Future Brand; future check

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Creating more brands remains the guru mantra…

Don’t get carried away by the headline, this is neither a heavily loaded sci-fi flick based on future predictions, nor are we testing a time-machine. But recent developments in Future Brands, a fully owned subsidiary of the Future Group, have raised a wave of interest in India’s home-grown retail czar Kishore Biyani’s next gen private-labels ambition. The group currently boasts almost 15 in-house brands and plans to take the total upto 40 brands in the next few years. The expansion has begun. The group launched Dreamline – a home adornment brand – two months ago (with Hema Malini as brand ambassador) and by the time you have a copy of this magazine in your hand, they’ll have re-launched apparel brand John Miller, from their kitty.

Earlier this year, the Indian market saw the launch of Future Brands from the Biyani stable, wherein the group roped in veteran marketer, Santosh Desai as Managing Director and CEO of the in-house division. Desai, who in conversation with 4Ps B&M a few months ago, had boldly announced to revamp and recreate myriad private labels in the Future Group kitty, apart from offering specific brand consultancy services. “At ‘Future Brands’, I would be creating in-home and consumer durable brands. These brands will be a result of deep understanding of India and its consumers which will form a “connect”, which is very important.” And going by the brand blitz being unleashed by Future Group, seems Desai has lived up to his promise, and that too in less than six months. Interestingly, Desai, who considers himself as an intellectual property creator, feels he still has miles to go in his branding journey. “There’s more to do. Over next few months, you’ll see the launch of a few more apparel brands and next up are consumer durable brands from the Future Group stable.”

Some have interpreted this initiative of Future Brands as an umbrella branding initiative. “They are consolidating businesses and expanding in several areas under a common banner. It is not like any other retail venture. But the think tank has resorted to umbrella branding as this exercise is definitely cheaper,” offers Anmol Dhar, Chairperson, SuperBrands India. However, Desai clarifies that this is a misconception. “It is not umbrella branding, but the Future Group is the umbrella itself and we are just looking at revamping our private labels across categories like apparels, consumer durables and FMCG through widespread awareness and by creating enough equity for them.”

Clearly, both Future Brands and Santosh Desai are busy recreating and revamping private labels and building a fresh connect with Indian consumers. Desai further informed this magazine that the group will not just rely on sales and promotions within its retail outlets to build the new brands launched by Future Group. “We will have a barrage of print and television ads to position and promote our respective brands among consumers,” he says. Having crafted and created numerous ‘hit ad campaigns’ and ‘brands’ by lending his ‘Midas Touch’ to them, little surprise that Santosh is confident of achieving success. Do we see Kishore Biyani grinning widely?

Edit bureau: Romsha Singh

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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