This article has nothing to do with the classic book by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It’s just that, similar to Robert Jordan, the central character in the book, it’s time western luxury brands need to blow the old bridge of a global uniformity approach while introducing and managing luxury in India.
Dior’s Fall 2023 collection which was inspired by India, crafted in India, and showcased in India at Mumbai.
There was a strong belief among luxury custodians that global brands with a global identity cater to a global culture. I would not disagree because in past years western luxury brands were mostly bought by an elite few who were globe trotters. They were more in tune with a global culture, with individualist buying value motivations, like hedonism and for self-pleasure.
Recent years in India have witnessed a technological revolution, a democratization of luxury, increasing aspirations and disposable income among a much wider canvas of Indians. India is fundamentally a more collectivist society wherein the reference and peer group influence do matter. There is a fondness for western luxury brands because they are considered aspirational in the reference group that matter to a consumer. Though it’s an achievement-oriented society, there is respect for heritage, traditions, beliefs and faiths. It’s heartening to see that some luxury and fashion brands have appreciated the diversity and cultural intensity of India.
What triggered this article was a Facebook post recently by the CEO of Ethos Watch Boutiques, titled “Raymond Weil & Ethos present the Ganges Limited Edition”. River Ganges, which springs from the Himalayas and flows across north India into the Bay of Bengal, is considered the holiest river of the land. Raymond Weil, in collaboration with Ethos, honoured the Ganges with a limited edition of 99 timepieces, thereby breathing a cultural meaning to the brand. It not about the sales and the revenue that these 99 pieces would generate. It’s about how big a brand story Raymond Weil and Ethos could weave into the mind space of Indians – a strategic move to boost brand recall and sales thereon.
Raymond Weil’s Ganges Limited Edition.
Way back in 2009, Swatch Group was a frontrunner in extending a cultural meaning to their mother brand “Swatch”, when they tied up with a leading Indian fashion designer Manish Arora for a colourful, funky collection weaved around India’s Bollywood, pop, art and culture. Swatch globally built a compelling brand story which was communicated with both below and above the line media vehicles. The local team, with an extensive mall and PR strategy, followed by media campaigns, built a hype around the brand that resulted in a cascading effect on the sales of other Swatch products as well, and gave a boost to the image of the brand in the country.
A master stroke was by Hermes – another frontrunner in the luxury industry – who in 2011 launched a limited edition Indian saree collection. By recreating the sari with its house codes, Hermes did manage to build an emotional connect with the Indian woman with this strategic cultural assimilation. They were priced between INR 3,00,000 to INR 4,00,000. With fabrics varying from cashmere to twill silk they were well within the affordability of the wealthy Indian.
During this era, many big banner luxury brands came out with their own versions of India-inspired products. Some worked, while some bombed. And not entirely everyone was convinced with the success of this strategy.
Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Bvlgari’s Mangalsutra for Vogue India magazine.
Ten years later, luxury brands are back at the game. There was quite a bit of excitement when Bvlgari not only assigned Priyanka Chopra Jonas as its brand ambassador, but also launched the Mangalsutra – a symbol of union between the husband and wife. This simple, traditional necklace is an emotional symbol, and priceless for the Indian woman. Bvlgari cleverly managed to introduce a cultural meaning to their brand by combining tradition with modernity. The mangalsutra is traditionally made with yellow gold and should incorporate black beads. Bvlgari, respecting the local nuances, crafted a smarter, modern version of the mangalsutra.
Louis Vuitton, in 2022, launched an India exclusive capsule collection of fashion footwear for the Indian wedding season, priced between INR 75,000 to INR 1,20,000. This curated collection showcased the Rani Pink line, a reflection of Rajasthan royalty, metallic gold Shake block heels, and Time Out sneakers to name a few. The entire collection was in honour of the heritage, colours, and celebratory nature of the big fat Indian weddings.
Franck Muller launched a 150 pcs limited edition India specific collection in the later part of 2022. This was an exclusive tie up with one of India’s top luxury watch retailer – Kapoor Watch Company – on their 55th anniversary. The emerald hued and vintage-inspired sporty Vanguard watch came in two variants. It had the map of India etched on the back of the case. The steel and gold edition was priced at INR 11.7 lakhs and the rose gold edition cost the consumer INR 18.72 lakh.
Franck Muller’s India limited edition collection.
Jimmy Choo, in the first half of 2023, launched its India exclusive ‘Shaan’ collection, the colourful stilettos and pumps which did appeal to a large section who love their heels to be colourful, glossy and glamourous. Reiterating its India presence, Franck Muller now has a cricket inspired collection for India, as does Adidas in collaboration with Extra Butter.
