Godrej’s nature-inspired wood-finish Eon Vogue hits shelves; aims to redefine home appliance aesthetics

In recent years, there has been a noticeable surge in consumer interest in home aesthetic upgrades, paralleled by a growing enthusiasm for environmentally friendly products.

On February 27, 2024, Godrej Appliances, an Indian home appliance brand and a part of Godrej & Boyce. introduced Eon Vogue, a new series of nature-inspired wood-finish air conditioners (AC) and refrigerators, where the term 'nature-inspired' specifically refers to their decor and design, replicating the look and feel of wood.

As per a survey conducted by the company among Indian households, there is a growing inclination towards appliances that harmonise with consumers’ home décor preferences. Over 70% of respondents expressed a desire for a greater variety of appliances that seamlessly blend with their living spaces.

Swathi Rathi, head of marketing, Godrej Appliances believes that the introduction of Eon Vogue will set a new benchmark in the home appliances market in terms of aesthetics as it is increasingly becoming a significant consideration driver.

She says, “Last year (2023), we introduced the Dark Edition Refrigerators which was essentially a display of all our darker series and it did well. What we have done right now is different from the dark edition but the learning is that if you give people something that looks good, there is an inherent traction and it definitely converts into business as well.”

Aesthetic preferences have undergone a transformation across various sectors entering households. Rathi highlights the company's commitment to offering diverse aesthetic choices to consumers, with a particular emphasis on catering to the younger audience seeking premium aesthetics.

Appliance companies such as Samsung and Haier are introducing technologically advanced products to appeal to consumers and streamline their tasks.

Speaking about the significant features of the refrigerator and AC, she says, “The internals of the refrigerator come with 95% plus food surface disinfection. The air conditioner comes with 5 in 1 convertible cooling which goes a long way in power saving and is something that consumers look for today. It comes with four four-way swings which means that it provides cool air faster in all corners of the room. This technology is unique to us and we have applied for a patent for this.”

Rathi also states that the target audience for Eon Vogue is a large bulk of the premium audience. “Homeownership today is moving younger. As per the real estate industry statistics that we came across, the age group of people buying their house is in the 30s now. Around 20-25 years ago, people used to retire and then buy their homes.”

Developments in consumer approaches to purchasing home appliances, design, and decor are evident. Through virtual home tours across India, engaging consumers nationwide, Godrej Appliances discovered that 50-80% of respondents reported having wooden furnishings in their homes, varying based on room-to-room preferences.

“Today, millennials are investing in their homes much earlier in their lives, and when these younger consumers invest, it is a natural follower that the appliances will make way. This is because any new home acquisition typically entails new appliances. Tier-1 and tier-2 are the markets we are catering to,” Rathi adds.

In the rapidly changing digital landscape, brands are also aiming to prioritise digital platforms and strategies. Rathi notes that Godrej Appliance’s digital marketing ratio of overall marketing spends outweighs its offline spends.

“The brand’s focus on its digital or e-commerce promotions has been on the higher side for a while now because we understand that it plays a very important role in the overall purchase journey of the consumer and that holds good for most of the players today. Even for these two products, digital will continue to play a very big role, be it on social media, influencer marketing, e-commerce promotions, or video promotions because this product is completely based on visuals. We will also be focussing on out-of-home (OOH) and store-level displays,” she says.

Talking about whether Eon Vogue will help the brand get a better market, Rathi says that one of the key outcomes that the company has set is its premium mix of the revenue, which is currently at around 45% and should move up to about 55% and not just with this launch, but coupled with the other premium launches that it has in the coming year.

The brand onboarded Ayushmann Khurrana as its celebrity ambassador in 2022 and has rolled out several campaigns since then. It will also release a digital campaign for Eon Vogue. Rathi says that the campaign will be digital, out-of-home, and store-focussed.

“Further decisions on whether or not we make a TVC are still a little bit in the open right now, but the immediate focus is going to be on driving placements and supporting it with store displays, and digital and OOH presence. Our advertisements are usually present during IPL and summers are the time when we are pretty active and I think that does not change this year,” she says.