The entry of IKEA will be good for the category, whether it will be good for us, we don’t know: Sanjay Gupta, Urban Ladder

Urban Ladder has announced plans to open offline stores and also list on e-commerce portals such as Flipkart and Amazon

e4m by Sarmistha Neogy
Published: Oct 27, 2016 8:08 AM  | 4 min read
The entry of IKEA will be good for the category, whether it will be good for us, we don’t know: Sanjay Gupta, Urban Ladder

Online furniture store Urban Ladder recently announced plans of opening offline stores and also listing on e-commerce portals. Commenting on this, Sanjay Gupta, CMO, Urban Ladder, said,We feel after four years of being in the market, there is a fair bit of brand recognition of Urban Ladder. We are confident of the brand right now and therefore, we are going to distribute it across various platforms such as a Flipkart or an Amazon.”

As per reports, Urban Ladder currently offers 400 of its products on Amazon and Flipkart and plans to offer its entire range on the ecommerce marketplaces in the coming 3-6 months.

Physical stores:

The company plans to open its first physical store in Bengaluru by the end of March or early April next year which they intend to first run for three months. These stores will be more like experience centres, than mere physical stores. Gupta added, “Post this, we will take a call in terms of what is happening and then decide on the future number of stores. In about three years, we feel that, 40 per cent of our business will come from these stores and it will become a significant part of our existence. It is not like we are shifting completely offline, but will be present across both online and offline platforms.”

One of the major players in the online furniture market, Pepperfry already has eight physical stores across five locations currently and has plans of doubling it to 16 by the end of this year.

Marketing:

Unlike other player in this category, Urban Ladder is not using TV as a promotional medium. The brand believes that a lot of the marketing can be done online when people are looking to move or purchase something new. In terms of brand building, they are looking at these offline stores, where people can walk in and have a full experience of the brand.

Talking about the future marketing plans, Gupta said, “We want to create an interface, where we are able to build a brand platform rather than an e-commerce platform. We also plan to create full home solutions rather than product solutions. We are not happy selling you only a coffee table, we want to do up your whole house. So our ability to configure some of the solution is where we are going to spend, not the general e-commerce way.”

Pepperfry on the other hand, through its television advertisements, has managed to create a strong brand recall in the last few years. In fact, since last year, before the onset of the festive season, the brand usually starts with their advertising campaign, ‘Don’t wait till Diwali, buy furniture anytime on Pepperfry’, which speaks about the great value proposition available on the site and that customers need not postpone their big ticket purchases to festivals like Diwali. This year, in August, the brand allocated had around Rs 10 crore for a month long campaign.

Competition from IKEA:

IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant, is all set to open its first store in India mid-next year in Hyderabad.

Commenting on if they see the entry of the huge international brand as a threat, Gupta said, “I feel that one of the good things that IKEA will definitely do is that they will brand the whole unbranded category. Like when Zara came, every woman said, I will have to dress up in Zara clothes because it is in fashion. So IKEA will surely make the category very aspirational. So instead of going to the carpenter, they are likely to go and check out things at the IKEA store. It will be good for the category, whether it will be good for us, we don’t know!”

Current challenges in the online furniture market:

According to Gupta, the big challenge in this industry is that it is very large, a 20 billion dollar industry, but with no brand greater than Rs 200 crore. So, the category is ripe for someone to become the largest brand but the challenge which online furniture players face is that for years Indians have bought furniture only after seeing it or going to a carpenter whom they can hold accountable for their end-product. “This is the barrier, which we want to break in the next five years. We feel that if in the next 3-5 years we make people experience Urban Ladder through our physical stores, then may be in the next 7 to 10 years, people won’t have the need to see these stores (in the first place), because by then, they would have already trusted the brand,” added Gupta. 

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
Test

With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
test

Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
Test

e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
test

Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

test

test

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

test

test

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
khugfu

KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp