Adworld’s Fav Shoot Location: Home Most houses in ads are actual homes with stories of their own

THE ECONOMIC TIMES HOME DÉCOR SPECIAL OCTOBER 11-17, 2017

FURLENCO: NO ADVERTISING Production CMO SLAMBOOK: Kashyap Vadapalli, Designers on the THE ACE IN FOR GOOD EARTH Pepperfry FURLENCO’S EVOLUTION OF POCKET WE GOT A STORE FOR THAT On XX4 HOME DÉCOR FROM SPACES The battle for Indian homes IN ADS Not Just Paint By On XX2 TO MIND SPACES On XX3

Can Asian Paints overcome its Numbers antecedents and become a brand for the entire home? By Amit Bapna

ay back in 2 0 02, Asian DIFFERENT STROKES: How Asian Paints added home-decor to its portfolio Paints and its cre- ative agency Ogilvy & Mather got into a Whuddle. The outcome: to make a transition from painting homes to the pride of the home. An abstract concept fleshed out with the line ‘Har ghar kuch kehta June January hai…’ which replaced the more colour August 2014 2016 focused “Mera wala…” campaign that 2013 Picked up Introduced ran before it. Piyush Pandey, executive premium Acquired 51% stake 100% chairman and creative director, South range of in Sleek International, stake bath fittings Asia - Ogilvy & Mather recalls a leading kitchen in ESS ESS Launched Smart ‘Royale’ writing the jingle in one session, and solutions provider bathroom Kitchens getting so excited, he called the clients company with a pan- products, a with a unique (Amit Syngle and KBS Anand) to the India presence prominent player in the design-to- agency immediately. (Difficult to believe bath and wash business manufacture segment. AP now concept and that there were days when agencies could handles the full sales, recently introduced actually make such requests of clients!) marketing and distribution wardrobes as well The client too loved the composition and of this business it was approved in one go, without any presentation or storyboard. It was also paints and colours to textures and wall- enter more categories in this space.” probably the first time the paint giant papers to water-proofing solutions and Most recently the brand has launched was focusing on everything that went wood coatings, and then kitchens and AP Homes: multi-category décor stores into making a home: not just its product. bathrooms as well. Research revealed where consumers can have an inte- Even if the narrative remained focused these two particularly to be areas where grated experience ranging from paints, on paint for a few years after, according customer interest and investment was bath fittings, kitchen and sanitary ware, to Pandey, “House pride came into cen- maximum. As per Amit Syngle, presi- wallpapers, lighting, furnishings, furni- trespace with the ‘Har Ghar…’ tagline. dent (sales, marketing, home improve- ture, etc. There are currently three such It has, in a way, defined the 21st century ment & technology), Asian Paints, “We stores (Delhi, Coimbatore and Kochi for the brand.” aspire to be the most exciting and in- with more in the pipeline.) It helped Asian Paints transition from spirational home décor brand. We may >Continued on Page 4 “It (Antilla) is a modern home with an Indian heart...It is the only 2 ECONOMIC TIMES home that we have in the world” — Nita Ambani THE OCTOBER 11-17, 2017 The Ace In Furlenco’s Pocket The furniture rental company uses a mix indigenous of functional and fun content to turn millennials into renters for life. By Delshad Irani

urlenco has big ambi- tions. In typical startup speak, a la the ‘ of X’, the Bengaluru- based furniture rental Fcompany wants to be From Spaces To the Netflix// Hotstar of furniture. Not too unreal- istic a goal considering it’s already one of the better funded startups in Consumer Mind Spaces the still nascent space of furniture rentals. F urlenco, which used to go by Welspun Group’s home-décor brand is rolling out its renovated the name Rent Your Dunia (which doesn’t offering for a younger market-place. Will the consumer buy-in? exactly scream uni- liantly as a seamless, non-interruptive corn potential accord- way to tell your brand story through putting to rest many sub-brands which only ing to founder Ajith relatable slices of life that today’s con- BY AMIT BAPNA | MUMBAI served to confuse the consumer. Along with Karimpana) raised tent creators are so adept at making.” the product portfolio, the logo, the store exte- $30 million in a series However brands clearly need to define Of all the myriad unorganized categories, riors and interiors and packaging have also B funding round last the following: What is the objective of home furnishings perhaps has the greatest been re-worked. year. A service specifi- content syndication - is it awareness/ uphill slog. Bedsheets and pillow covers from cally targeted at an ur- salience/consideration? Do the con- the ethnic to the psychedelic are a mainstay The New Story-line ban, tech savvy and mo- tent/platform and the brand have the of fairs, exhibitions and street markets all When the brand was launched in 2003 it sold bile population of twenty right fit - tone, voice and audiences? over the country. This is the backdrop against towels and sheets, and now it is hoping to sell and thirty-somethings, “Content integration What are the measurement metrics on which Welspun India, the local subsidiary of ‘the experience’ for evolved consumer. Says Furlenco’s philosophy in