Matrix Footwear India

The case of Brand Positioning

Presented By:
Aher Vaibhav Babaji
Bharath N S
Duganapalli Kavyamala
Niharika Rawat
Prerna Singh
Satti Mohan Raja Reddy
 CASE FACTS
UTILITY Marketing – stress on functionality and was perceived as
“ Janata brand ”
Enjoying 15% market share in a market dominated by
unorganized sector

Known for its sensible V-F-M offerings

Target Segment – growing Indian Middle Class

Low Value; High Volumes and mass marketing strategy adopted

by the company
company
Nothing Distinctive to offer the youth

Quality and affordability were taken as constants

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 Change in Focus - 1989
• Volumes no longer mattered; value was the new mantra

• Lifestyle Marketing strategy – driven by fashion and style

• Entered Premium segment – focused more on fashion accessories

rather than Footwear
• Matrix retail outlet became a mini-departmental store

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 What went wrong
◦ Market was not ready for Premium segment
◦ No market expertise to handle Premium segment
◦ Could not divorce from its V-F-M image
◦ Dissonance in the minds of its main target segment- Middle Class
◦ Indiscriminate in choosing the fashion accessories
◦ Ambience in all stores cried economy, while the product-range was skewed
towards premium
◦ Operational problems – manufacturing process could not handle small batch-
size
◦ Inventory problems – alliances with transnational didn’t work, rather
accounted to inventory problem. Premium segment amounted only 10% of
market.
◦ Retailing problems – sales people could not handle premium products and
such customers 4