Avinash Pant, Marketing Director of Nike India Pvt. Ltd, talks about the growing sports culture in India, the need for the new T-20 uniform, the focus areas of brand Nike and more…
Q] The brand recently introduced a new uniform for Team India for the cricket T20 tournament. How does this initiative take the brand positioning forward?
We are completely about sports. When you look at the sports scenario in India, we are really deeply connected with cricket. We have had a very long and good association with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). For us, the idea of launching a uniform for Team India is very exciting. It brings about the whole passion for cricket in a beautiful manner. It also takes forward the thinking beyond what you normally see as a team jersey to a uniform for cricket, right from the pro-compression inners to the entire outfit. We are very excited with this launch, as it propels us forward in the sport of cricket. When you look at cricket and the format of the game, it brings life to each format.
Q] What are the insights behind this initiative?
It is about different formats of the game coming alive. If you see cricket over the years, it started with Tests and that was really the format over the years with pristine white. You look at ODIs, which became more and more important and uniforms were designed for it. Now, T20 has started to get a lot of traction and a lot of following for itself. That made it necessary for it to have a uniform, so people say ‘I get it - they are playing T20 now’. We have also designed it specific to that format.
Q] Do you find a growing sports culture in India?
The consumer is evolving at a very fast pace in many ways. Let’s talk digital, for example, there is an entire movement very rapidly adopting a digital lifestyle, specially when you are talking about the youth and Nike is a youth brand. We do a lot of digital work on cricket and football, the Nike cricket page has 1.8 million fans and we are engaged in conversations with them daily. The Nike India football page has a million fans as well and is quite significant; so it just gives a sense that there is a lot of traction and a lot of interest. Let’s talk about the sport of running. It is really coming up in India at Nike. We are very concerned about the grass root level. We have the ‘Nike run clubs’ in Bangalore and Mumbai, where we help runners improve their technique. We have coaches on a weekly basis, where people come and we help them take their running to the next level. Increasingly, there is rapid adaption of sports in India. For sure, cricket is the great passion and will always be, but surely and slowly, other sports too are coming up.
Q] The Indian consumer is price-sensitive and value-conscious. How does the brand Nike cater to consumers, keeping these factors in mind?
Innovation and inspiration are what brand Nike is about. We make sure that we are designing things that are highly innovative. We also offer absolutely cutting edge technology. People will always see value in that. It is something that we see evolving in India as well, across what we offer in apparel for different sports - be it football in terms of team jerseys or running apparel or footwear, where we see a lot of traction. One of our big initiatives was ‘Nike Free’, which pointed towards the barefoot platform. I see a lot of adaption there. Nike as a brand believes that as long as we are genuinely focused on providing innovation and inspiration, consumers will value our brand.
Q] The brand is present in several sports categories. In which category is it doing the best?
In a market like India, with enormous growth potential, every business we are in across channels has phenomenal potential.
Q] How do you see sports as a category in India five years from now?
It has a very exciting future. I see huge potential. There is rapid adaption of sports by the youth, who have a lot of passion and energy.
Q] How different is your marketing strategy in India compared to the global strategy?
Our philosophy as a brand is so clear and strong that I would actually not expect to see any difference in the brand marketing strategy. The way Brand Nike talks and what it holds dear - the whole and connection and passion for sports and the need to ensure it - are extremely authentic. I would say it is exactly the same, be it in India or anywhere else in the world.
Q] What can we expect from the brand in the upcoming quarter?
It is a very exciting time for Brand Nike in India. There is huge potential and wherever we look, be it any sport, we work very hard to develop the grass root level. We have been doing that for football, running and other categories; there is a lot more happening and a lot more coming. Watch the space is all that I can say.
Q] What is Brand Nike’s focus?
Trying to understand what about a sport is really appealing. From a Nike perspective, it is important to offer innovation. To help athletes get better with the product, equipment and apparel we design, we obsess over the details. That leads to everything else. That is what we believe in.
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