‘Brilloca expects to make a full recovery to pre-Covid levels by FY22’

Brands have time and again studied the changing consumer behaviour to craft their communications better, especially in the post-pandemic era. This evolution based on consumer insights helps brands to stay relevant and future-proof.

Brand Hindware has also undertaken rigorous research and innovation and its sub-brand Brilloca’s ‘Thoughtful is beautiful’ campaign’s second leg is a testament to the same. According to Charu Malhotra Bhatia, Vice - President, Marketing, Brilloca Limited, consumers are now more interested in buying smart solutions when it comes to bathware and faucets as there is a greater focus on health and hygiene. 

She adds, “'Thoughtful is Beautiful' campaign echoes the sentiment where we intend to provide functionality led high-performance products to our consumers." The campaign features Hindware’s newly launched, touch-free products, including sensor-based faucets and water closets that have been designed to enable safety and hygiene in households across India amidst the pandemic. 

Along with Bhatia, Sudhanshu Pokhriyal, Chief Executive Officer, Brilloca Limited also shares insights on how business has panned out for Brilloca Limited. 

The brand is looking at garnering the attention of the millennials as they are the mobile-first and tech-savvy generation as well. Says Bhatia: “The campaign was designed keeping contemporary India in mind. It is centred on a playful one-upmanship of millennial couples and the product features are showcased via this banter between them. Millennials are crucial for any brand today -- they want convenience in life at the click of buttons. Therefore, they’re looking for brands to provide them with easy solutions. The campaign demonstrates how it’s not just about beautiful products in your bathroom but also thoughtful products, which add convenience to everyday living. Our target group is the new age consumer starting upwards of 25 years. To further boost the campaign’s reach and build excitement, the brand will also be promoting it across media platforms including TV, digital, online, social media channels.” 

Commenting on the need for contact-less bathroom ware, she adds: “The current situation has accelerated the adoption of this technology, be it for residential use as well as commercial use. Hindware Italian Collection range consists of contactless faucets which are sensor operated. We are experiencing that the changing consumer behaviour and patterns are paving the way into private spaces for premium tech-driven products that ensure safety and hygiene.” 

Marketing Strategy In The Digital Era 

Brilloca is deeply entrenched in innovation and customer experience according to Bhatia. The marketing strategy of the brand is driven by extensive research be it for launching new products or translating into a marketing campaign for a user-centric narrative. Additionally, digitisation has emerged as one of the primary enablers of business continuity. 

Shares Bhatia: “This is the age of business through Phygital Strategy, which means, while the brick and mortar stores remain as relevant as ever customer today wants to do his research outline & make a decision on the brand before actually walking to the store. We’re also driven by a mix of traditional and digital economics. We adopt a 360 degree integrated pan-India marketing approach involving not just TV but also Radio, Print and other traditional mediums. Digital is a big chunk of our media strategy overall. We are there on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We will be working on user-generated content, and native content that we plan to build so digital will be a very strong pivotal point to reach out to our millennial audience.” 

She further adds: “We intend to reach the convenience-seeking millennial audience across the country hence the campaign was launched across all languages. Our campaigns are featured in a series of multilingual films across languages such as Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali to reach consumers in regional markets as well.” 

Business At Brilloca By Hindware 

The impact of the pandemic in India has been largely disruptive. As the situation surrounding Coronavirus continues, it is impacting different industries. CEO Pokhriyal shares: “Overall sanitary-ware industry has been muted on account of subdued real estate performance, lukewarm consumer demand, disruptions in supply chain and business operations, and the outlook is modest for the next two to three years. Renovations will drive demand in the replacement market across both individual household and commercial applications. However, the bathware industry has bounced back after the lockdown. There has been a gradual rise and the last few months have been good. Our sanitaryware and faucets business has already recovered to pre-Covid levels, which is in line with the revival trajectory of the industry. We expect to make a full recovery to the pre-COVID level only by FY22.”

In recent times, luxury bathrooms saw a push in the categories which focused on hygiene, wellness, and technology. Says Pokhriyal “Luxury combined with heightened sense of hygiene and safety has opened new opportunities for us. Brilloca is known for combining technology and aesthetics to deliver the highest quality sanitary ware line to make bathrooms both useful and appealing. Touchless sanitary ware by Hindware allows for hands-free access and features an easy-to-use mechanism which ensures touch-free flushing.” Talking about the luxury brand from Hindware Queo, he shares “There has been a paradigm shift in the way Indians perceive bathroom space. Besides the utility factor, it is also a space where one enjoys privacy and remains disconnected from the world with more productive me-time. This has led to a rise in demand for luxury products. Queo as a brand was developed after a thorough understanding of the consumer expectation and designed to make the bathroom a place of refuge, comfort and indulgence which is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.” 

According to Pokhriyal, the brand has seen traction coming from e-commerce even though the industry is driven by brick-and-mortar stores. He adds, “The traction has been limited to the faucet range which is far easier to buy online. Sanitary ware on the other hand needs a core thought-through model in future because of logistical issues. Brands like us are geared up for the future to accommodate these changes as well. The way the digital medium has accelerated post the lockdown and how consumers have adapted to it, we will have to be agile and adapt to sell sanitary ware on these platforms but I believe brick and mortar stores will have their own relevance.”