hansgrohe India, a subsidiary of the German Hansgrohe Group and a global player in the bathroom and kitchen industry. Known for its faucets and showers, Hansgrohe currently operates in 78 Indian cities with 170 stores. India is the next big growth engine, which is why India is one of the five strategic growth markets. While Hansgrohe primarily operates in the business-to-business (B2B) space, the company is gradually increasing its visibility in the business-to-consumer (B2C) domain, recognising that consumers play an influential role in the final product selection.
MediaNews4u caught up with Abhijeet Sonar, Head of Marketing, hansgrohe India to find out about its marketing gameplan and activities.
1. From a marketing perspective hansgrohe India is focussing on print and digital. What are the strengths of these mediums?
For us, print media offers credibility and trust, with information in newspapers and magazines perceived as more trustworthy. Additionally, print media allows for highly targetted campaigns, such as in luxury, home improvement and premium lifestyle magazines, which reach an affluent audience appreciative of high-quality (bath) products. Consistent presence in reputable print publications also reinforces our brands’ positioning and values.
Digital media, on the other hand, offers wider reach and accessibility, connecting with the audience across the country instantly. It enables interactive content, such as videos and social media posts, for better customer engagement and provides real-time analytics for optimising performance. Digital campaigns are also cost-effective, with precise targeting capabilities.
2. Is marketing a year round activity for the brand? Or do you focus on certain periods more?
Marketing for us is a holistic year-round activity, but we do focus more on certain periods. We also align our campaigns with new product launches, important industry events and festivities to make our marketing activations impactful. This way, we keep a steady presence throughout the year while also taking advantage of the key opportunities.
3. How does hansgrohe India ensure that marketing activities being done align with sales and business growth?
I believe that marketing activations must engage and enrich the customer, they should be able to carve a niche for the brand. Hence, our marketing activities target the audience in the markets with strong presence to consolidate the sales and brand awareness.
At the same time, in the markets hansgrohe is new to, via our marketing activities we create brand awareness and enhance reach ensuring we penetrate holistically supporting the business growth.
Our marketing strategies are designed with clear objectives that support our overall business goals, whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving product demand, or entering new markets in India. We regularly share insights and data to ensure our campaigns target the right audience and address their needs and use performance metrics to track the effectiveness of our campaigns and make necessary adjustments in real time. This integrated approach helps us stay focused on driving both sales and business growth.
4. Are there any new initiatives or campaigns that you are particularly excited about? Will new products be the central focus?
We’re really excited about the end results of our latest global campaign #PartnersInExcellence wherein Hansgrohe India topped the results in terms of qualitative and quantitative KPIs so far. Other initiatives including new product introductions, the launch of ‘The Teal Club’ in Hyderabad and other customer intimacy activities pan India helped us develop deeper connect with the architects and interior designers who are our core customers apart from the channel partners and end consumer.
These activities also helped us understand the need of the end user, industry trends, how we can align with all of it and make our products more convenient for the end user.
Our products strongly focus on innovation in design and technology with sustainability at the heart of every product. We’re also planning campaign(s) that highlight the core strengths of our products, educating our customers on how they can make a positive impact through their choices.
5. In terms of growing market share where is the whitespace? Is Gen Z a key TG?
Wherever there is a growth in luxury and premium real estate, the markets where people are willing to invest in luxury and ready to up their lifestyle, that is where our opportunity is. With almost 60% of India’s population being young, GenZ is definitely a key TG.
This generation is becoming influential, they value products, that are sustainable and are true their performance promise and ready to invest in brands offering such products. We must be in touch with them through our targeted brand / product campaigns that resonate with their interests. We are, additionally, boosting our presence on digital platforms where they spend their time and gain knowledge about different brands or products. It’s a great way to connect with them and drive growth.
6. How does hansgrohe India prioritise and enhance customer experience in its marketing efforts?
Enhancing customer experience is integral to hansgrohe and its people. We have always been developing products that create unforgettable experiences of our consumers on a daily basis and that’s where our campaigns play a crucial role. With our marketing efforts, we communicate to our audience how hansgrohe enhances daily water experience in bathrooms world-wider and gain consumer insights while trying to understand their concerns, needs and preferences.
We actively gather feedback to tailor our marketing activities, ensuring that our messages and campaigns resonate with our audience. We also aim to provide a seamless experience across all touchpoints, from our website to PoS to customer service interactions. By highlighting the features and benefits of our products in a way that directly addresses customer pain points and desires, we make sure our marketing is not just about promotion but also about adding real value to a person and his/her house.
Also, our retail stores and live product areas in the showrooms pan India allow the customers to experience our products before make an buying decision.
7. Is the marketing message all about comfort and hygiene?
hansgrohe and its brand offer to its customers not only convenience in the bathroom but unmatched aesthetics, futuristic technology and sustainability. Hence, our marketing message definitely goes beyond just comfort and hygiene. While those aspects are important, it’s important for us to emphasise on other factors like design, innovation and sustainability to help users understand that bathroom is much more than just a room to cleanse yourself daily. We want our customers to understand how our products not only enhance their daily bathroom routines but also as smart, appealing, eco-friendly choices that add aesthetic value to their homes.
We highlight how our products make life easier and more enjoyable, while also being mindful of the environment. One hansgrohe brand’s new maxim, “Life is Waterful,” exemplifies this holistic approach. Also, this approach ensures our message resonates with a wider audience and reflects the true essence of what hansgrohe stands for.
8. As digital has grown has TV become less relevant for luxury brands as a medium?
I believe both these media vehicles play their own crucial role to reach the TG. TV hasn’t necessarily become less relevant for luxury brands, but its role has evolved. TV still offers a broad reach and can create a strong brand presence and positioning, given you are present at the right channel at the right time.
However, digital mediums allow luxury brands have a more targeted reach and implement a two way connect with the audience through interactive and distinctive marketing campaigns, which is very important for engaging today’s consumers.
9. For a luxury brand like AXOR, does using mass media that targets the entire country often result in wastage?
For any luxury brand including AXOR, awareness should be created where the education is. It’s important for luxury brands to reach the audience who knows about integrating luxury in every aspect of their lifestyle, an audience who understands the brand values and aspires for the brand or holds the buying potential.
Not all viewers are our target audience and thus, targeted feeds via digital mediums come to rescue while reaching out to this niche of TG. We strategically choose media platforms and times that align with our target demographics. For instance, we focus on high-end lifestyle channels and premium time slots where our potential customers are more likely to be watching.
Additionally, we complement mass media with targeted digital campaigns to ensure we reach the right audience more effectively. This balanced approach helps us optimize our ROI.
10. What role does influencer marketing play in driving conversions?
Influencers do play a role in facilitating customers creating opinions about the brand and influencing buying decisions. By partnering with the right influencers who has strong credibility amongst its followers, brands can effectively amplify their message and drive meaningful engagement and conversions. Through influencers, brands can reach specific, often niche, audiences in a more authentic and relatable way.
Their genuine endorsements and reviews build trust and credibility, which is crucial for brands. When influencers share their positive experiences with the products, it resonates deeply with their followers, who are more likely to consider and purchase these products. This personal connection and trust can lead to higher conversion rates and increased brand loyalty.