works brilliantly brand lift/revenues? Says Chanakya, a $2.3 billion conglomerate, a global leader in Goenka, “ Bedding startups in America like a nutshell is “own experi- “These are especially relevant in a the home textile category, is reinventing its Parachute Home or Brooklinen sell experi- ences, not things”. as a seamless, non- startup construct, where every dollar domestic bed and bath furnishings brand: ence: we want to create comfort as a story.” After struggling to make interruptive way to spent needs to work that extra hard!” Spaces. The target audience, as is the case The new brand campaign has been rolled renters out of owners at a dozen people creates and manages tell your brand story” With Pocket Aces and its flagship with so many brands: the new-age aspiration- out around the ‘Neend Ka Ek Aur Saathi’ the start, the seven-year old company everything from videos and blogs to Aishvarya Chanakya channel FilterCopy, Furlenco found al consumers looking for something a little positioning, the idea being to bring the focus shifted its full attention to “millen- loyalty programs. Furlenco its perfect match. different and not averse to spending more back to better and comfortable living via de- nials”. Upwardly mobile, trendy, As Furlenco operates in just six cit- The brand lucked out when two vet- to get it. Launched in 2003 in India, Spaces sign, soft fabric and technology. The brands young people moving in and out of ies - Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Chillies Entertainment for its produc- eran actors Rajat Kapoor and Sheeba has found that brand loyalty is not very high last campaign in 2015 featuring Bolllywood big Indian cities, who shudder at the Hyderabad and Gurugram – mass tion starring Khan and Chaddha came on board for the first in this segment and purchase decisions are actress Parineeti Chopra didn’t work too thought of commitment. In this case, media like TV and print don’t deliver millennial poster-child, Alia Bhatt. It film, ‘If Parents Behaved Like Us’ in made largely at the shop floor. And so the first well. It did not connect with the audience, being bound to a sofa-set maa picked enough bang for its buck. Radio didn’t was the perfect fit. In addition to a co- which parents speak and behave like, step according to Dipali Goenka, CEO & Jt. admits Goenka. out or a plywood TV-cabinet the land- work either. Getting radio listeners branded campaign and contests, on well, millennials. In the almost 4-min- managing director of Welspun India was an lady thrust upon them. Furniture excited about furniture turned out to the website, the company recreated ute long video, Furlenco’s ‘Pod’ furni- extensive consumer research – a journey that Much ado about the 1% share brand must be an expression of their person- be tougher than expected. It works for Bhatt’s bedroom from the film with ture set makes an appearance when began almost two years ago across markets. Putting so much focus and muscle behind a ality. They want statement and conve- categories like food, not so well for fu- its items for rent. Earlier this year, it Kapoor’s exasperated daughter asks, Consumers were quizzed on their attitudes brand that currently is just about 1% of the nience, not baggage (literally). In its tons. The company settled partnered with Dharma “Dad, why did you waste money buy- towards product, design, price point, quality, Welspun group does seem to be a strange communication and media strategy solely on digital content FURLENCO’S Productions for Bardinath ing this?” Dad: We didn’t waste mon- packaging etc. The findings helped in decid- move. According to Goenka, establishing Furlenco has been equally precise. syndication to reach its PHILOSOPHY ki Dulhaniya, this one saw ey, we saved a lot of money. Because ing the future blueprint. the brand in the domestic market was a Furlenco, a sort of portmanteau target group, millennials, Bhatt teamed up with we didn’t buy it, we rented it from WHEN THE natural business decision since the of ‘furniture rental company’, is who are apparently more IN A NUTSHELL Varun Dhawan. Furlenco Furlenco. Daughter: But what are Bedroom truths and beyond BRAND WAS market dynamics have changed a unique. While a fresh influx of responsive to web films IS “OWN EXPE- piggybacked on the film you even gonna do with this? Parents: Consumer focus-groups threw lot in India over the last few years. capital generally means one can and Twitter contests than RIENCES, NOT for its entry into Delhi. Netflix and chill! up some interesting category- LAUNCHED IN Plans are to strengthen distribu- go shopping for a hot ad agency, standard ads. The movie was not as good The other plug is far more subtle. truths, Goenka shares. For tion, build more on existing prod- the company decided not to go that Furlenco had a one-off THINGS” a fit as Dear Zindagi, says When the young girl wonders if she example, 80% of the time at home 2003, IT SOLD uct architecture and introduce route. Agencies lack the agility the with content creator The Chanakya, but it was a should get herself a new iPhone, is spent in bedrooms and gifting TOWELS AND new categories, thereby increasing company needs and the other prob- Viral Fever in 2016. The infomercial match for India’s capital. Dharma’s mother (Chaddha), while busy play- bed and bath linen is popular