The title doesn’t just imply a jump in the alphabetical order. Instead, it is a crucial strategic move which Asian Paints as an organisation must make in the future. It is the way it should re-brand itself from just being a paints player to one that offers a technology-aided virtual experience.
In the future, beyond just choosing a colour for the walls of your home, they can be programmed to display backgrounds of your choice through augmented reality. It means that one can change the appearance of one’s room in a fraction of a second, with zero cost and zero maintenance.
Paint and décor manufacturers have to foresee such disruptions that could transform their businesses. Strategising for the future, planning investments, R&D and building upon a good brand name is essential to sustain in such industries.
Back in 2002, Asian Paints completely changed the perspective from merely ‘colouring a house’ to giving one’s home a personality. The ‘ har ghar kuch kehta hai ’ advertisement was a game-changing creative campaign thought up by Ogilvy and Mather. The success of the ad redefined the brand’s proposition and earned the company maximum brand equity.
As the brand value grew, AP expanded into the areas of water proofing, wood coatings, coloured textures and also, through acquisitions, into bath fittings and sanitary ware, modular kitchens and wall finishes.
This encouraged Asian Paints to open kiosks where ideas were sold to potential customers by providing them with various plans and decor options for their dream home. This is where augmented reality comes into the picture, enabling users to use an app to view rooms as they would look after changing the paint colours.
But as luxury became more accessible to all, the complexity of construction also changed. Moving from normal brick walls to glass panels and wooden finishings, everyone began creating more sophisticated living spaces.
These changes initiated by the more profit-generating customers raised concerns for Asian Paints as the paintable surface area in each home reduced. Hence the company realised the need for a strategic shift, from boosting sales and distribution to brand enhancement, to cater the changing customer needs.
Challenges do exist in promoting a non-consumable brand like paint, as the percentage of people buying the product is a minuscule portion of those seeing it advertised.
Campaigns through Ezycolour solutions about eco-friendly ‘green paint services’ (GPS) can help build an emotional value for the brand. The companies branding mission should focus on having ads that go beyond the 1960s frame. From ‘Gattu’ back from 1954, the new era of digital promotions should aim at making a connect with the a wider range of consumers.
Since technology can’t completely replace the painting of building surfaces, it is important for Asian Paints to leverage technology and plan brand promotions accordingly. If AP needs to successfully transform from a brand name to an emotion, it should be seen as a facilitator of complete home designing solutions, so that even glass walls start generating profits.
Since it already has a wide portfolio, setting up the context for such a transformation will be the next major challenge for Asian Paints.
(The writer is a student of Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai. He had written this as part of his research on understanding brands and how players in niche industries like the paint, should consider its importance in future planning and decision making. It was done to consider the technological implications on the brand.)