With more than 60 years of design, tech and innovation expertise, NITCO Tiles & Marble is a trusted name in the tile manufacturer industry. From designer bathroom tiles and designer kitchen tiles to outdoor tiles and commercial tiles, NITCO caters to all your needs. With 50+ retail outlets all over India, we offer an unmatched sales experience as our foundation lies in product quality and impeccable customer service. Since our inception in 1953, we have remained rooted in our core values of Innovation, Product Quality and Customer First, making us one of the best tile companies in India. With our exhaustive collection of wall tiles, floor tiles & marble, we have expanded our customer base overseas and have a sizable clientele in various other countries.
NITCO’s vision is to improve the quality and design of products continuously and to increase customer focus. NITCO added that it easily ranks higher in the list of best tile brands in India.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Subrata Basu, Vice President, Marketing, NITCO Ltd
Q. NITCO has faced the challenge of maintaining a stable supply chain and developing a scalable business model. What tactics has the company adopted to tackle this?
Infusing working capital, building via new investment, Scaling up stock with the right product mix, priority capacity blocking, Stable payment cycle, lower cost, availability of complete retail portfolio, sales team confidence build up, encourage dealers to increase retail, separate Key account and Export Stock, driving higher sales, focussing all stable engines from products to customers first.
Q. The company restructured its operational model to build efficiency and resilience. What role did predictive analytics play in this regard?
Past data was not very relevant, only a guide since the dynamic state ensured working on operational efficiency and building working models which are growth scalable, predictive analytical models were used in dynamic material planning and stable state markets.
Q. Is the marketing strategy for NITCO evolving beyond product demos? Kindly elaborate.
NITCO is the only company with tiles, marble, mosaic, all the products are sensory surface products touch and feel and look are the final gate, NITCO has always been passionate about creating natural design surfaces and enabling natural touch and feel across all spaces. The marketing strategy is aligned around the same. Creating experiential storytelling and enabling the same via the products, mood boards, spaces go a long way for the brand and designs to be felt. Yes digital helps in creating the initial interest and driving the customer closer to the Brand and the product.
Q. Is the aim of marketing for NITCO to build trust, credibility and long term loyalty? Or is the short term more important?
Trust, credibility and long term loyalty are largely already built with the Brand, reviving the same via higher awareness, connect and visibility is the ask, a legacy of 70 years of customer testimonial and the trust enabled via our network partners, project and architect community for the brand the outer ring which it builds silently is the same across all its touch points the inner ring is design and innovation to create spaces which tells a story of the natural world.
Both rings especially higher visibility and awareness of the outer ring will create higher recency and sales since the brand was dormant for a long time among the industry clutter.
Q. Since NITCO is in the tiles and marble space is the pre festive season quarter the most crucial in a year as that is when people take decisions to improve their homes?
No the season is usually flat with a higher skew across half 2, since its a hard coded installation work seasonal factor is not so relevant for this category for spike in buyers density.
Q. What are some of the marketing activities and innovations currently being done? To what extent does this build upon what was done last year?
Design Innovation to multiple format, same design, innovative surfaces with the new Natura range of tiles. The tiles have been produced with the latest technology using SNF patent where we recycle all the water and use the least new energy, The tiles are also accredited by Griha for its green compliance and comes with 6 unique finish and design types using the latest tech for creating unmatched natural textures and design types for a range of applications and usage areas.
NITCO has also been active on the Global stage as one of the few Indian companies present in the largest global fair at Bologna where the world exhibits the best in class products. NITCO is also extending its Mosaic portfolio with a larger footprint and design range addressing a wider market. NITCO’s unique portfolio and design first approach enables Project and Key Accounts to work as a one stop solution partner.
Q. While it is a B2B brand is NITCO adopting strategies seen in the B2C space like influencer marketing?
No, not yet. The scattered customer B2C and the level of influencer typology is still very scattered not with the likely efficiency and spread to build scaleability.
Q. While Linkedin is an important platform are Youtube and Reels growing in importance in widening the audience base for a B2B brand like NITCO?
Yes from information spread, training, product and project showcase, testimonial, display live images and knowledge sharing they are useful.
Q. How does the company use advances in AR, VR, MR to deepen storytelling online?
I will not seek to disclose the same, yes we are using more for modelling decision making and scaleable operational models not much with images yet. Yes we are testing some models for accuracy.
Q. Is NITCO leveraging emerging formats like meme marketing, podcasts?
Not yet but yes we have plans in podcast.
Q. What are the plans to enhance the network of 650+ dealers, nine exclusive Le Studio experience centers, and 70+ franchise stores across India and Nepal? According to data analytics does the whitespace for growth lie across the country or are certain areas more important?
Certain areas based on the brand and its likely customers are more important. we have a large open pie in front of us the ability to differentiate via a channel distribution strategy is critical in our plans ahead.
Q. Outside India is NITCO focussing more on other markets as a result of the Tariff situation in the US? Kindly elaborate.
The position is still dynamic we have not steered our business away, we envisage a drop and a switch which will be gradual, opportunity markets will be closer to home as well as Europe.
Q. Could you talk about the on-ground marketing strategy through things like participating in retail events?
BTL is very important that is local trade events, display, sampling, walk in drive events, mason meets and influencer engagement the country has a high spread of network and customer base all needs a high connect. Digital can enable this largely concentrated on pitch presentation and ground event activation teams
Q. How are martech and AI helping track the ROI of marketing spends?
Not at present for all activities, with a high intensity of BTL. It becomes difficult numerically quantifying all marketing activities via an ROI model.