SHEETS, AND contribution share and by 2020, lem, as VP – marketing, Aishvarya Truth or Dare With Dad featuring marketing head, Siddtharth Kadam ing games on her iPad says, “Own ex- among consumers. Or that while we envisage our domestic brand to Chanakya points out, was turn- characters from TVF’s hit series calls the campaign “the union of their periences, not things”. Which loosely the baby boomers and the older NOW IS HOPING contribute 20% to our overall rev- around time. Instead it created what Tech Conversations With Dad got belief that life should be celebrated translates into why buy furniture generation are still brand loyal- TO SELL THE enue, says Goenka. Chanakya calls a “little Lowe” with- 1.5 million views in 4 days and put and lived in the moment.” from Urban Ladder or Pepperfry, ists and prefer shopping in stores, EXPERIENCE in Furlenco. (Her 11 years long stint Furlenco on the map. But after a The big “viral” hit came when when you can rent a couch, divan, millennials are more open to the Rebranding: not response to a at Hindustan Unilever explains crop of controversies surrounded Furlenco, with a budget of `2 crore, desk, bed or Pod? The question is will idea of online shopping. FOR EVOLVED controversial 2016 why she singled out Lowe Lintas, TVF, Furlenco chose to move on. In partnered with digital entertainment the commitment-phobic technophiles CONSUMERS Readers will remember Welspun one of HUL’s long-time agency part- November 2016, the company collabo- company Pocket Aces. Chanakya tells and binge-watchers bite? The New Look found itself in a thick of scandal late ners.) This in-house agency of about rated with Shah Rukh Khan’s Red us, “Content integration works bril- [email protected] DIPALI GOENKA Even as the company is ready last year, for apparently trying to to roll out the rebranded entity, CEO & JT. MD, pass off cheap sheets as premium all the 4Ps - product, packag- WELSPUN INDIA Egyptian Cotton. For those won- SIDETAKE Weird but useful things for homes that e-comm has to offer ing, pricing and promotion - of dering if the Spaces re-branding is the brand have been reworked, says an outcome of that controversy, Goenka When outfitting your home, you ing to get sick of schlepping your battles are with your living space, Goenka. This meant redesigning promptly dispels the notion and reiterates, know the basics you need to ad- laundry bag around. the ingenuity used to solve them is the entire brand architecture and “Spaces was not exposed to the contro- dress: cookware, cleaning sup- You’ll begin to want an alterna- something a lot of us could benefit plies, a seemingly never-ending tive.If your patio is beautiful from hearing. So, here’s a list of rethinking the categorization. For versy at all. Also, the re-branding has stream of paper towels, and some — and both you and the pigeons weird but useful things you might instance, the new architecture been underway since the last two years.” nice bedding. But it’s not until agree — you might invest in a like: An over-the-faucet shelf, a would have three sub-brands The goal is to create an affinity for the you really live in a space that you little scarecrow owl with a rotat- step ladder, a laundry bag that Essentials (day-to-day so- domestic brand in an already clut- become acquainted with all the ing head.You might realise your you can wear as a backpack, a lutions in towels and bed tered market, she adds. quirks of your life there, and you outlets are pretty inconveniently vegetable scrubber, blackout cur- sheets), Occasions (festivals Welspun is betting on the new begin to think of a whole new, pe- spaced out and do some exten- tains, and a magnetic spice rack etc.) and Active (innovative initiative capturing that most culiar list of things you’d like to buy sive online searching to make for the fridge. Unless duly noted, patents and products) to make important of all spaces: the con- that didn’t make the first. sure you don’t wake up to a dead these things are available on lead- (or many flights of stairs and then consumer navigation seamless sumer’s mind, and share of wallet. If you live many, many flights of phone again tomorrow. ing e-commerce portals. stairs above the laundry room some city blocks away) you’re go- No matter what your particular Source: Business Insider and effortless. This also means [email protected] GOOD EARTH NEEDS NO ADVERTISING

A case study on how to remain relevant and grow without taking the traditional advertising there- route “It does take fore longer to needs to establish a try harder.” BY SHEPHALI BHATT brand the Good Earth cur- MUMBAI rently has 11 stores in India Good Earth and three abroad. And it doesn’t intend to When every fledgling or established brand way” set up more than one new store every year. in the Home Décor category is either tak- “We’d rather focus on getting better at ing the “branded content” route or telling Simran Lal, what we do, and experiment with the salon the audience how “Setting is Everything” CEO, Good Earth we’ve recently launched in Raghuvanshi on national TV, one brand is creating Mills, Mumbai,” says Lal. In sync with four-minute-long videos on the making of “Because it’s a lot more powerful and larly impressed with the brand’s curation that, Mehra suggests the brand should a handcrafted luxury quilt. Wait, it gets authentic