Provogue is a known brand on the Indian fashion scene. It seems they are in a situation where they are finding it tough to expand. Some time back we made a presentation helping them leverage their existing brand equity and solidify their positioning (indeed, keeping their expansion plans in mind) :). It's obvious that they haven't bought our thoughts. However what they've implemented doesn't seem to make sense. Let's wait and see.

2. Inspired by
Geoffery Miller’s How Sexual Selection Shaped The Human Mind
Douglas Hofstadter’s GEB: An Eternal Golden Braid
Al Ries & Laura Ries’ Origin of Brand, Focus & The War in the Boardroom
Seth’s Blog
Chris Andersen’s The Long Tail
A Brand Strategy Presentation for
By Fresh Communication Solutions

3. In Marketing, simplicity works.
But the connection between…
Simplicity = Common Sense = Logic = Marketing
The connection is through…
Perception
Logic of Perceptions
& Oppositions

4. Two conversations
A friend to another friend, “Do you A pal to another, “Do you know
know how did he improve the what pains did he go through to
plant’s efficiency by 1%?” improve efficiency by just 1%?”

5. Schools of thought
#1 #2
Management Brand
Marketing Marketing Communication
Brand Management
This presentation is
• apparently a brand strategy presentation
• it might have implications for product strategy
• on a larger canvas, implications for business strategy as well

6. what’s the objective?
Expand the kingdom

7. Inspired by
Geoffery Miller’s How Sexual Selection Shaped The Human Mind
Douglas Hofstadter’s GEB: An Eternal Golden Braid
Al Ries & Laura Ries’ Origin of Brand, Focus & The War in the Boardroom
Brand Strategy (or call it Marketing Warfare) Seth’s Blog
Chris Andersen’s The Long Tail
Name (the king) Territory, the mind
Al Ries & Jack Trout’s Positioning & Marketing Warfare
Category Definition (we’ll call it the Kingdom) of the consumer
Positioning Line (we’ll call it the Nail)
The Enduring Visual (we’ll call it the Hammer)
Celebrity (we’ll call it the Persona / Outward Personality)

8. what’s in the name?
everything or nothing

9. Provogue
provog, v.t. to originate, initiate, create or invent a mode, trend, style or fashion
which becomes popular and established
n. a mode, trend or fashion which previously did not exist

10. Current Status
r/
arty - w ea r
-we a r / P s ual w ea
Club re & Ca
Provogue u
Leis
provog, v.t. to originate, initiate, create or invent a mode, trend, style or
fashion which becomes popular and established
n. a mode, trend or fashion which previously did not exist

11. Current Status
tely!
Provogue D efini
provog, v.t. to originate, initiate, create or invent a mode, trend, style or fashion
which becomes popular and established
n. a mode, trend or fashion which previously did not exist

12. Current Status
t… tely!
itel y bu efini
Provogue Defin D
provog, v.t. to originate, initiate, create or invent a mode, trend, style or fashion
which becomes popular and established
n. a mode, trend or fashion which previously did not exist

13. Current Status
t… tely!
itel y bu efini
Provogue Defin D
provog, v.t. to originate, initiate, create or invent a mode, trend, style or fashion
which becomes popular and established
n. a mode, trend or fashion which previously did not exist
Phenotype (Body) Genotype (DNA)
How does this DNA shape into a body which swims far and wide?

14. Current Status Leadership in club-wear / party-wear /
leisure & casual wear
Category Definition (Kingdom)
Positioning Line (Nail)
The Enduring Visual (Hammer)
Celebrity (Persona / Outward Personality)
When Provogue entered, nothing
like it was seen in the market.
But…
Category definition seems to limit the growth
Positioning Line seems to have lost relevance
Current celebrities do not seem too effective

15. So, do we reposition
Provogue?
To reposition Provogue
could mean changing
its DNA.
Is it worth the risk?

16. A well-positioned brand is a flag hoisted atop a
mountain with the stick thrust down to the
bottom.
You can change the flag but getting the
stick out is mighty tough.

