now aspires to achieve a similar status

in kids segment with its brand ‘Spunky wear Kids’.

‘Spunky wear Kids’ in its global avatar has exclusive kids retail stores.

These stores stack everything from funky t-shirts, ethnic wear, to accessories

like caps and belts all under a single roof. The company’s brand team’s

major objective now is to set the direction for the brand in the coming few

years. A series of brainstorming sessions of the team have thrown up a

whole lot of new ideas. It expects to introduce new products, modify retail

format, redefine the market and the target group, expand consumer base,

new promotional efforts and different communication strategy, and work on

the other elements of its marketing strategy. It wants young managers to

support in idea management, bring focus to strategy, and utilize resources

for maximizing effectiveness.

KSA Technopak, puts the kids wear market size in India at over Rs

13,000 crore, of which the branded segment constitutes Rs 3,000 crore. But

brand awareness is increasing and firms like Spunky wear are well suited to

expand and occupy a large share in the market. Like in every other retail

segment in the country, the market is dominated by the unorganized sector.

Branded competition is small but growing at a fast pace. Pantaloon has

entered into a 50:50 JV with Gini & Jony to set up a retail chain to market

kids’ apparel. Raymond recently introduced its maiden kids wear brand —-

‘Zapp!’, with its first outlet running in Ahmadabad. DS Corporation, which

owns 14 retail stores in India for children, and has brands such as Ruff Kids

and Ruff Baby, is set for a major expansion plan (Indian Express, 2010).

18. PRIMARY RESEARCH: QUESTIONNAIRE NO. 03 – CUDDLES, BY ENSEMBLE

As per Sethuraman, N, The Franchising World, December 2009,

“People tend to buy kids wear quite often as children grow rapidly through

certain stages. Also depending on the location, people buy with changing

seasons as well. Today, just as parents buy more apparel to keep up with

fashion trends, they tend to do the same for their children too particularly, as

income levels are on the increase with the growing economic prosperity of

the Indian consumers.

To test the effectiveness, of our concept, we conducted a final primary

research where we questioned a group of our target market, directly, of their

opinions on Cuddles by Ensemble, as a concept and also asked them what

would they want or expect from such a brand. The questionnaire was done

on a sample size of fifty residents of South Mumbai, which is hitting bang on

to our target group. Given below is a sample of the questionnaire, with the

results and the analysis.

QUESTIONS AND RESULTS

70

20

10

How does the concept of designer kids wear sound to you?

Great!OkayUnappealing

10

40

25

25

Where do you currently shop for kids wear?

Local smalltime shopsBranded shops like Mothercare, Gini and Jony, Lilliput, etc.AbroadGet it made on order

90

10

Would you shop for designer wear for your child or another child in the family?

YesNo

33

2553

15

2 5

73 2

Which designers would you like to see in such a store?

Tarun TahilianiSabyasachi MukherjeeManish MalhotraRohit BalAnamika KhannaEnsemble Design StudioSurily GoelMalini RamaniSavio JonOthers

45

55

Would you like to see the creations of interna-tional designers and labels in store?

YesNo

35

40

25

What would be the price ranges that you wish to see?

2000-1200004000-1450006500-1700009000-200000

30

1926

12

13

Which of the following would you like to see in the store?

Casual wear westernCsual wear IndianParty wear indianParty wear casualAssorted accessories

75

10

5

10

Where would you like this shop to be located?

Lower ParelBandraJuhuColaba

70

25

5

How does the brand name 'Cuddles-by En-semble' sound to you?

Wow!Could be better!Not catchy enough

85

15

Do you like the idea of in-store events like kids fashion shows, contests, etc.?

YesNo

65

35

Would you like to have a play area or cafetaria in the store premises?

YesNo

ANALYSIS

Not surprisingly, the results of this survey were as we had expected.

The target market, our research audience, loved the concept. They believe

that the luxury sector in India has spanned to all areas, leaving only kids

wear. The consumers not only agreed to the much needed attention to kids

wear clothing and accessories today but also to the fact, that the shopping

for kids in India is not only bare minimum but also not up to the quality. The

designers that they would like to see, are the ones who already supply to

Ensemble, thus making it easy, due to the already established rapport.