for a customer to talk about us of design tours across its stores, or its as- not only have modern interpretations of better: that video is fetching the brand than us talking about ourselves,” says sociation with like-minded design-driven its design stores but ‘new’ design stores millions of views and thousands of likes Simran Lal, the founder’s daughter, and brands like Pero, Eka, Raw Mango that of- altogether. “Something on the lines of sto- on Facebook alone. How on Earth, you’d the company’s CEO. ten do pop-ups in Good Earth stores. “All ries and craftsmanship which embraces say. Good Earth is how. Good Earth’s approach, she claims, has these add to their overall brand imagery. the new India and the new landscape that Founded in 1996 by Anita Lal, a ceramic always been to focus on quality, great de- I’m not sure they need a conventional TVC is emerging, something around cities, for designer, Good Earth has created a name sign, storytelling, and customer experi- to do that.” instance. How about a collection called for itself as a lifestyle brand that marries ence. “You see it on our site, at our stores, But not even banner ads on e-commerce ‘Bombay’,” she adds. traditional craftsmanship with luxury. or in our packaged gifts. For us, mar- sites or carousel ads on Facebook like the Lal believes initiatives like Pehchaan, That level of collaboration comes at a keting is about the consumer touch rest of them? “Are you kidding me? Never,” a series of videos like the quilt-making price so Good Earth is clear it isn’t points,” she says. says Lal rather emphatically. one, are in line with the brand’s efforts for everyone. It doesn’t, however, It’s not like the company As Anurag Hira, co-owner of Kolkata- to remain relevant to the new Indian aes- explain why the brand has never never talks about itself. has to offer. “But we don’t like to push a er and creative director of Tomorrow based One by One Design says, “Good thetic consumer. That said, she admits it taken the traditional advertis- You’ll find Good Earth customer into buying our product. Even Creative Lab, says, “I don’t think they are Earth is a mature brand and not a new does take longer to establish a brand the ing route even once in the last actively engaging with our sales teams at stores have been trained ‘away’ from advertising, they just do it startup that is trying extra hard to es- Good Earth way. Not every player has that two decades. users across social me- to help the customer with relevant infor- differently.They invest in experiences, in tablish itself. The ‘no ad’ model works luxury. As long as she does, it’s going to be Luxury brands advertise all the dia platforms to share mation but never pressurise them into associations, and brand extensions that because clearly it is not competing with aesthetic over aggressive for Good Earth. time. So why not Good Earth? new things the brand shopping.” Like Malvika Mehra, found- reflect the same ethos.” Mehra is particu- say a Fabindia, which has 250+ stores and [email protected] GLOCAL BUZZ 3 “The homes I like the best are totally occupied, busy, and useful, whether it’s a tiny little house or a great big one.” — Martha Stewart, OCTOBER 11-17, 2017 “If someone is doing something well, don’t be afraid to copy it and do it better”

CMO slambook Having great content and educat- Kashyap Vadapalli, ing the customer has become very important and that’s something I’ve CMO of Pepperfry on learned from them. unleashing consumer What’s the ideal tenure of a senior mar- positivity, success and keting person? There are business cycles and jobs setbacks. can get repetitive. You should move By Ravi Balakrishnan ers always post. Both Facebook and if you’ve seen one cycle and realise Twitter have reached a certain size you are just going through the mo- What assumptions about marketing have and everyone does research before tions in the second cycle — this you discarded over the years? they make a purchase. We started usually happens every three or four I started off in an FMCG company — an internal mechanism for product years. This does not apply here, Cadbury — which had done a lot of review and ratings, picking customers though. I’ve known the founders path breaking marketing. They had a who’d given us a net promoter score 20 years, do a lot more than mar- believer in offline campaigns. When lot of conventions, that I for most part, of 9 or 10 and who’d indicated they’d keting and it’s more like one’s I joined, I felt India was very different tried to follow: how you are supposed like to come back and buy. We’d send own team than a job. and so in 2009 we ran a mass media TV to conduct research, develop films them five reminders to please give campaign. The market was not ready etc. That’s something I’ve put aside us feedback. Even call them up and What do you look for in a pitch? for this. Wallets were not in place and as I moved from marketing into soft- request them to share their experience Someone who surprises me the purchase experience was sub op- ware sales and back into marketing. either on Facebook or Twitter. It’s been with their thinking and has a timal. Ours was a fairly large offline Instead, you need to understand who very successful and today 95% of the convincing reason behind it; campaign with big investments, and the customer is and what you want