CORPORATE PROJECT STUDY

An understanding of various marketing functions in the

Indian luxury retail sector with Dune London as a case
study

SUMMER INTERNSHIP REPORT SUBMITTED AS A PART OF THE

REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

SUBMITTED BY
Amrita Warrier
PRN: 16020441330
Marketing-IB (B5)
Batch 2016-18

Under the Guidance of

Project Guide Project Mentor

Dr.Pradnya Chitrao Ms.Shivani Behl
CPS Mentor Marketing Head
Reliance Brands Limited

SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES (SIMS)

(CONSTITUENT OF SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY)
July 2017

i
COMPLETION CERTIFICATE

ii
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project entitled “An understanding of various

marketing functions of Indian luxury retail sector with Dune London as a case
study” submitted for the MBA Degree is my original work and the project has not
formed the basis for the award of any degree, associate ship, fellowship or any
other similar titles.

Name of the student: Amrita Warrier

Signature of the Student:

Place: Pune

Date: 31st July 2017

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iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank Dr Pradnya Chitrao, for all the help and support extended by
her at every stage during my CPS as my faculty guide.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Ms.Shivani Behl, Marketing Head,

Reliance Brands Limited, Mumbai for mentoring me and motivating me in
handling Dune London as a brand during my internship.

I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation towards Symbiosis Institute of

Management Studies for giving me the opportunity to do my CPS project with
Reliance Brands Limited that culminated into a great learning experience and value
addition to my career.

Amrita Warrier

16020441330

Marketing – IB B5

Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune

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 CONTENTS
Completion Certificate………….. .………………..................................................................ii
Declaration……………….. …………..……………………………………………………..iii
Certificate................................................................................................................................iv
Acknowledgement……………...…………………………………………………………....v
Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………...…….....7
Introduction- Footwear Industry in India...............................................................................9
About Reliance Brands...........................................................................................................10
Dune London..........................................................................................................................11
Dune London India- A case study..........................................................................................12
Marketing Mix Analysis..........................................................................................................14
Social Media Marketing-Objectives........................................................................................18
 Internal Marketing…………………………………………………………………...18
 Pune store launch Plan……...……………………………………………………......20
 RFM Analysis …………….………………………………………………………....24
Key Learnings..........................................................................................................................28
Conclusion …………………………………………….……………………………..............29
Biliography……………………………………………………..………………………….....30
Turninin Report……………………………………………………..………………………..31
CPS Tracker..............................................................................................................................
33

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The luxury segment in the Indian retail sector has undergone a sea change with the expansion of
the Indian economy. The Indian luxury market is in the spotlight with global luxury brands
showing a growing presence in the country. With FDI in retail increased to 100%, many
international brands are entering the Indian market by way of franchise agreements with Indian
conglomerates. Casting their net into the Indian market, has boosted the Indian economy too with
the burgeoning population that is showing an increased awareness of brands and a growing
propensity to consume luxury goods and services too.

Dune London is one such footwear brand that has forayed into India through a franchise
agreement with Reliance Brands Limited (RBL), a premier organization that specializes in
getting major international brands into our country. In India, Dune is positioned as a luxury
footwear brand that is sophisticated and comfortable at the same time. Primarily catering to
women, Dune also features men’s footwear and includes accessories such as women’s handbags
and laptop bags too!

A holistic understanding of a luxury brand is not complete without getting to know how its head
office functions on a day to day basis. In this case, the head office is the actual store itself while
the tail office is the Reliance Brands office where the team sits and brainstorms on various
marketing strategies for every brand under its ambit. Regular visits were paid to the only Dune
store located in Mumbai at Palladium Mall, Lower Parel to understand how the ‘Fashion
Consultants or FC” (not referred to as Sales Person/People) pitch the merchandise and make
sales for the day/month, how the visual merchandising is done, what are the types of footwear
that are on display, which type of footwear is the best selling item, the percentage of customers
that visit the store, how many of them are women/men, any promotional offers taking place in
the store, are any of the competitors offering discounts too?, the attitude of the FCs towards the
brand and the customers, and so forth.

