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Allen Solly takes shoppers for a ride
To drive shoppers to its showroom in Delhi's South Extension area, Allen Solly started a branded shuttle
Allen Solly, a brand from the stable of Aditya Birla Group recently started a branded cab for shoppers at South Extension I, one of Delhi's shopping hubs - an idea which hardly involved substantial investments, but reaped good results.
The brand's exclusive showroom at Block F, South Extension is one of the few big showrooms situated close to the Ring Road. Most showrooms are located close to the parking area of the market, which also works as a meeting point for shoppers. In the summer, most shoppers choose not to shop or only window shop close to the Ring Road, preferring to go to showrooms located in the inner area of the market for their purchases.
While golf carts carrying shoppers from one showroom to the other in sprawling malls has become a trend in India, the idea of starting an exclusive shuttle for a single brand is new.
The Allen Solly shuttle, an idea conceived by CashUrDrive, an on-vehicle advertising company, was operational for the entire month of May. On an average, it made 10-15 trips to the showroom, carrying three to seven people in each trip.
Kapil Khattar, manager, marketing reveals that both outdoor and BTL continue to be important in the brand's media plan. "We believe in branding with an interactive element. For the use of outdoor, our key markets are East India, Kerala and Bengaluru, and some markets in the North. Based on the encouraging response in Delhi, we plan to take the Allen Solly shuttle to other markets as well," he adds.
The brand is quite consistent in using outdoor and BTL to reach its TG. Recently, as part of a launch campaign, titled 'I Hate Ugly', for a casual line of apparel; the brand played out a 'freeze act' with the help of live models decked in the latest Allen Solly attire, in malls and high streets across the country.
Raghu Khanna, chief executive officer, CashUrDrive shares how clients are moving away from static branding options and expressing a need to engage customers at the right touch points. "The brand faced a situation for which the only solution was increasing the interactive aspect, by building a bond based on trust. To put it simply, who would not like to use an AC cab in Delhi's unrelenting summer?" he says.
Allen Solly is part of Madura Garments, an Aditya Birla Group company. Over the years, the brand has scored high in terms of popularity among the corporate groups with its concept of unconventional and relaxed corporate dressing. Currently, the brand has 55 exclusive showrooms across the country.