Keeping the creations exclusive yet reachable to a wide audience, the

ideal price range as per our research is 4,000 – 1,45,000 which will include

not only casual everyday wear, accessories, but also heavy lehengas and

stitched saris for wedding wear. The ideal location according to our survey is

Lower Parel, which very cleverly connects the suburbs to south Mumbai. The

name, too got the needed appreciation, that fit well with the Ensemble brand

image along with this new concept for kids.

In order to make the store livelier, for kids, where they do not get

bored or want to get out from easily, we thought of having a lot of in-store

events like face painting, games, fashion show, hair braiding, etc… just to

make the store atmosphere more suitable for kids. However, keeping the

luxury quotient in mind, these events will be held in an exclusive way with

invitations sent and press coverage. Apart from these days, the store

courtyard, will always have a play area, for kids to play before or after they

finish shopping, with an exclusive cafeteria in the courtyard – open only for

clients and store staff.

19. SITUATION ANALYSIS

19.1 NEW SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths Weakness

An extension of Ensemble

The first designer boutique for

kids

A one-stop-shop

A ready market

Understand the needs and wants

of the customers

New concept to the market

Nil experience in the kids wear

industry

Niche Market

Little Competition

Opportunities Threats

Experiment with new, creative

ideas since it’s a new concept

To expand within a short period of

time since it already has a ready

market

Competitors like Zapp!, Ginny &

Jony, Oyo, etc could be a threat

for Cuddles

Price could be a major threat

factor while competing with the

competitors

New stores catering to designer

wear for kids that may or may not

open in the future

Increased govt. taxes result in the

increase of price of the

merchandise making it more

expensive

19.2 NEW POSITIONING STRATEGY

For the crème de la crème people of the society who are even fashion

savvy and brand conscious, not only for themselves but also their kids,

Cuddles by Ensemble is the right choice to shop for kids wear as, it provides

a fun, creative, thematic, exclusive, luxurious, one-stop shopping experience,

not only for western designer apparel and accessories, but also for Indian

traditional outfits for their kids unlike it’s any other competitors like Zapp!,

which caters only to western wear. It also custom makes the outfits and

accessories, unlike its any other competitor.

The BCG matrix method is based on the product life cycle theory that

can be used to determine what priorities should be given in the product

portfolio of a business unit. After, Cuddles by Ensemble would be launched;

the position of Ensemble would change from Cash Cow to Stars, which is the

best market position, with high market shares and high market growth.

20. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

20.1 Present

In the kids wear industry there are veteran companies who specialize

in kids wear solely. Some of them are - Oyo, Gini and Jony, Little Kangaroos,

Weekender and Zapp! Luxury brands also have ranges for kids, like - Ed

Hardy, Fendi, Gucci and Roberto Cavalli. Although the prices of these ranges

are exorbitant, those who have the money are able to purchase them. This is

the present competition that cuddles by Ensemble faces.

20.2 Potential

Potential competitors include other designer boutiques like - Aza, Fuel

and Ogaan realize the potential Kids wear has in the Indian Market and

launch their own respective lines. Another potential source of competition is

if more imported kids wear brands set up operations in India.

21. NEW MARKETING MIX

Marketing Mix is the most essential element of any business, as it

determines its success or failure. “Enticing kids is no more a child’s play.

Serious advertising and marketing strategies are required to lure the young

customers. Kids are sporty and conscious of what they wear so the products

needs to be stylish and cater to their needs and help them fulfill their

desires. Today’s kids want options and are more fashion conscious. Clearly

the kids today are hard-hitting customers and selling to them is no child’s

play.” (Retailer, December 2009).

The marketing mix for Cuddles is given below:

21.1 PRODUCT

Cuddles aims to be the one stop shop for kids in India, it will retail

designer clothing for kids in the age group 02 – 13. The product mix at

Cuddles will be ethnic wear, casual wear and accessories. At the beginning

as the concept is raw, getting too many designers is not a safe bet.

Thus the initial designers to produce clothing for Cuddles, would be

Tarun Tahiliani, Ensemble Design Studio, Surily Goel, Sabyasachi Mukherjee,

Malini Ramani, Manish Malhotra, Rohit Bal, Tarana Masand and Minaxi

Dadoo. Accessories will include jewellery, footwear, bags, hair accessories,

which will be designed by Prabha Israni, Just Jewellery, Stoffa and KAN.