17. A well-positioned brand is like the belief of
a fanatic. The more you try to oppose, the
greater you strengthen the belief.
You can change the clothes of the fanatic,
mighty tough to change his/her heart.

18. Strategic Options
1 2 3 4
Brand has leadership
Brand has leadership Brand is well known and
position & the future of
position, future looks Brand is unknown sees huge potential in a
the category looks
good but not assured new category
definitely good
Keep the DNA Try mutating the Try re-creating the Try re-creating the
intact. DNA. DNA. DNA.
The garb will Create a new Create a new
Change the garb.
change. animal. animal.
New Position, New
Same position Similar position Reposition
Brand

19. Seeing the problem in
perspective
Competition of
categories
(between kingdoms)
or
Competition within
category
(infighting)

20. Default for Not considered for
Louise Office Provogue
Philippe / Allen High frequency
Solly / Van
Heusen Zodiac
Accepted
for Default for
Party Ac
Low frequency c ep
te
df
or
Accepted
for Accepted for
Leisure D ef a
ul t f o
Low frequency r
r
ul t f o
D ef a
Not considered for Accepted for T-shirt &
College Jeans
High frequency

21. Louise
Philippe / Allen
Solly / Van
Heusen Zodiac
substitutes doesn’t substitute
Provogue

22. The thing about categories
Level 1 Fashion
On the basis of objects
Level 2 could be Clothing Accessories Etc.
Level 3 Shirts Trousers Etc.
On the basis of occasions
Level 2 could be Office-wear Club-wear Etc.
Level 3 Formal Semi-formal Etc.
On the basis of looks
Level 2 could be Classy Look Funky Look Etc.
Level 3 Office-wear Party-wear Etc.
On the basis of price
Level 2 could be Premium Executive Etc.
Level 3 Office-wear Party-wear Etc.
On the basis of material
Level 2 could be Cotton Synthetic Etc.
Level 3 Office-wear Party-wear Etc.

23. The thing about categories
Defining categories is a fuzzy process. Not so delineated as it’s always represented on paper.
The above categories aren’t, of course, mutually exclusive.
But when we look at levels like these, bases of comparison & competition become clearer.
Category definition depends a lot on the evolution of the market & the choices people have.
The more evolved the market the finer the differences.
The more the choices the more discrete the preferences.
And in an area like fashion, in what terms do we think the most?

24. The thing about categories
Level 1 Fashion
On the basis of objects
Level 2 could be Clothing Accessories Etc.
Level 3 Shirts Trousers Etc.
On the basis of occasions
Level 2 could be Office-wear Club-wear Etc.
Level 3 Formal Semi-formal Etc.
On the basis of looks
Level 2 could be Classy Look Funky Look Etc.
Level 3 Office-wear Party-wear Etc.
On the basis of price
Level 2 could be Premium Executive Etc.
Level 3 Office-wear Party-wear Etc.
On the basis of material
Level 2 could be Cotton Synthetic Etc.
Level 3 Office-wear Party-wear Etc.

25. What is the sense organ that gives you a sense
of fashion?
Eye

26. What is the function of eye?
Lk

27. Which is that one question that everyone asks
after buying/wearing a dress?
How does it lk?
How do I lk?

28. For fashion/clothing/style there’s nothing bigger
than the ‘lk’.
Provogue’s focus should be a lk.
A lk that’s unique and different.
Better, if that lk is the opposite of what’s
prevalent.
Once identified, Provogue should own that lk
and promote it .

29. A lk at popular
brands are doing
The lks made
popular

30. For a classy kingly look.

31. For a cool casual look at work.

32. For the perfect look.

33. For the street-smart executive look.

34. The complete look - shirt, tie, suit, cuffs, etc. Taken
metaphorically to mean the complete man.

35. For the confident look.

36. Many interpretations… but in general observation
many jeans wearers keep the top button open and
that’s considered cool as well.

