Levi's delights customers with marketing efforts through multiple touchpoints: Amisha Jain

August saw the debut of the music festival Lollapalooza in India. The event was also a brand association extravaganza, paving the way for many integration opportunities. Apparel brand Levi Strauss & Co was one such brand that leveraged the opportunity to create an experience centre for customers at the music fest.

Commenting on the association, Amisha Jain, SVP & Managing Director - South Asia, Middle East & Africa · Levi Strauss & Co. said, “Our partnership with on-ground events is another step towards connecting with a new generation of Levi’s®.”

This year, the company marks 170 years in existence while celebrating 150 years of the iconic Levi’s 501 jeans.

In a chat with e4m, Jain lets us in on her thoughts about India as a market, innovating marketing strategies, association with on-ground events, Deepika Padukone and more.

Here is an edited excerpt from the conversation -

How is India as a market evolving with time and technology that is coming in?

India is a key market for Levi Strauss & Co. and considering the country’s large population, there is significant untapped market potential. Today’s consumer is evolving and is willing to try out new things and spend on brands with which they have a real connection.

Their mindset is now changing and they want to invest in products that are not only fashionable, but also functional, enduring, and innovative. In the past few years, the Indian consumer has embraced technology and has eventually become mindful of the choices they are making by showing an inclination towards sustainable fashion.

We have used waterless technology, cottonised hemp, and wood pulp in the form of Tencel, and the products have been well received by our consumers.  

How have you managed to stay relevant with the current generation? What's your secret mantra?  

Levi’s® as a brand has always aimed to be where our fans are, that is at the centre of culture. We are connected to our consumers digitally, and as a DTC-first brand that’s committed to being everywhere our consumers love to interact and shop, we are conversing and listening to our consumers constantly. In addition to that, our collaboration game has always been strong. As an iconic brand, our partnerships have been strategically curated and aimed at capturing a new generation of fashion-forward millennials and Gen Z consumers. Some of these collaborations such as the ones with Deepika Padukone, Super Mario, Royal Enfield, and several music initiatives, have helped us remain connected to our younger consumers.  

Recently, we collaborated with the first Indian edition of the global music festival, Lollapalooza India, which saw a total of 60,000 attendees. We set up our one-of-a-kind Tailorshop with designs created by 12 artists across India, to connect with our fans in a center-of-culture moment. Festival attendees responded with energy, engagement and real love for the brand.

What is your ad spends for the Indian region? What kind of advertising works best for you?

While we will not be able to share numbers around our ad spends, we can tell you that we use our advertising and marketing efforts to delight our customers through multiple touchpoints. This year is important to us for two reasons: it marks 170 years of Levi Strauss &Co.’s operations; and 150 years of our iconic Levi’s® 501® jeans. Due to these celebrations, we may initiate some interesting collaborations and initiatives around them.

On-ground events like Lollapalooza, how do these help the brand? How does the brand leverage the same?

Our partnership with on-ground events is another step towards connecting with a new generation of Levi’s®. With such collaborations, our aim is to be present in the lives of our consumers at moments when they are their true selves, on the lookout for a community to have memorable experiences. 

You have Deepika as a brand ambassador, why is she relevant for the audience? How is it working out for you?

The key focus of our collaboration with Deepika Padukone has been to leverage her influence on fashion enthusiasts. The audience relates to her, looks up to her, and emulates her fashion statements.

The introduction of Padukone’s signature favourites into the collection, where we introduced baggier and more comfortable fits, was a way for us to explore a newer fashion consumer. The collection was thoroughly appreciated by our consumers and helped us to reach a younger, Gen Z and millennial consumer base with this association, further creating a new generation of Levi’s® fans. The association also helped us establish that Levi’s® goes beyond denim, and has helped us establish us as a true lifestyle brand with head-to-toe collections.  

To commemorate 150 years of 501®, Levi’s® has collaborated with Padukone for a campaign featuring the actor in the iconic Levi’s® 501. In India, Padukone’s inimitable style and ease adds a new chapter to the 501® story and the continuing impact on the 501® as one of the most durable, forward-thinking and stylish pair of pants ever made. 

What new innovations are you testing when it comes to the marketing part of the brand? 

As Levi’s is deeply intertwined with music, we continue to collaborate with music initiatives. Earlier this year, we unveiled the Levi’s® Music Project with artists Ritviz and Kayan, aimed at empowering rising artists. Thanks to an exciting new digital framework, the project allows young talent from around the world to connect with professional artists. This year we aim to continue to create opportunities for artists, both new and old through the spirit of innovation, making this collaboration a prime opportunity to partner up with the goal of allowing Levi’s® to provide an unprecedented amount of access to music education through content, workshops, and collaborations.  

What part of the budget goes to influencer marketing? How do you go about it? What values do they bring to the brand?  

We often collaborate with influencers who have a deep connection with our target audience, and who understand our brand ethos. As influencers have massive loyal and dedicated social media followers, their recommendations are highly regarded by their followers. With GenZ and millennials increasingly owning the social media space, influencers provide us with content that resonates with our younger audience.  

At Lollapalooza India, the brand collaborated with influencers across diverse creative fields and styled them in Levi’s®  outfits. The influencers captured key festival moments, documented their on-ground engagements with artists and their fans, and experienced live customization of products at the Levi’s® Tailorshop, showcasing every aspect on their Instagram handles.

This not only helped us to create a buzz about Levi’s® at Lollapalooza India, and our one-of-a-kind Tailorshop, but also helped us to deepen our connection with our Gen Z and millennial consumers.  

What is your future for the next few years? What are key focus areas from a marketing brand POV?  

This year is a monumental one for LS&Co. as we celebrate 170 years of the company’s operations and 150 years since we first introduced our iconic Levi’s 501 jeans. As a brand, these two milestones will remain to be our focus this year and we may initiate some interesting collaborations and initiatives around them. Lastly, in the last few years, we have also focused on conversations around women – both through product and marketing efforts. We will continue to drive these conversations even this year, considering womenswear is an important category for us as a brand.