Case Study
Marks & Spencer - Repositioning for success in india
Challenge
Marks & Spencer, having entered the India market, had opened its stores in Mumbai and Delhi. Despite positive brand perception and fashion appeal that the brand enjoyed even prior to its entry into India, M&S sales were lagging, hampering revenue and expansion in India.
Approach
Brand assessment of M&S revealed consumer perception of Marks & Spencer being a premium fashion brand, which in turn was fuelled by its excessively priced products and it being limited to affluent Indians, who had been exposed to the brand through purchase during their visits to the UK, Secondly, apart from being excessively priced, new collections arrived in stores at delayed intervals, due to the lag in imports from the UK. All these factors had inadvertently positioned M&S as a premium brand, contrary to its mid-market retail fashion brand positioning in the UK.
M&S re-engineered business by moving manufacturing to Bangladesh, speeding up product availability and scaling down pricing due to lower sourcing and manufacturing costs, making brand affordable and reverting to its mid-market positioning,
Twin track PR focus – Corporate PR highlighted re-engineered business model, expansion plans and commitment to India, while brand PR highlighted new product launches, influencer marketing and fashion appeal in consumer media
Result
Successful brand repositioning transformed M&S business, boosting preference and sales, aiding brand in expanding, with India now the second largest market after the UK.
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Anil Nim
Anil Nim
Making him a trusted advisor for businesses that are leading the way, driving change, and shaking things up. He’s spent more than a decade each in top roles at major global communication firms and leading marketing teams in-house. His career includes stints at agencies like Vaishnavi Corporate Communications, Weber Shandwick, Genesis Burson Marsteller, and Edelman. On the client side, he’s held key positions such as Head of Marketing Communications at Invista for South Asia (formerly Dupont Textiles & Interiors), Associate Director of Brand, Marketing, and Communications at EY, and National Director of Communications at a top corporate law firm in India.
Anil has worked on mandates for large organisations, like helping MTV India grow into the leading youth music channel in the country, boosting sales for the Almond Board of California, managing reputational risks for GMR during the Delhi Airport privatization, and driving consumer preference and sales for LYCRA and Teflon brands in India. His experience spans a wide range of industries and brand challenges.
When he’s not immersed in work, Anil loves to travel to different corners of the world and has explored places like Spain, Russia, Hungary, and China. At home, he’s an avid reader, enjoys soaking up the sun with a good book, and finds gardening to be a great way to unwind and connect with nature.
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