21.2 PRICE

The Indian market is a price driven market and since kids grow out of

their sizes quite fast, it is very important that the prices for Cuddles is set

after much thought. The pricing will be slightly different from Ensemble,

making it affordable to a larger group of consumers. Casual wear will be

priced between INR 2,500 – 12,000, Ethnic wear will be priced between INR

9,000 – 1, 50,000 ranging between simple suits to heavy lehengas, and

Accessories will be priced between INR 1,400 – 10,000.

21.3 PLACE

No matter how good a product, its success is highly depended on the

place – as it is where the client comes in contact with the merchandise and

thinks of purchasing it. The first store should not only be at the right place

but also catch the needed attention of all and sundry. We have decided to

place the store at ‘DLF Luxury’ which is an upcoming mall in Mumbai,

situated in the posh locality of Lower Parel, a few meters away from

Mumbai’s first luxury mall, Palladium and the world’s tallest residential

towers, World One. It is going to be Mumbai’s first super luxury mall on the

lines of Delhi’s Emporio Mall. It is situated right where our target market

stays and will garner a lot of attention, making it the ideal launch.

“The classy and understated décor perfectly showcases the pre-edited

fashionable merchandise. It ensures a more intimate shopping environment

and customers don’t feel at all over-powered by the size or the image of the

store. The success of Ensemble is dedicated to high quality merchandise,

exceptional service and great attention to details like customer appeal and

items they surely will fall in love with. The frequent re-merchandising of the

whole sections of the store adds an element of surprise and keeps customers

coming back again and again.” (Images Retail, November, 2008)

21.4 PROMOTIONS

Since the name we are using ‘Ensemble’ is one of India’s most

reputable name, the promotions will also have to mirror that brand image.

Any new concept will need that extra marketing and promotions to not only

get the needed eyeballs but to also to ensure it is a success. Keeping

Ensemble in mind, and to make the launch of Cuddles, a grand affair, we

have come up with an aggressive promotions strategy, which covers all

forms of promotions, be it advertising, public relations, on the web, or

consumer relations. They have been discussed in detail, in the next few

pages.

21.5 MOOD BOARD

22. INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

For a new concept to succeed in the industry, it is necessary for the

brand, to not only catch the attention of the consumers but to also get them

to buy the concept. To make it so lucrative for them, that they just have to

own it. For Cuddles by Ensemble, we have come up with an aggressive,

intense integrated marketing communications mix that targets a wide range

of consumers, in every possible way. Be it in the form of web, print, services,

or promotions – the sole aim of this communication is to make the

consumers aware of Cuddles by Ensemble and its arrival.

22.1 ON THE WEB

Cuddles by Ensemble, aims to have a global presence and what better

than the internet for this. Ensemble already has an active presence through

its website and Facebook page. We would like to continue this further, with a

Cuddles by Ensemble website along with a Facebook and Twitter page.

Presence on Google search engines, along with internet banners on various

fashion sites will further strengthen the global brand image of Cuddles by

Ensemble.

22.2 PRINTED

Apart from participation on web marketing for global consumers, it is

also very important for a brand to participate in the local marketing

communications that are available, to strengthen their bonds with the

existing consumers and print material would suit this best.

We would be launching Cuddles by Ensemble in a major way – with

print advertisements in leading newspapers of the city, along with leading

fashion and lifestyle magazines to create the needed buzz. To ensure more

visibility, these advertisements would be put up on billboards across the city

too along with banners near the location of the store.

22.3 PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public relations in reality form a much larger portion of a brand’s image

and performance, as compared to

advertising. What the consumer

feels is all a mirror of what the PR

heads of the brand show or say.

For Cuddles by Ensemble, we

would execute strong PR

strategies, along with the

advertising strategies.

The first main PR event,

would be the first Cuddles by

Ensemble fashion show, will which

officially launch Cuddles to an

elite group of audience. The

fashion show will be covered by

the media, across the country,

which will witness leading parent –

child duos walk the ramp in

exclusive Ensemble and Cuddles

merchandise. The show will be

followed by an all night party at a leading five star hotel in the city.

