Various Operations of the Brand

VARIOUS OPERATIONS OF THE BRAND

Public Relations and Marketing

All PR and marketing activities are handled by one team and ensure the brand identity is maintained with utmost care and precision. The brand understands the importance of these strategies and engages in magazine shoots, influencer marketing, celebrity endorsements and even events. However, events are only conducted for a seasonal launch and/or whenever the retail team needs a push. The basic procedure to carry out any initiative is that, first, proposals are sent to the global team, in all this ideas go back and forth and a lot of brain storming is done. Then finally after acquiring the necessary approvals, the initiatives are executed locally.

A few examples of initiates carried out by the brand:

This shoot was held for MW magazine and Ayushmann Khurana her wore four different looks, all from Emporio Armani F/W 2019.

Fig. 2.4 Ayushmann Khurana in MW magazine, for Emporio Armani F/W, 2019 (self)

Fig. 2.5 Luxury fashion influencer, Sonam Babani, for Emporio Armani F/W, 2019 (self)

Fig. 2.6 Luxury fashion influencer, Natasha Luthra for Emporio Armani F/W, 2019 (self)

This was a shoot done with about 4 to 5 different fashion influencers for Emporio Armani.

Fig. 2.7 Arjun Kapoor at Emporio Armani, Mumbai, 2019 (socialnews.xyz)

Arjun Kapoor for store launch after renovation of Emporio Armani, Mumbai and also launch of S/S, 2019.

A tablet is also kept in the store that used for marketing purposes like showing clients the new collection or showing the brand’s recent events and collaborations.

Digital Marketing

The brand does not have a social media page for the Indian market alone. However, as part of the Reliance conglomerate, brand’s all digital activity is done on the Luxe Project’s (previously called Genesis) social media handles. Whatever the global team posts on the EA’s page, gets re-posted if its relevant to the Indian market.

Following is an example of the same:

Fig. 2.8 Emporio Armani’s Instagram (instagram.com)

Fig. 2.9 Luxe Project’s Instagram (instagram.com)

Customer Relationship Management

CRM is one of the most important operations of the store. It drives about 40% of the sale in the store and ensures client loyalty and retention. All CRM initiatives are planned one year prior and are shared with global Milan team, so as to take the necessary approvals from the brand.

There is a proper schedule set for CRM, for an entire month, for all stores across India and is to be strictly followed by everyone under the leadership of the CRM team.

The entire process of CRM has multiple steps and requires approvals and help from backend team as well. However, the very first step is to gather client contact details, which is done diligently by FCs for every new client. A CRM excel sheet is maintained for all its initiatives and it covers the following things: 1) Objective 2) Initiative 3) T&C 4) Duration 5) Target DB 6) Anticipated Results 7) Support needed from backend teams of Marketing/Merchandising/CRM 8) Support need from VM team 9) Status update of all the stores

The CRM team at the store level is headed by the regional head, Aftab Syed and one representative from each store.

Fig. 2.10 CRM schedule on a monthly basis (self)

The CRM initiatives that are undertaken by the brand are:

• Personal Calling

This entails calling up your VIP clients and updating them about new arrivals so that they can come check it out in the store.

• Whatsapp messaging

This entails keeping the client up to date about new collections, following up with the client, wishing them on any special occasion and maintaining a good healthy relationship with the client.

• Artwork and Emailers (put an image)

2 artworks are sent every month (in the 1st week and 3rd week) based on category, capsule or a festive theme. This is first decided by the store CRM team and then backend team takes it forward.

Fig. 2.11 GWP pieces (self)

• GWP

Gift with purchase entails giving a small gift to clients who make a purchase of certain amount or more. Last GWP had head phones for clients and on Valentine’s Day there were bracelets.

• Tie ups to avail vouchers for clients

Tie ups with hotels like St. Regis and JW Marriot and restaurants like Farzi, Punjabi Grill. These are for clients who shop for more than 2 lakhs, so they avail free stay at luxury hotels and discounts at high end restaurants.

• Home Shopping

Store team goes to nearby cities for VIP clients. However, this requires planning and approvals way before it actually happens.

• Litmus: Customer Review

Every time a client makes a purchase from the store, they receive an automated message, asking them to give feedback of their shopping experience. Client can rate from a scale of 1 to 10 and can also mention the name of the FC that attended them. This also helps in identifying three types of clients: Detractors, Passives and Promoters.

