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Kaya, the hair care and skin care services business of Marico
(contributing seven per cent to the parent’s turnover of Rs 3,128 crore)
has just undergone a face-lift. The change has been initiated at
several levels. At the most visible level, Kaya will now have a new logo
with the tagline ‘love what you see’. The new identity, which has been
crafted after a period of nine years — the first since the brand was
born — will span across all marketing efforts. In the second phase, the
company will revamp the product packaging and invest in a new retail
design.
The makeover is driven by Kaya’s attempt to change consumer perceptions. “Most people classify Kaya as a place to visit only when there is something wrong with their skin. We want to change that and showcase that even people with normal skin can visit for skin maintenance,” asserts Suvodeep Das, head (marketing), Kaya Skin Clinic. For this, in the last 18 months, the brand has introduced several enhancement solutions which are targeted at people who may not be dealing with a particular skin problem. The new retail environment, which will roll out in phases will also communicate this new change. “We want the environment to look less like a clinic and make it more interactive,” says Das.
It is no surprise that Kaya’s new focus is in response to increasing competition in the skincare market in India. In the last few years, Indians have been exposed to several premium skincare brands. From L’Oreal which brought the Kiehl's brand to India last year to brands like Shiseido, Clarins, Lancome which are increasing their footprint rapidly, Kaya has enough company. Add to that the growing chain of beauty parlours which are tying up with international brands to deliver high-end skincare services.
However Das believes Kaya’s business model is a differentiator by itself. “Being the only skincare chain in the country, we have an edge. A lot of product companies claim anti-aging products remove wrinkles, but that is not possible. We can do it through our services like injecting botox,” says Das. “We regularly invest in technology to ensure our services are top-of-the-line,” claims Das. “We have enough scale through our businesses in Middle East and India thus allowing us to invest in any new technology that comes into the market.”
While services, which rake in 80 per cent of sales, will continue to be the focus area, the company will not ignore product sales. The new retail design will merchandise products creatively to drive sales of products used during services. The company has also introduced seven products from the DermaRx portfolio, which have done fairly well in India. DermaRx (a Singapore based specialised skincare firm which the company acquired in 2010) products will also be rolled out in the Middle East. Analysts claim DermaRx has helped improve the profitability of Kaya as the profit margins are much higher.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/kaya-goes-in-for-facelift/462301/
The makeover is driven by Kaya’s attempt to change consumer perceptions. “Most people classify Kaya as a place to visit only when there is something wrong with their skin. We want to change that and showcase that even people with normal skin can visit for skin maintenance,” asserts Suvodeep Das, head (marketing), Kaya Skin Clinic. For this, in the last 18 months, the brand has introduced several enhancement solutions which are targeted at people who may not be dealing with a particular skin problem. The new retail environment, which will roll out in phases will also communicate this new change. “We want the environment to look less like a clinic and make it more interactive,” says Das.
It is no surprise that Kaya’s new focus is in response to increasing competition in the skincare market in India. In the last few years, Indians have been exposed to several premium skincare brands. From L’Oreal which brought the Kiehl's brand to India last year to brands like Shiseido, Clarins, Lancome which are increasing their footprint rapidly, Kaya has enough company. Add to that the growing chain of beauty parlours which are tying up with international brands to deliver high-end skincare services.
However Das believes Kaya’s business model is a differentiator by itself. “Being the only skincare chain in the country, we have an edge. A lot of product companies claim anti-aging products remove wrinkles, but that is not possible. We can do it through our services like injecting botox,” says Das. “We regularly invest in technology to ensure our services are top-of-the-line,” claims Das. “We have enough scale through our businesses in Middle East and India thus allowing us to invest in any new technology that comes into the market.”
While services, which rake in 80 per cent of sales, will continue to be the focus area, the company will not ignore product sales. The new retail design will merchandise products creatively to drive sales of products used during services. The company has also introduced seven products from the DermaRx portfolio, which have done fairly well in India. DermaRx (a Singapore based specialised skincare firm which the company acquired in 2010) products will also be rolled out in the Middle East. Analysts claim DermaRx has helped improve the profitability of Kaya as the profit margins are much higher.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/kaya-goes-in-for-facelift/462301/