Q] Tell us about the journey of Singer in India. What does it mean to the modern consumer?
Singer is a global brand with a 170-year-old legacy. It has been number one in the household sewing machines category across markets. In India too, it has had a journey of over a century. Our products are known to last generations, so trust in the brand Singer continues to deliver.
Today, the machine has evolved both in terms of technology and appearance. We started with classic black machines and we now have various models of more technically-sound white machines and even embroidery machines. Sewing as an activity has seen a great evolution too. Earlier, sewing was reserved for women looking to earn money or make something for their loved ones. Today, it has become gender-agnostic and more hobby & DIY-oriented. It’s all about sustainability and showing one’s unique identity. This makes it the ripe time for us to evolve our brand presence.
Q] How do you plan to attract this modern clique of customers? What changes have you made to your marketing strategy?
When you look at our marketing strategy from a few years ago, most of it was centred around below-the-line (BTL) activities. A big chunk of it was partnering with government and non-government organisations for CSR activities, training, and empowering women. We have over 700 training centres where we train women and help them acquire machines. Even in the recent past, most of our marketing efforts were spent there.
Going ahead, we want to focus on expanding our customer base. We want to reach out to the hobbyists, the DIY communities, and the younger generations, and do away with a primarily black machine imagery that we have. The focus should also be on our white machines that are technologically more advanced.
Therefore, we are in the process of expanding our digital presence and have done some influencer activities to promote the creative aspect of our machines. Apart from that, above-the-line promotions have started as well. We recently ran print ads in several leading publications in the country. Moreover, investment in building experience centres for our products across the country, starting from Delhi is also ongoing. We will slowly expand to pan-India.
Q] When we speak of ATL, are you not looking at television advertising? Any plans to have a brand ambassador on board?
There are no brand ambassadors right now because the customer size is small. The overall sewing machine industry in the country would consist of around three million pieces. So, the base is quite small. When a brand wants to reach a small customer base, it is wise to do targeted advertising. Television gives you wide reach but with digital marketing, we can target the right set of audiences. Also, our product is the biggest ambassador that we can have.
Q] You mentioned that you want to focus more on promoting your white machines. Why?
Our black machines have evolved a lot with time but they are mostly limited to the simple function of stitching. Our white machines are more advanced. We have wi-fi-enabled machines, zig-zag machines that can create multiple designs and stitches, and embroidery machines that can print designs using photos you feed in. So, there are a lot of exciting things that these machines can do. For the younger generation, all of this can be very exciting.
Having said that, we are not stopping innovation in the black machine space. We have recently relaunched our black machines and had previously introduced a new model M3330 as well.
Q] I see two challenges here – are there enough young people who want to take up sewing - which is a time-consuming activity? And, is there not a lack of scope for repeat purchases in the category? Do you agree?
There is a strong community for DIY and creative young people. There are success stories like that of Nancy Tyagi. So, sewing machines have a lot of potential. Our products are technically strong and durable. So, there is a lot to achieve here.
To your next point, I agree that Singer sewing machines are durable and people tend to keep them for generations. At the same time, we are constantly upgrading our products. To give you a comparison, look at what happened to televisions with tech upgrades – from CRT to Plasma and then to LCD and LED. Today, we have HD televisions and smart televisions. And the technology keeps evolving. I see the same potential in the sewing machine category.
Q] Why is the category size still quite small?
The biggest challenge, that Singer sees as an opportunity, is pricing. All of the industrial sewing machines and most of the household sewing machines are imported. We see a lot of potential in that space and are looking at options to set up factories within the country. The production will be made in India, which will significantly cut costs.
Q] Apart from sewing machines, there are a lot of other products in your portfolio, including kitchen and home appliances. These are not as much heard of as your sewing machines. What are your plans for that?
Yes, we have an appliance portfolio, which globally is a premium-level brand and quite popular. We have been building it in India for quite some time, and honestly, it has not gained much traction. So, we are in the process of streamlining our portfolio. We will be doing away with some low-performing assets and expanding our efforts on high-performing assets like clothing irons which go very well with sewing machines.
We have recently restructured some of our core teams and introduced new people to take up the leadership role. In the coming months, we are aiming to completely revamp our brand presence.