Two days later, a press conference will be held, for an interactive

session, between the press and the management along with a few designers.

The conference, will not only clear any doubts in the minds of the press, but

also promote the concept and other details for the consumers to know.

The launch of the store, on its first day, will be a fun filled one, wherein

the opening of the store will be done by a few special kids from the NGO,

‘Give India’ to promote the fact that every child is special. The kids will also

be gifted a special Give India outfit designed for them especially by Tarun

Tahiliani, this will mean indulging in a good cause, which will give en ethical

advantage to the brand in the society.

22.4 SALES PROMOTIONS

Once, Cuddles by Ensemble is

established in the market, it is very

important to rebuild on the brand

image and magic constantly to not

only retain the existing clients, but

also earn new clients. We would do so

with in-store events like fashion

shows, makeover days, store previews

and promotions, storytelling, face

painting, tattoos, hair braiding, etc…

to make the kids feel at home.

For parents, we are introducing

a new concept for the first time, where

we launch the ‘Ensemble’ family card

wherein every time a client would

shop either at Cuddles or Ensemble,

their names would get registered on basis of

their frequency of shopping. The client would

then earn a discount voucher of a certain

percentage, minimum being 5% and maximum

being 20% for their child’s birthday month for

that year, apart from special privileges of in

store sales, previews, etc…

23. PRODUCT MARKET FOCUS

23.1 POINTS OF DIFFERENCE

With Cuddles by Ensemble, the points for difference for Ensemble

completely changes. As a brand, Ensemble will get an edge over all its

competitors, it will be known as a fashion brand for the family – where the

parents as well as the child can be dressed in the best names of the industry

and Ensemble will be the first fashion brand to cater to the entire family. This

will be the main point of difference between Ensemble and its other

competitors, where Cuddles by Ensemble, will give it the competitive edge

above all.

23.2 NEW UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

“I have worn clothes from Ensemble at some of the most memorable

moments of my life. For now, I am looking forward to another critical day in

my life when I am able to introduce my 12 year old daughter to Ensemble.”

- Kavita Khanna (Vogue India, June, 2008)

After the launch of Cuddles by Ensemble, the Unique selling

proposition of Ensemble changes. Ensemble, will still be known as India’s

first fashion house, but along with that, Ensemble will also become India’s

first fashion house, to come up with a one stop shop for their kids – bringing

to them India’s first designer wear store for kids.

A USP, which for a long time will remain unbeatable, due to no

competition and even when competitors imitate the concept and launch

similar kid’s stores, it will be impossible to match up to the quality, name and

services of Cuddles by Ensemble, which always will reap the benefits of

being the first.

24. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

For any concept to be successful, it is very important that its

implementation is as well planned as the concept itself. Given below is a

detailed implementation plan for Cuddles by Ensemble, right from its pre-

launch work to its launch, till its first anniversary. It traces the entire journey

of Cuddles, the way we see it grow and take shape.

- July issue: Advertisements in leading fashion magazines

- August issue: Advertisements in leading fashion magazines

- 30 August: Fashion show and store launch invites are sent to clients

- September issue: Advertisements in leading fashion magazines

- 05 September: Event advertisements go up on billboards

- 05 September: Internet Banners go up

- 25-30 September: Event advertisements in leading newspapers

- 25 September: Cuddles by Ensemble Facebook page open!

- 28-30 September: Tina Tahiliani gives television interviews

- 30 September, 2011: Cuddles by Ensemble store thrown open

- 30 September 2011: Fashion show in the evening, followed by the

party.

- 01 October: Ensemble family card starts

- 03 October 2011: Store and event reviews in leading newspapers.

- 01 November 2011: Store reviews in leading fashion and kids

magazines.

- 14 November 2011: Children’s Day celebrations in store.

- 15 December 2011: Festive collection preview in-store.

25. CONCLUSION

As this report came to an end, we have achieved the objectives with

which we had set to write this report. It is immensely important for brands to

constantly extend their services in order to grow and the one used in our

report, product line extension, is one such example of growth and

development. It showed us the immense hard work in terms of capital, time

and efforts goes into such extensions.