Basis the initial understanding of Dune, a holistic study of the brand was taken up that had its
focus on Digital Marketing (as most of these brands are very active on social media) which
involved the following three objectives:-

 Internal Marketing- This catered to the FCs at all Dune stores in India and was a mode
of engaging with them through the use of Instagram as a medium. Such internal
marketing exercises ensure active participation and ownership of the brand by its
employees and helps in aligning the vision and mission of a brand.
 Store Launch Plan – A 360 degree analysis of various vehicles of communication (press
release, pitch mails, blogger activities, stringer costs) and marketing related activations
were discussed and jotted down to create a comprehensive and actionable marketing plan
for Dune’s upcoming store launch in Pune. Extensive secondary research was carried out
to understand the target market and position the brand correctly.

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  RFM Analysis – This is an integral part of Retail analysis and a model for behaviour
based customer segmentation. A qualitative analysis tool that helps brands segment,
differentiate and position themselves better. RFM helps segment consumers into various
categories to identify patrons who are more likely to respond to promotional offerings
and also for further personalisation services.

Apart from the aforementioned objectives, preparing pitches and press releases for the brand to
its stakeholders, sourcing activities with stylists/designers,etc was carried out for further
engagement with the target audience.

In sum, a luxury footwear brand needs to thoroughly understand the target market and undertake
a host of marketing initiatives (both online and offline) to ensure that it makes good sales/profits,
captures new prospects and remains relevant with the existing target audience.

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 INTRODUCTION

FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY IN INDIA

India ranks as the third largest footwear consuming country in the world after China and the US
and is soon expected to be the second largest consumer. The rapid expansion in the Indian
lifestyle and fashion market has given a thrust to the footwear industry too. The footwear
industry in India, has been broadly classified into three segments namely- Men, Women and
Kids. Out of these, the Women’s segment is growing the quickest at a CAGR of 20%.

Based on the usage, this market is subdivided into the following categories:-

 Regular (daily and sports footwear, leather/non leather material)

 Occasional (premium and luxury, leather/non leather material)

The price points for the footwear industry in India are divided as under:-

 Mass (Rs.150- Rs.700)

 Mid level- Economy (Rs.800- Rs.1200)
 Sports (Between Rs.1500- Rs.4000)
 Premium (Between Rs.5000- Rs.10000)
 Luxury (Above Rs.15,000)

Kanchan Lall, associate vice-president, Tecnova India in an interview to ET (July 29, 2012) said,
"Luxury footwear market [starts at Rs 15,000] is not more than 1-2% of the total market, while
the premium segment [starts at Rs 5,000] occupies 15-20% of the market and is growing faster,"
she says.

Increasing household/disposable incomes, shifting consumer behaviour from saving to spending,

increased brand awareness and consciousness among Indian consumers, influx of a large number
of global brands and penetration in tier1 and tier 2 cities by footwear companies has contributed
to the rapid expansion of organized retail in footwear market.

Despite the premium and luxury segment being small in terms of sales in India, amounting to
approximately Rs.450 crore as per ASSOCHAM data, this has not prevented numerous
international players from making an India entry. Rather, their entry has really helped in
increasing the aspiration levels of customers.

Several international brands in the luxury and premium segments such as Charles & Keith, Aldo,
Hush Puppies, Pavers England, Steve Madden, Ckarks, Bally, Tod, Ralph Lauren, Burberry,
Gucci, Ermenegildo Zegna, Chanel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Armani, Bottega Veneta, Hugo Boss,
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McQueen, YSL, Kenneth Cole are now available in India through exclusive stores
or through multi-brand outlets.

ABOUT RELIANCE BRANDS

Reliance Brands Limited is a part of the Reliance Industries Group, a Fortune Global 500
company. Mr.Mukesh Ambani is the Chairman, Managing Director and the largest shareholder
of RIL.