to feedback is positive. We usually give coming up with a perspective — very wishy washy. We started think- did not see a blip in the results. Today, tell them. The opportunity to put that them a photo frame or a candle stand as that’s different from mine. L&K ing of what we were solving and re- when I run ads at 7, by 11 the traffic is in play has come with Pepperfry. We a gift; not something that would sway Saatchi & Saatchi has done that alised we were in the business of reliv- 2.5x! I learned the market needs to be very closely follow the consumer, their someone. Just a token of appreciation twice for me, once at eBay and ing the anxiety consumers have. And ready and if the market conditions are pain points and what will trigger them. for taking time out to write. now here. They were not an au- then the happy furniture to you brain- not right, even the best campaign and We built our value proposition without tomatic choice at Pepperfry. wave happened. Buying something insight can’t drive sales. I was glad I conventions in mind, based on data Anything you’ve learnt from a competi- of high value, that you will use every could continue at eBay after that! and first-hand information. tor through your career? What’s your biggest success? day and which will occupy a large part One of the things I’ve picked up — not Building one of the most recog- of your house, should be celebrated. What do you do to unwind? Scrolling through the Pepperfry necessarily form the competition — is nised furniture brands in the Happy birthday to you was a single cel- I travel a lot! Of late, I’ve taken to trek- Facebook timeline, there’s more positive if someone is doing something well, country. And crafting the “happy ebration line everyone understood and king. It’s a group activity at Pepperfry. feedback than we are used to seeing. don’t be afraid to copy it and do it better. furniture to you” line. It hap- Kashyap so we did that with furniture. We’ve done three in the last 18 months How have you managed that? In the current category, there are pened in a brainstorming session to Leh Laddakh and Himachal. I’ve Vadapalli We realised way back in 2013 or 2014, many players who’ve done a really with one of our investors. We had What was your biggest setback and what also done one of my own at Majorca. that not every happy customer posts good job on how they use social me- run of the mill lines like “love your did you learn from it? Apart from that, I love reading. on social media. But unhappy custom- dia or with their content approach. home” and “we are your partner” My former employer eBay was not a big [email protected]

SIDETAKE IKEA opened a kitchen utensil vending machine in Stockholm We Got A Store For That In September, Ikea “We want to show in a playful throw away, Ikea’s vending machine opened a kitchen way that Ikea is available wher- stocks items like the classic garlic press pop-up store in cen- ever [our customers are], not KONCIS. “It’s a fully functioning vending Offline players going online and online players discovering physical stores. tral Stockholm. To only in department stores,” says machine. You can pay with card and get advertise its new and Miki Tabakovic, deputy country your product instantly,” says Tabakovic. Both need to change the way they’ve played the game By Ravi Balakrishnan path breaking retail sales director for Ikea Sweden, The machine, due to stay up for a couple concept, the Swedish to retail site Market.se. Although more weeks, is outfitted with a mes- furniture giant has its main job is to nudge bypassing sage encouraging customers to “get a placed a vending machine selling kitch- commuters to a visit the 400 square kitchen to go with their garbage press”. en tools, in the city center. meter kitchen showroom just a stone’s Source: Business Insider THINKSTOCK display on-site options to in store con- According to industry estimates, only 10% sumers on the verge of upping and leav- of the approximately `120,000 crore fur- ing, because the shop does not have their niture market is organised. The market dream sofa or divan? Kelkar believes, for home and small office furnishing is has been the rapid expansion of studios.” “It’s a mindset change for a sales associ- estimated to be `75,000 crore. It is this There’s a strong business case to be ate to leverage a mobile app.” market that a slew of players are trying made. Pepperfry discovered many con- Online natives making the switch, to grow or convert from unorganised to sumers were reluctant to buy online. need to figure what they want to do. organised. In the fray are established After running consumer tracks, it dis- Is it about creating lighthouse stores? brick and mortar stores, some of which covered almost 50% of people who walk Places where consumers can touch and have been around for a de- in, place an order within six weeks. feel products? Or an attempt to beat the cade or more, and snappy Physical stores corner more expensive offline players at their own game which newcomers like Pepperfry orders: if it’s `17,000 to `18,000 translates into huge expenses in terms and Urban Ladder. ONLINE PLAY- on site, it’s over `50,000 in of rents? Any illusions about these ERS HAVE EM- store. Strangely enough, 85% Offline players frequently tout cus- brands catering to their of what’s ordered is not even tomer