Background

Rado is a quintessential perfectionist Swiss watch brand, known for its use of scratch-proof materials.
Started manufacturing in 1957, Rado perfected the use of high-tech ceramics and also pioneered two
new materials in the mid-90s, namely cermet – a titanium-based ceramic combined with metal, and
plasma high-tech ceramics. A decade later, Rado introduced yet another fascinating material called
high-tech diamonds.
Thus, Rado has been a pioneer in using high-tech materials in its watches that are hypoallergic and
gentle to the skin. Hence, Rado has shaped itself as a brand that is exclusive, just like its use of
exclusive materials in making watches, and its customers who aspire to achieve and stand out from the
crowd, and celebrate and make a statement by donning an exclusive piece of accessory – a Rado.

Objective of Study
Since Rado is a luxury watch brand for people seeking exclusivity, targeting the Youth of today, The
platform of the brand needs re-invigoration and we, therefore, seek to communicate with the youth of
today to understand their perception of Rado and their willingness to own it. We also seek to
understand and gain meaningful insights, that are actionable and help Rado as a brand to innovate
itself to appeal to its TG.

Methodology
In order to understand the perception of Rado among the Youth of today, we conducted a primary
research on a large group of over 75 people varying in age from 18 years to 50 years. People with
diverse income group ranging from not earning currently to over Rs.20 lack per annum participated in
the survey and provided us with various insights.
The respondents were chosen after considering their income bracket and a few non-earning people
who are poised to land a job worth over 20LPA in the near future.
The mode of survey was telephonic, where we indulged in an open-ended discussion about luxury
watch brands in general, with a special focus on Rado towards the end of conversation. That being said,
there were a few pre-determined questions that focused on the top-of-the-mind recall of various
luxury brands and perception of Rado in respondents’ minds; whether they were planning to purchase
a luxury watch and where did Rado stand in their order of preference.
Results
The survey group comprised of 56% of audience who had bought a luxury watch in the past. Various
questions were asked in the survey and their responses were as follows -

Q1. What are the top 3 luxury brands that come to your mind?
Ans. various brands that took the share of mind included Rado, Rolex, Armani, Seiko, Titan, Mont Blanc,
Tissot, Fossil, Hublot and many more.
Only 47% of the audience knew about Rado, while its share of mind was just 19.8%. Brands like Rolex,
Armani, Fossil were the common names taken by the consumers.

Q2. Which watch have you bought/ will buy in future?

Ans. 60% of respondents said that they would buy a watch other than Rado if given Rs.100000. Only 2
respondents mentioned Rado when asked what they would buy in future. There was a poor alignment
between the brand ambassadors and proposed target segment.
Q3. Which features do you most care about in luxury watches?
Ans. Common responses about features liked by the audience include classy look, minimalistic big dial,
nice strap and expensive.
Various insights were gathered from the survey, and are summarized as follows:
 People understood luxury watches as a style statement
 80% respondents said that they would not buy a smart-watch from Rado
 42% respondents felt that Rado’s designs are not appealing or outdated
 40% respondents felt that Rado watches range within 20k-50k
 10% respondents felt it was available for less than 15k
 Women segment has limited options
 Huge counterfeit market is pulling the brand image down
 75% respondents said they would buy a luxury watch for weddings
 66% respondents said they would buy it for personal purchase (personal growth / milestone –
birthdays, promotions, new job, and first salary)
 40% respondents said they would buy a luxury watch for gift purposes
Consumer Portrait
Majority of the audience belonged from the age group 21-35 years. This group wanted to buy the
watch as a status symbol, to show their style statement, to look exclusive and to differentiate
themselves from others. Emotional benefits of buying this watch include exclusivity and uniqueness,
ownership of a luxurious watch making them feel mature and elegant. Life goals of this group included
high net worth individuals in successful stage of life, achievers in their own field, a feeling of
uniqueness through owning a piece of fashion accessory like a watch, which is not owned by majority
of their peers.
Conclusion and Recommendations
After conducting the survey, we understand that Rado as a brand has a very less top-of-the-mind recall
among the luxury watches segment. People considering to purchase a luxury watch focused on two
major factors – brand value and visual appeal.
While Rado ticked the first parameter, it did struggle a bit in the visual appeal part since the designs of
Rado watches were perceived to be mature and suitable for middle-aged people and the youth would
rather turn to other brands for watches having better designs that resonate well with the youth.
In order to understand all the implications and possible actions to address the issues, we have created
a Insight-Action model for communicating the same:

Insights Actions

Low, top of mind recall, not in people’s Rado should focus more on social media marketing,
consideration set. partners with influencers and stealth marketing to
increase its brand awareness.

Designs appeal to the middle aged group, Careful consideration should be done keeping in mind
they do not appeal much to the younger the desirable features
audience

Brand ambassadors who don’t appeal to Should rope in more celebrities so as to have a better
the target customer connect with the TG, have more female brand
ambassadors

Association of Rado with tennis limits the Should associate with more popular sporting events
scope in India

People intend to purchase luxury watches The marketing communication should focus on big
for some significant milestone achievements in a youth’s life

All the above actions will help Rado reposition itself for the Indian market and better influence the
youth to purchase Rado. It should also use the equity of swatch in the market to reach out to its
desired target audience.
Appendix A – Survey Questionnaire

Q.1 Name

Q.2 Age

Q.3 Yearly Income

a) Not Earning Currently

b) <5 LPA
c) 5 – 10 LPA
d) 10 – 20 LPA
e) >20 LPA

Q.4 Have you bought any luxury watch in the past?

a) Yes
b) No

Q.5 If yes, which one? If No, will you buy one in future?

Q.6 Top 3 brands that come to your mind when it comes to luxury watches?

Q.7 When and why will you buy a luxury watch? Which brand will you prefer?

Q.8 What features do you care about the most in a luxury watch?

a) An automatic movement rather than quartz

b) A watch brand name associated with quality
c) A 'chronometer' rating
d) A high water resistance rating (if it's a diving watch)
e) Made in Switzerland, Germany or Japan
f) A case and strap made of solid metal (or leather)
g) A metal bracelet held together with screws instead of pin
h) Limited Production.
i) Complications (Date,Chronograph, Backlight)

Q.9 If Rado makes a smart-watch, would you buy it?

Q.10 What price range do you think Rado watches come in?

a) < Rs. 25,000

b) Rs. 25,000 – Rs. 50,000
c) > Rs. 50,000