Raymond’s communication strategy has always reflected the mood of India: Sunil Kataria

The Raymond Group and its communication strategy have evolved gradually over the last 97 years, reflecting the mood of the nation in all its ad campaigns, said Sunil Kataria, the CEO of Raymond Lifestyle, at the Pitch CMO summit in Mumbai on Friday.

Speaking to a bunch of CMOs and other marketers at the Summit organised by exchange4media, Kataria in his keynote speech informed the audience that Raymond was established in 1925 as “Raymond Woollen Mills” in Thane and the group will mark a century in two years. 

“The company used to make blankets and woollen fabric. It wasn’t doing good business when Lala Kailashpat Singhania acquired it in 1944. The company tapped the mood of the nation and became part of the nation-building thereafter,” Kataria explained, sharing glimpses of the old Mills and the brand’s marketing strategy. 

From a woollen blanket producer, Raymond has not only evolved into an iconic textile brand but has also become a diversified conglomerate. 

He deliberated how the brand has kept pace with the times and remained relevant to an ever-changing customer profile. 

“It was the post-independence era with the country full of hope, optimism and new experiences when the company adopted Chess King Motifs in 1959 which became brand identity”, Kataria noted. 

“In the 1970s when the country was under emergency and unrest, giving rise to the success of angry-man films of Amitabh Bachchan, we decided to go beyond product promotion and focused on brand-building,” Kataria said, adding that Raymond campaigns at that time sought to build the narrative of masculinity through gentleman, just opposite to the angry man phenomenon of those days. 

In the 1980s Raymond came up with its first ad campaign titled ‘The guide to a well-dressed male,’ targeting flamboyant men. But it was ‘The Complete Man’ campaign launched in the 1990s that took the brand to the pinnacle of glory.

The campaign, which coincided with India’s economic liberalisation, grabbed the attention of aspiring young men to the growing big brand.

From Chess King Motifs in 1959 to iconic “Complete Man” in the 1990s to “Feels like Heaven” in 2010 to “Celebration time” of Ethnyx by Raymond in post-Covid time, the company’s communication strategy always reflects the mood of the nation, said the leader. 

Kataria also explained how the company opened its first store in Ballard Estate of Mumbai in 1958 when the concept of a  B2C retail store was unheard of.  Sensing the mood and aspirations of Indians, the company later expanded across the country with 1,100 stores. 

“Our decision to enter into ethnic wear also arises from sensing the mood of the nation. In the post covid time, celebrations and demand for ethnic wear have gone up. That’s why we decided to enter the segment by supporting the Ethnyx brand,” Kataria said, adding that the Ethnyx by Raymond already has 70 stores across the country and now plans to open 200 more stores in the next 8-9 months.