Reliance Brands Limited saw its inception in October 2007 and thus commenced operations to
build international and domestic brand equity in the premium to luxury segment across footwear,
apparel and lifestyle business. Reliance Brands entered into JV agreements with global brands
and helped them set up shop in India. The brands under its ever expanding portfolio include-
GAS, Brooks Brothers, BCBG Maxazaria, BCBGeneration, Superdry, Hamleys, Dune, DIESEL,
Muji, Kate Spade, Quiksilver, Steve Madden, Hunkemoller, Ermenegildo Zegna, Iconix, Juicy
Couture, Paul & Shark, Roxy, Reiss, Scotch & Soda, DC and Thomas Pink. Each brand has its
Business Head with some Business Heads managing more than one brand.

Reliance Brands Limited (RBL) specializes in retail operations, fashion, luxury goods, market
research, PR & Marketing, real estate development and providing a complete shopping
experience. Headquartered in Mumbai, its operations are spread out across India. A unique
differentiator of RBL is that the company does not have its own landing page (website) rather it
focuses more on its Facebook page that acts as a business promoter as they believe that their
desired target audience frequents social media channels more for information related to the
brands.

Mr.Darshan Mehta is the CEO of RBL at present.

RBL has various departments under its umbrella that help in the day-to-day functioning of the
company. These are:-

 Marketing Management
 Visual Merchandising (Vibes)
 Retail Operations
 Buying and Planning
 PR
 Marketing Procurement
 SAP/IT
 Projects
 Legal
 Admin

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  HR

An opportunity to work for various luxury/super luxury brands in India right under one roof is
what Reliance Brands Limited provides to its employees and this can be seen in their
professionalism and zeal to tap into the steadily growing luxury segment.

INTRODUCTION

Manolo Blahnik had once said, "Shoes are the quickest way for women to achieve instant
metamorphosis

DUNE LONDON

Based in London, the Dune Group is one of the most prominent global
players in fashion footwear and accessories. With almost two decades of
experience in the footwear industry, the Dune Group fosters dedication and
a zeal for excellence in product-development and in-house design and
upholds the conviction of providing

With over 20 years of experience in the footwear industry, the Dune group
nurtures dedication and passion for excellence in product development and
in-house design, and stands true to providing outstanding customer service. The Company
Founder and Executive Chairman is Mr.Daniel Rubin.

The company had humble beginnings, in 1992, from a 20 square metre concession in a fashion
store at Oxford Street, London to over 40 UK standalone stores, 175 concessions in major global
department stores such as House of Fraser, Topshop, Selfridges, John Lewis and over 64
franchised stores and concessions in 10 countries around the world.

The store also offers online shopping for its customers through its website dunelondon.com
which can be accessed easily through desktop, mobile and tablet.

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DUNE IN INDIA

Dune started its operations in India in September 2012 through a Master Franchise agreement
with Reliance Brands Limited. Currently, it has over 7 stores across the country in the following
cities:-

1. New Delhi- Ambience Vasant Kunj, Select City Saket

2. Noida- Mall of India
3. Gurgaon- Ambience Mall
4. Mumbai- Palladium Lower Parel
5. Kolkata- Quest Mall
6. Bangalore- VR Mall

Work is also underway to open shop in Pune’s Pavilion Mall soon.

The brand thrives on its sophisticated footwear and accessories that cater to a customer that
prefers finesse and comfort.

DUNE LONDON INDIA- A CASE STUDY

Dune thrives on sophisticated footwear and

accessories that cater to a customer that prefers
finesse and comfort. Post visiting the store (store
visits) as a mandatory part of the internship program,
we can better understand the STP, customer
segmentation (through observation and primary
research at the store itself in Mumbai) and also the
Marketing Mix of the brand here in India.

 STP Analysis
Dune store_Palladium_Mumbai
Segmentation

 Geographic- Being a luxury brand, Dune London focuses only on urban centres and
major cities with its presence currently in 5 Indian cities.
 Demographic- The target audience consists of women primarily from the age group of
25+ onwards. Men (30+) also form a small part of their target segment.