Cultural meaning – is it an advantage?
Similar to all collectivist societies, Indians too are influenced by their reference group’s choices. Status and conspicuous consumption, bandwagon and snob effects are still dominant luxury buying motivations. Western luxury brands are considered very aspirational for the wealthy Indians. But at the same time, Indians take pride and have a strong appreciation for their own art, culture and heritage. A working Indian woman might go to attend her office in western attire but wear a saree in her traditional festival or religious functions. Even Indian men wear ethnic clothing on festivals. India has a fine blend of tradition and modernity. So extending a cultural meaning to the brand in a dominant collectivist Indian society is, I guess, a clever and relevant strategic move by luxury brands that have adopted this route.
There is no denying this fact that luxury products must remain uniform in their character and DNA across the world. Their signature is many a times an outcome of the creator’s genius. But launching a limited edition India specific collection never disturbs the applecart of global uniformity and identity. Swatch – the creative child of the legendary Late Nicolas George Hayek – was a frontrunner in extending a cultural meaning to the brand in India by launching a Manish Arora Capsule Collection. Mr. Hayek, who was always ahead of his times, knew that this trend will follow, and took a far-sighted decision in 2008.
A part of the Shaan collection by Jimmy Choo.
Brand communication – gets a shot in the arm
Such cultural respect gives luxury brand communication a long shot in the arm. Imagine how powerful a story brands can create in their communication strategies. A compelling brand storytelling is the key differentiator in modern day luxury communication. A myopic view could be to review and assess the success of such a curated collection basis the sales it generates. It is not about how quickly the 99 pieces of the limited edition Raymond Weil River Ganges collection would sell out, it’s more about how powerful a brand story they can create around it. That would result in a top-of-the-mind brand recall and cascading sales of other products of the brand.
A future perspective – for luxury brands to ponder
Without getting into an overkill zone or compromising the core DNA values, western luxury brands can continue launching small curated India specific collections, paying tribute to rich cultural symbols of the country.
Apart from products, brands can play with visual merchandising in stores by assimilating cultural symbols that do not dilute the luxury image of the brand, and is still in sync with values and brand salience.
“…the most critical element is a sustained soft skills training of retail staff on “Maharaja Treatment” to everyone who enters the store without bias and judgement.”
Experiential communication and marketing is the next big thing for luxury brands. Brands may ponder over assimilating some local cultural elements into their global umbrella experiential offering to consumers. Can Louis Vuitton or Hermes organise a ramp show with Bollywood celebrities with the iconic Taj Mahal in the back drop or display products in branded boats on River Ganges? Dior did take the cake with its magnificently staged Fall 2023 collection presentation in front of Gateway of India this year. Can Harley Davidson engage riders for a ride across India ending at India Gate to pay homage to martyrs? An Omega or Rolex can think completely out of the box and organise a “India or Bharat Darshan”, a visit to key iconic cultural spots for only the Gen Z or millennials brand owners. Youngsters may be selected basis a brand competition. This will not only create a brand story and a buzz, but also help build an emotional connect. Be a part of the India heritage and story to bridge emotions. That’s what luxury is all about.
Indians hail from the land of the Maharajas. It’s a society with high power nuances, and therefore the latent expectations of wealthy Indians is to get a Maharaja kind of treatment inside a luxury store. So build such flagship stores. Technical knowledge, brand history, staff personality and communication requirements are a ‘given’. But the most critical element is a sustained soft skills training of retail staff on “Maharaja Treatment” to everyone who enters the store without bias and judgement. One would be the buyer and the other may be a potential consumer or a brand ambassador once they leave the store premises.
The impact of culture on buying motivations for luxury brands is significant. With Bain & Co Report 2022 projecting a $200bn Indian luxury market by 2030, which would be 3.5 times of its current size, brand custodians must quickly go back to the drawing board to draw a strategic graph towards extending a cultural meaning through curated capsule product collections and culturally assimilated communication with compelling brand storytelling and experiential marketing to connect emotionally with the Indian consumer. Aim not only for sales, but also for ushering in a brand love and addiction among your most loyal clients.
With an excellent career record spanning two and a half decades in the lifestyle, fashion, luxury & consumer goods industries, Jyoti Das has worked with reputed companies like Whirlpool, Electrolux, Godrej Appliances & Swatch Group in leadership roles with P&L responsibility. A luxury & fashion expert, he was the former Business Head – India for Swatch and Calvin Klein Watches and Jewellery. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Luxury Management from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra and engaged in teaching assignments, visiting faculty, industry academia interactions, CAT selection panel for B Schools and a Jury member in B School case study competitions. He also consults brands on optimizing their branding and sales strategies.