• Sale

EOSS, Preview Sale, Midnight Sale and Black Friday Sale

Visual Merchandising

VM is taken very seriously by Emporio Armani and strict guidelines are sent from HQ, Milan to all stores in the country. Adriano, is the Area head from Milan and he visits the stores once every 6 months. Then we have Aditi and Rohit who head the VM team in India and all VM champs come under them. VM is changed in the store on the 1st and 15th of every month and is tweaked every Monday. Pictures of before and after VM change are to be uploaded on extranet.giorgioarmani.it, so as to keep Adriano up-to-date. A brand approved checklist is to also maintained in the store by the VM champ on a daily basis.

All VM guidelines are shared in PDFs by the brand with all stores. There are three types of displays that are used either individually or in combination: Frontal, Inclined and Lateral. These are done on racks that are either 60 cm or 120 cm. The sequence that is followed is either 2 tops x 2 tops x 2 bottoms x 2 tops or 2 tops x 2 tops x 2 bottoms x 2 tops x 2 tops. Folding of clothes is done with an A4 size foam, that is reused again and again and strict brand guidelines are followed here as well.

Fig. 2.13 VM checklist (self)

Accessories, footwear, handbags and formal wear are also displayed, keeping in mind all the brand guidelines. All kinds of VM tools ( hangers, stands, bridges, hooks rings, etc.) are used to create creative displays in the store. The open back window displays are done on valet stands for both men and women and with brand installation at the time. Lighting and music is also given great attention to ensure a seamless experience for the clients. The VM of the store is to be maintained all throughout the day by each and every member of the store.

Fig. 2.14 Valet stands (self)

Fig. 2.15 VM for men’s section (self) Fig. 2.16 VM for women’s section (self)

Human Resource

The HR for the store is Madhavi Wankhede and her job is to work closely with the store team and recruit new staff for the store that meet up to the brand’s standard. It is also her job to ensure all staff members know how to connect to rconnect.ril.com which is the reliance

brands’ portal for all their employees. This portal contains all the personal information of the employees and they can check their attendance, pay slip, CTC, medical services, etc. on it.

She also takes care of any queries or grievances that an employee may have. Incentives are also handled by her, incentives are performance linked at Reliance. And an 80-20 structure is followed, which means 20% of the employee’s salary is only released when the employee meets his/her target.

Corporate Social Responsibility

The brand recognises that CSR is an extremely important aspect and does its part in the same. R-EA capsule collection is the brand’s initiative towards a more sustainable future, it uses recycled, regenerated and organic materials and fabrics.

Fig. 2.17 Rconnect homepage (rconnect.ril.com)

Fig. 2.18 R-EA capsule collection F/W, 2020 (instagram.com) Fig. 2.19 Emporio Armani designer making medical overalls (instagram.com)

Fig. 2.20 Glass water bottle and glasses at the store (self)

The brand also turned all their factories in Italy into a manufacturing house for medical single use overalls amidst the Covid-19 outbreak for healthcare workers.

In India, as part of the RBL conglomerate, the brand only does what RBL does. The most recent initiative has been banning the use of single use plastic water bottles for clients and instead keeping glass water bottles and glasses.

Products

Products are the life of the store and the kind of product that comes and in how much quantity is based on multiple factors. That’s taken care by the buying and merchandising team. In all buying and OTB planning, first the buying value is determined based on sell through, seasonal contribution to sales, devaluation, etc. This also involves taking into account the past and future of the store through backward and forward approach.

Buying of both the seasons, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter, happens 6 months prior to delivery. The deliveries are done in drops, from drop 0 to drop 7. Past two seasons the store has been receiving only key looks and leftover stock goes back to the warehouses. The products are not allowed to be sold or sent back to Milan and must be liquidated either through EOSS or sale conducted by Reliance Brands Limited at various platforms.

Sourcing

Stylists of celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, etc. come regularly to pick up products for the stars, however, the brand does not allow taking of their products just for a shoot or any other event. They can only take it for trials, if they wish to use it in any way, they must buy the products. If they damage the product in any way or misplace tags, they need to buy the products. A proper in and out of stock is done for this, to ensure an exact count of the products that go out of the store.

Fig. 2.21 Buying and planning approaches (self)

Staff Etiquette

As a part of the Reliance family, everyone in the store needs to follow the strict guidelines given by the conglomerate. Everyone is supposed to be well-groomed and always on time for their shift. Each team member is given a uniform to be worn on a daily basis at the store. When on the floor, everyone is expected to stand upright without leaning or sitting on any of the furniture. Mobiles phones are not be used when on the floor and everyone is expected to maintain the store standards at all times.

Tata CLiQ

Tata CLiQ is RBL’s partner for online shopping. All orders placed for Tata CLiQ go from the store only. All orders come on the Tata CLiQ portal, from there the store staff processes all products that are ordered just like any other purchase is processed and then finally a Tata CLiQ guy comes and picks up the products for delivery.

3

STRATEGIC THINKING