databases as a differentiator. pre-assigned spaces was BARKED ON AN present in the store. But that may not necessarily be the demolished over the past AMBITIOUS EX- Future Group acquired case. Kelkar says “The fundamental few years. Online players PANSION INTO FabFurnish and a year af- paradigm of using only your own data have embarked on an am- ter acquisition, merged it will be challenged in the years to come. bitious expansion into high HIGH STREETS into Home Town, currently Online players have access to entire streets and malls, while AND MALLS... present in 22 cit- digital exhaust in all sorts of segments.” offline players, pursuing ies through 40 He recommends offline their own omnichannel strategy, are stores. Home Centre which ... WHILE OFFLINE players work on partner- increasingly seen taking a stab at the began in India in 2005, ships — perhaps with digital market. and has 39 stores, made its PLAYERS, PURSU- banks or DTH services Explaining the rationale, Ashish Goel, online debut just a month ING THEIR OWN which track movements CEO & co-founder, Urban Ladder, says ago according to Kabir of households: “Can an “We want to be present wherever the Lumba, managing direc- OMNICHANNEL offline retailer partner customer is - online or on the streets.” tor, Lifestyle International. STRATEGY, ARE with a bank and say, let’s Urban Ladder has a roadmap of 10 Lumba believes the 12 years INCREASINGLY do a joint offer for furni- stores by March 2018, 8 of which will spent offline have given the ture refitting. Those cre- be in Bengaluru. Explains Goel, “The brand a strong customer SEEN TAKING A ative data partnerships strategy is to win one city at a time. base with a high trust factor. STAB AT THE DIGI- will allow them to get We are doing physical retail for the He expects traction from TAL MARKET that much more intimate first time. We’ll learn from our initial both existing customers as with the consumer.” mistakes and inculcate a culture of well as new ones in cities In the offline world, continuous improvement.” Pepperfry where Home Center is yet to start. the largest number of stores, the high- which claims leadership in the digital Ajay Kelkar, co-founder, Hansa est number of footfalls and conversions space, got started on its offline journey Cequity sees more challenges coming made measuring success easy. It will in October 2014 and recently opened its the way of stores moving from offline be a lot harder to pick the winners from 23rd store. According to CMO, Kashyap to online. Among the biggest is legacy: the losers and the also-rans in a more ill- Vadapalli, the first store, located right while a company may want to make a defined omni-channel world, one where below the firm’s Mumbai head office, be- big surge into the online space, are the a global leader like IKEA is poised to gan as an experiment. But now he says, staff along for the ride? Will they have make a debut. “The single largest activity we’ve done the presence of mind or the training to [email protected] “We ought to have more women in various management positions, because women are the ones who decide almost 4 THE ECONOMIC TIMES OCTOBER 11-17, 2017 everything in the home.” — Ingvar Kamprad

Evolution of Home Décor in Ads

Set for Samsung Smart Class #SapneHueBade TVC created in a small vil- lage house in Ratnagiri. Adworld’s Fave Shoot Designed by Dhara Jain Most houses in ads around to look like a police station one day, a villa by the hills the other. are actual homes with Indian ads have grown Changing a given space comes natu- from looking ‘clinical’ to stories of their own. rally to us, like visualisation on co- Location: Home looking ‘cozy’, says By Shephali Bhatt caine, or interior design on speed,” Dhara Jain. The setting she says. in ads from the days of t was 33 years ago when Heta days,” she says. Now, she has a proper “Over the years, our Ahluwalia adds another dimension yore was aspirational. The Pandit was first approached rate card and maintains a record of to creating sets in houses: the cost of a audience never particu- by one of her friends in adver- every shoot with help from her family. clients have taught us temporary overhaul. “We don’t have larly thought that such a tising for a shoot in her bun- how to charge them anything holding us back while de- world - big houses and all the glam - actually existed. galow’s garden. Little wonder Postal address over P.O. Box signing a set. For instance, breaking I as well. We didn’t In contrast to that, the ads the place, located on a busy It’s a win-win situation for both par- know how this worked walls and windows comes very easily you see these days show Turner Road in Bandra (Mumbai), is ties: renting residential properties to me, if that’s what’s required to spin you a space you want to called Green Gifts. “They were offer- for a shoot costs less than studios and back then” the place around.” belong to and can actually ing `5000. In those days it was a lot of you get a shell to create your space in, Owners often have to set rates tak- own as well. Green Gifts’ verandah where Heta Pandit There was also a phase money so I said why not - it was just the instead of starting from scratch. The JioFi TVC (grab below) was shot Owner, ing this into consideration. Green garden anyway,” she recalls. owner gets money which is essential Green