TheHardCopy Newsletter

5 MAY 2022

IN THIS ISSUE

Case Study: Heads Up for Tails

Tata Avinya Launches With New Logo

Nykaa Makes Premiumisation Bid

India Art Fair: Games, NFTs, Metaverse

Image of the Week

Hello <<First Name>>

We have a 7 year-old Indie called Emma. Last week my husband and I spent 20 minutes debating what colour her new collar should be. (We finally settled on orange).

To people who do not have pets, this will seem bizarre.

To other pet parents, it’s perfectly normal behaviour – and it is this constituency that Heads Up for Tails (HUFT) has successfully addressed.

Deepak Gopalakrishnan (a cat parent himself) spoke to HUFT’s CMO Samriddh Dasgupta to understand how they are creating a brand in an unbranded market and I think you will enjoy this excellent case study.

Emma joins me in sending you our warmest wishes. Thank you for reading and being part of our community.

Meeta

Founder, The Hard Copy

HUFT: Building a Brand in an Unbranded Market

So far Indian pet owners have been largely served by unbranded products, but Gurgaon-based Heads Up For Tails, or HUFT, is all set to change this.

Founded by Rashi Narang in 2008, HUFT has 52 experience centres across 14 cities, retailing both international brands as well as its own products.

Their bet to build a brand in an unorganised market is paying off, with an annual recurring revenue of 180 crores, growing at approximately 17-18% year-on-year.

HUFT’s brand-building strategy has some great takeaways, including:

1. Filling the gap for educational content for Indian pets

2. India-specific products

3. Focus on first party data

4. A design-led approach online and offline

5. A Soul Document, with guidelines for attitude, behaviour, even vocabulary

Read the case study here

(8 MIN READ)

Tata Motors launches EV with new logo

Tata Motors has launched Avinya, a next-generation electric car, likely to be in the market by 2025.

The design of the car is inspired by a catmaran and the vehicle sports a new logo.

If you remember, the launch of the Mahindra SUV was accompanied by a similar tweaking of identity – a case of product brands outgrowing the corporate one.

Nykaa Opens Salons with Aveda in Premiumisation Bid

The first Aveda X Nykaa salon has opened its doors in Bengaluru. The salon includes spa and salon facilities and will sell Nykaa and Aveda products.

Anchit Nayar, CEO, E-commerce Beauty, Nykaa, said the salons were part of a larger ‘premiumisation strategy’ for Nykaa. (Aveda is a luxury brand, owned by Estee Lauder).

Premiumisation is a recurring theme amongst FMCG and personal care companies on a quest for better margins. Unilever expressed a similar intent recently.

India Art Fair: Games, NFTs, Metaverse

The recently concluded India Art Fair embraced the digital world with NFTs, games and a metaverse experience.

Terrain.art, a blockchain-powered online art platform, showed NFTs by Laya Mathikshara, Amrit Pal Singh and Khyati Trehan. Lahore-based artist Muzzumil Jaleel had NFTs in his AR installation, Meeting Point.

Ecotherapy by Khyati Trehan, From Terrian.art

Not all games on display were meant to entertain. Artist duo Thukral & Tagra showed ‘Weeping Farm’ – a game where players play along crop cycles and collect debt. The player who ends up with the most debt must go on to commit suicide.

IAF's ‘metaverse’ or more accurately a 3D VR experience powered by XR Central was clunky, as expected, but just think of the potential.

Image of the Week

We loved this T shirt designed by artist Shilpa Gupta for IAF

You are all caught up with this week’s updates on brand and design.

Here’s the link to our main story again

HUFT: Building a Brand in an Unbranded Market

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