We came up with the concept of luxury kid’s wear, something which is

not seen in the country currently, and which according to us would be a

grand success due to zero competition and high demand. We have put our

concept through various tests and examinations; the feedback has been

positive and overwhelming. Right from the thought of this concept we knew

that it had great potential and the only thing left is to officially launch and

open the Cuddles by Ensemble store and bring in loads of more money, loads

of more smiles, loads of more happy family moments!

26. REFERENCES

Websites

- Blick, M, 2010. ‘Kidswear Market in India 2010: Research and Markets.’

Childrens Clothing, Viewed 02 September 2010

Url: http://www.fashionnewspaper.com/articles/6423/1/Kidswear-Market-

in-India-2010--Research-and-Markets/Page1.html

- Author (NA), 2006, ‘Cuddle your child to stability.’ Brighton News,

Viewed 10 September 2010,

Url:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/805523.cuddle_your_child_to_stability/

- Gomes, J, 2009. ‘Indian kids’ wear market on a high growth trajectory.’

Retail Biz News, Viewed 08 September 2010, Url:

http://www.retailing360.com/article/5/2009110420091104092120453aac6

56fa/Indian-kids%E2%80%99-wear-market-on-a-high-growth-

trajectory.html

- Malhotra, M, 2009. ‘Kids wear in upward swing.’ Franchise India, Viewed

08 Sept 2010, Url:

http://retail.franchiseindia.com/articles/Retail-Trends/Retail-Industry/Kids-

wear-in-upward-swing-140/

- Blick, M, 2010, ‘Kidswear Market in India 2010: Research and Markets’,

Fashion Newspaper, Viewed 19th September 2010,

http://www.fashionnewspaper.com/articles/6423/1/Kidswear-Market-in-

India-2010--Research-and-Markets/Page1.html

- Cultureopedia, 2004, ‘Fashion In India’, Cultureopedia, Viewed 18th

September 2010,

http://www.culturopedia.com/Fashion/fashion.intro.html

- Stern, C, 2010, ‘The BCG Matrix Product Portfolio Method”, Value

Based Management, Viewed 19th September 2010,

http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_bcgmatrix.html

- Business Directory, 2010, ‘List of Companies’ , Hot searches, Viewed

19th September 2010,

http://mt.list-of-companies.org/India/Keywords/Kids_Wear/15.html

- www.ensembleindia.com

Books and Magazines

- Castelino, M 1994, Fashion Kaleidoscope, Rupa & Co, India.

- ‘Ensemble Eves’, 2008, Vogue India, June, Page 59.

- Saini, S, 2009, ‘Kidswear market retailers new interest’, Retailer,

December, Page 54.

- Thapa, N, 2009, ‘Kidswear to family stories’, The Franchising World,

December, Page 68.

- Nagasubramanian, M, 2009, ‘Luxury brand retailing management’, Images

Retail, November, Page 64.

27. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

No piece of work is complete without the support of a few essential

people, who play a crucial role in the formulation of the report. Even though

their names appear at the back, they played a crucial role in this report.

They are:

- Mr. Fankar Imam, for his innumerable suggestions and guidance.

- Ensemble staff at Lions Gate and Bandra, for their constant feedback

on the developments along with substantial information that they gave

us.

- Designers, who took time out for our interview.

- All forms of press – be it books, magazines, newspapers, websites, that

gave us crucial information not only about the industry but about the

brands as well.

28. WORK CREDITS

Grishma Jariwala

- Ensemble and Cuddles SWOT Analysis- Target Market- Customer Based Brand Equity- Kids wear Industry analysis- Kids wear Industry, Research survey - Cuddles Brand Elements- New Positioning Strategy

Saurabh Kumar

- Introduction- Ensemble Brand Elements- PEST Analysis- Ensemble Marketing Mix- Ensemble, the brand, Research survey- Interviews with Ensemble management- Designer wear Industry analysis- Competitor Analysis- Conclusion

Rounak Agarwal

- Company Evolution- Interviews with Ensemble management- Interviews with Designers- Product Line Extension Plan

- Opportunity Identification- Cuddles, Research survey- Cuddles Marketing Mix- Integrated Marketing Communications- Product Market Focus- Conclusion, Executive Summary, Acknowledgements