37. Reading of these brands
Every look has an attitude.
Most successful & popular brands seem to lead with shirts because:
In 2007, men’s apparel industry was mainly dominated by shirts (in value terms)
accounting for 36.5% of total men’s segment.
Shirt is the most (and the first) visible aspect of the attire for obvious reasons. We
won’t even realize on occasions that our colleague has worn the same pair trousers
every day of the week because he has worn a good shirt every day. 
In a typical wardrobe, shirts will always outnumber any other form of clothing /
accessory.

38. Louise
Philippe / Allen
Solly / Van
Heusen Zodiac
Sorting out a typical closet might further help in
substitutes finding an answer. doesn’t substitute
Provogue

39. A typical closet/wardrobe
Total of 30 shirts…
Light shades most often,
12-13 for usual days
plane-jane staid colours
15-18 for normal office
wear
3-5 for Fridays / More colorful, more
Saturdays design-filled
4-5 for special occasions
office wear
4-5 for party wear/leisure
Both these above described kinds of
shirts / attires are no match to the
vibrant, bold, showbiz-inspired colors or
Provogue has its share designs of Provogue. And this will pave
here with a couple the way for a Provogue look…

40. And that will increase Provogue’s share of
a typical wardrobe and help it tap into new
wardrobes.

41. Well-positioned competitors facilitate
developing a strong opposite position.
Instead of defining the brand in terms of club-wear /
party-wear it would be better if the brand owns and
evokes a look which is opposite to what’s popular and
prevalent.

42. Look of other brands Provogue Look
Dull Vibrant
Light Deep / Dark
Light Colors Colorful Colors
Conformism Standing Out
Managers Intrapreneurial
Limited Lustre Knight in shining armor
How can this opposite position
be described in a few words
which can evoke a clear
look/image?

43. Evokes the mood of That’s how the Provogue The colours, the shine and
‘clubbing, partying’, the color protagonist has always been the lustre of Provogue
of night, the colors of the depicted. merchandise.
apparel that have always These words promote a look.
been associated with the
brand.
They increase the scope of the brand without
Deep Dashing Brilliant
diluting its long-established DNA.
They promote a look different from what’s the norm in the
Describes the nature of a corporate world but thethe same time increase the
That’s what at corporate Captures the essence of the
professional who thinks chances of Provogue always admired
world has getting accepted as an alternative professional who
Provogue
deep, who’s steeped deep and has always needed. readily.
look in the office more is as alert, witty and
into his work and life. intelligent as the brilliance of
his Provogue attire.

44. Articulating the
positioning
Deep Dashing Brilliant

45. Deep. Dashing. Brilliant.

46. Sheer Brilliance

47. A Dash Of Brilliance

48. Beauty & Brilliance

49. The Enduring Visual
(the hammer)
An Icon / A Mnemonic

50. A brand is nothing but a short-cut.
How does Provogue become the best
short-cut?

51. Why?
So that a single visual connotes everything about
the look that the brand stands for.
So that the brand isn’t excessively reliant on
celebrities/stars that feature in the
communication.

52. What kind of mnemonic/icon?
A culturally accepted symbol which can evoke associations
instantaneously.
A symbol which can capture the look that the brand stands
for.

53. Icon Option # 1

54. Prodiam

55. Inspiration: Diamond A Diamond is precious and always
signals fine taste
A Diamond is always brilliant and
glittering A Diamond is beautiful and
cynosure of everyone’s attention

59. Icon Option # 2

60. Septastar

61. Inspiration: Star A Star is a mark of recognition and
high achievement
A Star is always brilliant and
glittering A Star is aspirational and demands
high respect and regard

65. Summarizing…
Kingdom, nail &
hammer

66. Brand Strategy (or call it Marketing Warfare)
Name (the king)
Category Definition (we’ll call it the Kingdom)
Positioning Line (we’ll call it the Nail)
The Enduring Visual (we’ll call it the Hammer)
Celebrity (we’ll call it the Persona / Outward Personality)

67. Going forward
Marketing
Communication Plan

68. It’s the that lk dammit!
Lk brilliant.