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  Psychographic- Dune London focuses on comfort yet classy footwear, hence it resonates
better with people who are aware of the brand, come from upper middle class families,
and are active in their social circles.
 Benefit/Behavioural- This caters to the benefits that accrue to the customers who
purchase from Dune London- their footwear are sophisticated, fashionable,of good
quality and long lasting. Hence, people don’t mind paying more for their choice of the
brand.

Targetting

 In India, Dune London targets those customers who have an increasing propensity to
consume footwear in particular and are up to date with the fashion trends in the field of
footwear (most profitable segments). Their target market is primarily women from upper
middle class backgrounds, and young working women and families that have a growing
propensity to consume luxury footwear.

Positioning

 Dune London is positioned as a luxury footwear brand with sophisticated styles that spell
out comfort and class to its customers.
 The Brand Personality of Dune is Sophisticated as it is positioned as a one stop shoe
store to cater to every occasion and is classy and wearable.

 Customer Segmentation

 Their target segment mostly consists of women (from well to do families), married
women, mother-daughter duos, businessmen who may be buying for their wives or
partners, young working women, etc.

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 Marketing Mix analysis

1. PRODUCT –
 A plethora of footwear ranging from stilettos to wedges and trainers to sandals,
almost 80% of the store’s products cater to women, primarily above the age of 25.
They do have a men’s collection of footwear too in a corner of the store. (albeit
their website offers more choice and variety for women’s footwear)
 Wedges are the most sold footwear style at this store.
 Light pastels dominated their current Spring-Summer collection (SS’17)
 Versatility is a USP of Dune as their footwear can be teamed up with a variety of
looks and apparel.

2. PRICE –

 The price point ranges from Rs.4,000 to Rs.12,000 making it a brand that
caters to a customer who is aware of the brand, has an increasing
disposable income and has classy tastes in footwear.
 The pricing draws in more women from affluent socio-economic backgrounds and
also mother-daughter duos looking at stilettos and sandals primarily. It also sees
fashion stylists coming into the store, sourcing footwear as required by their
clients.
 Pricing is kept at a luxury cum premium level so as to not dilute the brand and not
make it more mass-related.

 Competitors such as Aldo, Steve Madden also have similar price points for their
products

3. PLACE –
 Dune is a high street brand that is located at major malls across
5 major cities in India (High Street Phoenix, Ambience Mall,
Select CityWalk , Quest Mall, VR Mall)
 The presence in only select malls which see a high traction of
people from prosperous backgrounds differentiates Dune from
other mass footwear brands available at every mall

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  Online presence (website and major social media platforms)
 Also offers multiple shipping options to over 130 odd countries through its e-
commerce partner BorderFree.

4. PROMOTION –

 Gift with Purchase and Gift Cards are two major methods of
promotion followed by Dune across its stores
 #aloveaffairwith is their current SS campaign – an on-set
love story set against the backdrop of iconic London
landmarks (more pertinent to UK/London based customers)
 In-store branding visible in terms of an electronic banner screen which showcases
their current SS campaign (with their UK based brand ambassadors for this
season). Easels have been installed in the stores which talk about ongoing offers.
 Reverse catwalk implemented across all Dune stores which acts as a unique
differentiator especially to people who notice it as they enter the store
 Seasonal promotions in terms of end of season sale (EOSS) takes place twice a
year (Mid-June and towards the latter part of the year)

Perceptual Mapping (Major Footwear Retailers in India)

Fashionable

Dressberry, ABOF Dune London, Steve

Madden, Aldo, Jimmy
Choo, Mochi

Low Price High Price

Bata, Liberty Shoes Woodland

Non Fashionable
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SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS-

 ‘Reverse catwalk’ – It is a theme that is followed

at all Dune stores across the world. Involves a n
entire line of pairs of footwear stuck to the ceiling.
Acts as a major differentiator from other footwear
stores. (inset pic)
 Their footwear collection offers a good mix of
comfort and style with sober palettes.
 It is a major sourcing option for fashion and
celebrity stylists.