Gifts Gifts has a clear mandate on this one: when sets and spaces were all white, she recalls. Soon after, someone sought permis- in order to maintain such properties. “Any damage/breakage etc must be And we don’t really buy sion to “just” use the staircase for a The advantage is more than just paid for or repaired the same day.” anything white in life production designer) shoot showcasing a lady carrying a economic. Dhara Jain, a leading Sometime around 1996, Pandit had to because it calls for high showed me how she’d shopping basket. Word spread and production designer whose portfolio spend `2,80,000 to remove all the lay- maintenance. “Despite made a lamp for a set, out so did the set designers’ eyes on other includes projects like Don 2, Talaash, ers of paint on the bungalow’s walls. that, all sets were white. of a Japanese kimono that parts of her bungalow. Pandit now and Lootera, tells us how. “I have a Because every time there’s a shoot, Again, it was an attempt at she bought from the US. gives three-fourth of the house for personal greed to shoot in real loca- “the house is painted again.” bringing the aspirational This was a rarity in those days. Today, I find myself shoots: ads and feature films, prefer- tions and turn them around to suit the to the consumer.” Now you see more real buying things from all over ably. “We don’t encourage serials as script’s storyline. Often the architec- It’s not always about spaces as backdrops to all the world, sometimes for those guys mostly shoot overnight tural candour or constraint of a real the money narratives, irrespective of just one set,” she says. and we live in a residential area. location creates the many layers to a naturally to a space, the wood that the the IPL - Thank You series; these are We also visited a bungalow in the the social and economic Changing times also im- Adwallahs are disciplined and finish space that are otherwise difficult to location has to offer… you get the drift. some of the ads recently shot in vari- suburbs of Mumbai whose owner, a strata of the society they ply there’s a constant need at sane hours,” she says. achieve.” It’s like enhancing a home Green Gifts, for instance, has unique ous parts of the bungalow. A feature septuagenarian, only lets his friends are trying to depict. “We to create something to rather than creating something on pa- and intricate floor pattern on each of film shoot was on when we paid a visit. shoot in his house. Star Sports’ are still an aspirational hold the audience visually. “There was a time when Rules of the house per and making it look like a home, an its floors and the terrace. Recently, a Mauka Mauka series was shot there, generation, we always will be. But thanks to social ads didn’t use much colour. Pack-up deadline isn’t the only rule actual postal address over a post box prominent FMCG brand shot an ad “What did you do to my among many other famous ads of our media (and the internet Then there was a phase of to adhere to when in Green Gifts. At number if you will. there showing women in three dif- house!” time. But the owner keeps a low pro- on every phone) we now primary colours. Now we the entrance of the bungalow, you see ferent cities: Mumbai, Bengaluru, It’s not always that easy to recognise file. “It’s just us oldies - wife and me know about the lifestyle have a palette. We have a poster that reads: “No Smoking. No Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai. Kya? Kolkata. Mumbai was shot at the a residential set however unique - in this big place now, and whenever of various people. This tremendously gifted cine- Spitting.” A few steps ahead, a plac- What do production designers look terrace, Bengaluru on the first floor, the home décor may be. Priya (Iggy) these guys ask to come for a shoot, know-how of the audience matographers who create ard with the same message is tied for in a house before they pronounce Kolkata on the ground floor. (Or may- Ahluwalia, an independent produc- the place enlivens. We chat and con- has also brought about a beautiful lighting in indoor to the bark of a tree. You chuckle at it fit to be made into a set? For Jain, it’s be it was the other way around). tion designer currently working on nect on tales of a bygone time. The change in the responsibil- and outdoor spaces.” So, after aspirational and once but soon figure it’s an outcome the wall textures, floor patterns, the The window grills and the floor pat- Anil Kapoor Film Company’s Veere friends are too warm and the kids ity designers have in set- ting up spaces,” she adds. achievable, what’s next of learning from past experiences. imperfections of structures, the natu- tern of Green Gifts make it conspicu- Di Wedding, tells us that quite often (the crew) too sweet.” For owners Priya (Iggy) Ahluwalia in ad world’s Home Décor Setting stringent guidelines isn’t ral ageing the space has gone through, ous enough for friends and family to the owners are disappointed or in- who let their houses become archi- recounts an incident reaf- Stylesheet? Sci-fi, maybe? the only thing she has learnt. “Over the intake of natural light and street call Pandit whenever they spot them trigued by the way their house comes tectural shells for this storytelling firming this: “Many years We don’t want to give the years, our clients have taught us lights, landscapes out of the windows, in an ad. The house is packed with out in an ad. “Places adapt, they are industry, it’s not always and only ago, Sharmishta Roy (ace them any ideas though. how to charge them as well. We didn’t ceiling heights - beams - columns shoots throughout the year. Ola Share like chameleons. A good production about the money. know how this worked back in those - structural hindrances that come - Farak padta hai, JioFi, a film from designer can turn the same place [email protected]

