Discloses to Rajlakshmi Saikia Bhimwal & Angshuman Paul the strategy behind the travel company successfully selling premium as well as mass products to travellers
Sudip Ghose
Director Marketing, Samsonite South Asia Pvt. Ltd.
The various Ps of marketing – a concept popularised by the marketing guru Philip Kotler – have been widely accepted by all marketers and marketing managers across the world as being essential elements of any marketing mix. But there are very few marketers within India who have actually paid heed to these aspects in the true sense. Many simply move in the marketing space according to their gut feel. In this vast and discrete group of marketers, Sudip Ghose, Director, Marketing, Samsonite South Asia Pvt. Ltd, definitely stands out for his attempts to re-define the same marketing mix, and this time, practically. In his own words, he points out to us, “If marketing were all about 4Ps, then all of your people should be knowing everything about your product and its correlation with the 4Ps. Clearly, such correlations cannot be taught but only can be learned by practical experience.”
Backed up with such a belief, Sudip has transformed a boring baggage business into a glamorous travel business and has taken Samsonite from selling travel suitcases and bags to even shoes. And in doing so, he has never compromised with the brand equity and consumer behavior. “I believe that marketing is all about understanding your customers. What he/she wants and where does he/she want it is the basis of marketing, which somehow is defined in 4Ps but as I said, this has to be related to the product that you are offering,” explains Sudip. His deft marketing strategies might be the outcome of his working in various companies prior to joining Samsonite. He’s an alumnus from Narsee Monjee (NMIMS) and has worked in different sectors like optical products (Bausch & Lomb), durables (Whirlpool), electronics (Onida), telecom (RIL), and now in Samsonite, a company that Sudip ensures stays a premium company.
But wonder of wonders, Sudip doesn’t believe in over staffing and has ensured the maximum effectiveness from each individual. “Our marketing team is divided into four segments. There is an umbrella communications team comprising of three people. Brand Samsonite is handled by another three people. Then, there are three people in our American Tourister brand and two people in our shoes segment. So it is a 3-3-3-2 network. I am the 12th man in my team,” he adds with a smile.
The group recently commemorated 100 years of its existence and as a part of such celebration, the brand tied up with Bollywood blockbusters like ‘My Name is Khan’ and revealed a collection of products under the brand name Cosmolite – the world’s strongest and lightest travel gear. He adds that churning out new products is Samsonite’s USP, explaining, “We have just completed 100 years, and in every decade we have brought out something new and revolutionary. Cosmolite is also a product of patented technology.” Sudip opines that they have been able to combine the desired attributes of light and strong bags, and at the same time maintained an element of design and fashion and they plan to keep introducing such high-end products for their discerning customers termed as ‘globe trotters’. Interestingly, whether you are in Mumbai, Tokyo or Cairo, you can get the best of Samsonite, as they launch all products simultaneously across all their markets.
Coming on to American Tourister, Samsonite’s easy on the pocket brand which is positioned against VIP’s Aristocrat. Sudip says, “Working with American Tourister as a brand was a different experience. We had to stop thinking of only style and class; this product is for the mass with class.” He explains the ‘Place’ in marketing mix and clarifies that Samsonite, being a niche brand, is not for everywhere and everyone, but it does have presence in Tier II cities such as Coimbatore, Madurai, Nagpur, Kanpur, et al, and “the idea is to keep expanding.” Currently, Samsonite enjoys an overwhelming 80 per cent market share and thus is not bothered about competition even from premium names like Da Milano and Giordano. The company has recently ventured into the shoe market as well, which Sudip says is because of the simple fact that shoes are also part of travel.
Director Marketing, Samsonite South Asia Pvt. Ltd.
The various Ps of marketing – a concept popularised by the marketing guru Philip Kotler – have been widely accepted by all marketers and marketing managers across the world as being essential elements of any marketing mix. But there are very few marketers within India who have actually paid heed to these aspects in the true sense. Many simply move in the marketing space according to their gut feel. In this vast and discrete group of marketers, Sudip Ghose, Director, Marketing, Samsonite South Asia Pvt. Ltd, definitely stands out for his attempts to re-define the same marketing mix, and this time, practically. In his own words, he points out to us, “If marketing were all about 4Ps, then all of your people should be knowing everything about your product and its correlation with the 4Ps. Clearly, such correlations cannot be taught but only can be learned by practical experience.”
Backed up with such a belief, Sudip has transformed a boring baggage business into a glamorous travel business and has taken Samsonite from selling travel suitcases and bags to even shoes. And in doing so, he has never compromised with the brand equity and consumer behavior. “I believe that marketing is all about understanding your customers. What he/she wants and where does he/she want it is the basis of marketing, which somehow is defined in 4Ps but as I said, this has to be related to the product that you are offering,” explains Sudip. His deft marketing strategies might be the outcome of his working in various companies prior to joining Samsonite. He’s an alumnus from Narsee Monjee (NMIMS) and has worked in different sectors like optical products (Bausch & Lomb), durables (Whirlpool), electronics (Onida), telecom (RIL), and now in Samsonite, a company that Sudip ensures stays a premium company.
But wonder of wonders, Sudip doesn’t believe in over staffing and has ensured the maximum effectiveness from each individual. “Our marketing team is divided into four segments. There is an umbrella communications team comprising of three people. Brand Samsonite is handled by another three people. Then, there are three people in our American Tourister brand and two people in our shoes segment. So it is a 3-3-3-2 network. I am the 12th man in my team,” he adds with a smile.
The group recently commemorated 100 years of its existence and as a part of such celebration, the brand tied up with Bollywood blockbusters like ‘My Name is Khan’ and revealed a collection of products under the brand name Cosmolite – the world’s strongest and lightest travel gear. He adds that churning out new products is Samsonite’s USP, explaining, “We have just completed 100 years, and in every decade we have brought out something new and revolutionary. Cosmolite is also a product of patented technology.” Sudip opines that they have been able to combine the desired attributes of light and strong bags, and at the same time maintained an element of design and fashion and they plan to keep introducing such high-end products for their discerning customers termed as ‘globe trotters’. Interestingly, whether you are in Mumbai, Tokyo or Cairo, you can get the best of Samsonite, as they launch all products simultaneously across all their markets.
Coming on to American Tourister, Samsonite’s easy on the pocket brand which is positioned against VIP’s Aristocrat. Sudip says, “Working with American Tourister as a brand was a different experience. We had to stop thinking of only style and class; this product is for the mass with class.” He explains the ‘Place’ in marketing mix and clarifies that Samsonite, being a niche brand, is not for everywhere and everyone, but it does have presence in Tier II cities such as Coimbatore, Madurai, Nagpur, Kanpur, et al, and “the idea is to keep expanding.” Currently, Samsonite enjoys an overwhelming 80 per cent market share and thus is not bothered about competition even from premium names like Da Milano and Giordano. The company has recently ventured into the shoe market as well, which Sudip says is because of the simple fact that shoes are also part of travel.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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