WEAKNESS

 The awareness among Indian shoppers is not much except for the ones who have
travelled abroad and have heard of the store or through word of mouth.
 Male customers do not frequent the store much (20% of their collection is dedicated to
men which includes shoes and accessories such as wallets, laptop bags)
 Limited options for men in terms of collection

OPPORTUNITIES

 Opening more stores in India and increasing physical presence

 Can focus on more branding opportunities- cross promotion with other luxury brands to
increase visibility and customer awareness
 Cater to the Indian tastes and audience through topical and festive offers

THREATS

Competitors

 Aldo has a better outreach in terms of stores and brand recall. More sales promotions
and other offers keep customer engaged and aware of the latest happenings. They also
have titles and curated hashtags such as Manic Monday, Footwear Friday, #AldoCrew,
#bagandbrag, #Aldomovesme and so forth.

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 Steve Madden- As a brand attracts youth who like to experiment with bold and flashy
colours or design and who possess good spending capacity.
 Charles & Keith- Expanding their presence in India across major stores. They also offer
a limited collection for kids (Little Charles & Keith) too.

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 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

OBJECTIVES

INTERNAL MARKETING

As part of their constant endeavour to engage with

their employees, Dune London under the Reliance
Brands umbrella strives to create an organizational
workforce that believes in the brand and who is
aligned to the brand’s core objectives and vision.

Internal marketing focuses on leveraging the value of

employees and therefore a strong communication
between the company and employees is crucial. In lieu
of this, the company engages with its Fashion Stylists
(equivalent of sales executives in a store) on a regular A promotion image of Dune’s Spring
Summer Collection (SS’17)- A Love Affair
basis to provide them with a healthy and motivating
With
work atmosphere. In addition, acknowledging an employee’s or in this case a store’s efforts
(excellent sales figures) also constitute a part of Internal Marketing. Retailers, restaurant chains
and other companies that interact with a large amount of customers show keen interest in Internal
Marketing. These companies use newsletters, off-sites (corporate retreats), departmental
meetings, blogs to help disseminate information.

 Initiative

Dune London organized a contest for its Fashion Consultants across all Dune stores in India.
This contest was an internal marketing initiative through the use of a digital medium
(INSTAGRAM) to have all its employees participate and be rewarded respectively. The contest
was called ‘Styled By You 2.0’ (2nd instalment of the contest for this year) and it ran from 10th
April – 1st May, 2017. The rationale behind organizing this contest was to ensure a conducive
and productive work environment along with motivating the Fashion Consultants to work better
and achieve their targets and drive better sales figures for the stores.

 About the contest

Styled By You 2.0 is an Instagram based contest for Fashion Consultants across all the Dune
stores in India. This is the second edition of the contest where the FCs (as they are referred to)
get an opportunity to style themselves according to various themes with products from Dune
London’s SS’17 (Spring-Summer) collection that includes footwear, accessories, etc. The edition
saw a total participation from over 22 FCs across all Dune stores.
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Some of the categories involved were as follows:-

 Individual Contest
 Most Participating Store
 CEO’s Pick
 The Style Cracker

The contest received an enthusiastic response from the FCs across all Dune stores in India. To
make the contest more topical, different themes were given each week to the participants that
made it easier for them to style themselves.

Themes

 Week 1- Date Night and Monochrome

 Week 2- Hipster Look and Contrasting Colours

A minimum of 6 looks and photographs had to be posted by each participant on the Styled By
You 2.0 Instagram account which was created for the same. Relevant hashtags for the above
included #DuneLondonIndia #StyledByYou2.0 #aloveaffairwithstyle, etc. The participant with
the most amount of photos and maximum likes was eligible to be a part of the top 3 finalists for
each week. The final decision for each week’s winners was taken by the jury. The overall winner
was awarded as The Style Cracker along with other rewards.