Continued from Page 1 >> “The shift was a “House pride came Not Just... logical extension. into centrespace Back in 2006, the company set up We wanted to be an with the ‘Har ‘Colour with Asian Paints’, possibly integral part of the Ghar…’ tagline. It the first signature non-revenue store, home making pro- has, in a way, de- offering consumers a chance to browse st through opportunities around décor. cess.” fined the 21 century Buoyed by this success, it set up show- Amit Syngle for the brand.” Asian Paints rooms across the country (‘Colour Idea’) Piyush Pandey offering options from textures/wallpa- O & M India per/wall-fashion /kids-designs etc. Says Syngle, “The shift was a logical exten- sion. We wanted to be an integral part of the home making process.” At a deeper level, this shift is also about meeting the needs of a changing consumer, exposed to global trends, de- sirous of a smarter home and ready to spend. Prem Narayan, planning head, Ogilvy Mumbai considers the shift both a necessity and an opportunity, since the share of surface of walls may decline, with the increased incidence of According to Joshua Karthik glass or non- concrete wal l sur faces in of- Rallapati, founder-director, Stories by fices or even homes. With aff luence and Joseph Radhik and the maker of the se- aesthetics on the rise, paint is only one ries, “AP betting big on branded content element in the decor mix and the oppor- has been a well thought-out and a future- tunity is much larger. It opens up Asian facing move.” (He should know since he Paints from just being on the wall to worked on both colour marketing and being in every part of a home - from 2D corporate brand marketing while at to 3D, adds Narayan. Asian Paints for 8 years before he quit To bring alive the transition, the and launched his own venture ‘Stories’ brand opted to bet big on branded that specialises in wedding photogra- content. The journey began with phy but also does brand work occasion- a TV series titled ‘Har Ghar Kuch ally.) He explains it thus: Considering Kehta Hai’ that ran 3 seasons. This the length of the painting cycle, the year the brand launched a web- percentage of people purchasing paint series ‘Where the Heart is’ on is a fraction of the viewing public. The its YouTube channel as well as company bet big on branded content as Hotstar. While the ‘Har Ghar…’ the natural evolution of corporate brand series was about visiting celeb adver tising, al lowing it to create content homes and peeking into their that stays with the consumer for far lon- lives, nostalgia, childhood, etc., ger than a 30-second ad. the web-series has been created The crux of marketing guru Theodore for an evolved, aesthetic audi- Levitt’s widely feted term ‘Marketing ence that cares more about aspi- Myopia’ was about how companies ration, décor and style. Shares need to understand and act on custom- Shekhar Banerjee, chief operat- ers’ needs and desires, beyond just their ing officer, Madison Infinity, “It is Deepika Padukone in a own category. Whatever else Asian imperative for us to address this Nilaya campaign Paints may be guilty of, marketing- stage of consumer journey and myopia is probably not among its faults. drive inspiration. Such content However, going beyond paints into the plays a prominent role.” The entire home, means taking on special- web-series with 5 minute webi- ist brands, with their own fanbase and sodes showcased celebs from loyalists. Leadership in its category is different parts of India (John THIS SHIFT IS ABOUT MEETING something that Asian Paints is used to. Abraham, Kalki Koechlin, THE NEEDS OF A CHANGING How it fares in these other spaces will fi- Rana Daggubati, Prosenjit CONSUMER, EXPOSED TO nally determine if Asian Paints journey Chatterjee etc.) narrating experiences GLOBAL TRENDS, DESIROUS OF from the walls to the rest of the ghar is in building homes. Plans are already A SMARTER HOME something worth talking about. afoot to launch the second season. [email protected]

Regn.No.MAHENG/2002/6711Volume 16 Issue No. 41Published for the Proprietors, Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd. by R. Krishnamurthy at Building, Dr. D.N.Road, Mumbai 400 001Tel. No. (022) 6635 3535, 2273 3535, Fax- (022)-2273 1144 and printed by him at (1) The Times of India Suburban Press, Akurli Road, Western Express Highway, Kandivili (E), Mumbai 400 101. Tel. No. (022) 28872324, 28872930, Fax- (022) 28874230 (2) The Times of India Print City, Plot No. 4, T.T.C. Industrial Area, Thane Belapur Road, Airoli, Navi Mumbai-400708 and (3) TIMES PRESS, Plot No. 5A, Road No. 1, IDA Nacharam Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad-500076. Editor: Ravi Balakrishnan(Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act). © All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the Publisher is prohibited.