Learnings-

 Handling social media especially Instagram in this case,

 Tracking engagement on the posts in terms of likes and comments on the photos,
 Creating a presentation and working with the team to choose the finalists and winners for
the contest
 Keeping track of the FC’s profiles and their posts on Instagram and ensuring that the
relevant posts get uploaded on the Styled By You 2.0 account.

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 PUNE STORE LAUNCH – (DUNE LONDON-PAVILION MALL)

As part of their continuous expansion in various parts of the world, and in India too, Dune is
planning to set up a store in the city of Pune at the upcoming Pavilion Mall. (tentative date-
August 2017) Opening a store is a major expansion move in our country where one is seeing a
rise in the class of people with a high propensity to consume and spend, especially by Dune’s
target audience. Pune is an important market and has a growing number of fashion conscious
people who would like to see more of their favourite brands opening shop in their own city.

The task was to prepare a holistic marketing launch plan that would help in essentially increasing
Dune’s outreach and driving sales in the city of Pune. Keeping in mind, the Pune market, an
online plus offline marketing launch plan was conceptualized for Dune London.

ENGAGEMENT MARKETING/ EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

This is a growing trend that involves marketing a product (in this case- footwear and accessories)
through physical experiences or activities that keep the customer/stakeholders engaged and
simultaneously create a bond with the brand too. This is also a differentiating tool that is used by
various companies or brands to gain competitive advantage from their competitors. Engagement
Marketing, if done well, means connecting with audience who want to hear from you, in
relevant, meaningful and interesting ways.

Some of the key working points associated with important Stakeholders are as follows:-

 Engagement with designers/influencers- Tying up with one of Pune’s renowned

designers and/or influencers to increase Dune’s outreach in Pune. This would be a
private/closed event at the store location itself. Using the designer’s influence and know-
how, Dune can piggyback on the same and ensure heightened visibility in the city. While
zeroing down on the designers/influencers, the following names stood out owing to their
contribution in the aforementioned domains and belonging to Pune, namely:-
o Nivedita Saboo- Nivedita Saboo Couture
o Harshita Chatterjee Deshpande – ‘Mairah’
o Karishma Shahani Khan- ‘Ka Sha’
o Sonam Parmar-
o Rishika Dossa- Couture by Rishika Dossa
o Uzma Poonawalla- ‘Cherry Crush’ fashion bazaars

 Engagement with bloggers/stylists- Inviting bloggers/stylists to the store for a closed

meet cum a high-tea event. The bloggers get a chance to interact with each other in a
store setting and simultaneously check out the merchandise on display too. They can use

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 their respective social media channels and blog about the offerings at the
store and mention the footwear and accessories on display which shall help in increasing
awareness of the brand among their social circle and improving its visibility too. Some of
the most engaging bloggers/stylists in Pune are:-
o Abhilasha Mehta- http://www.lookinggoodfeelingfab.com/contact
o Natasha Shrotri - http://blog.mariposalove.com/
o Akriti Rana Gill - http://www.aakritiranagill.com/
o Shaurya Sanadhya – Pretty Little Things (YouTube channel)
o Aleena Mackar - https://thestylechair.com/
o June Biswas - http://www.junewantsitall.com/
o Pragati- https://www.glamwithoutguilt.in/about-me
o Madhumita Chakravarty - https://tresenvogueblog.blogspot.in/

The above bloggers/stylists would also be given vouchers and freebies on behalf of Dune as a
means of promoting the brand in Pune.

 Engagement with renowned socialites - Another option could be to invite a prominent

Pune socialite to grace the launch occasion. The socialite could be a media friendly
socialite as that would also look after the media coverage for the event. The socialite
could pass on word to her family and social circle that would in turn drive traction for
Dune in Pune. Some of the well-known socialites in the city are:-
o Arti Kirloskar – Kirloskar Group Companies
o Neelam Seolekar- MD, O Hotels India
o Shweta Amit Bhosale – ABIL Group

The aforementioned engagement activities with various stakeholders could take place either
during the launch of the store or even a couple of weeks post the launch. Either of the three
options can be chosen to go ahead with that shall help Dune in announcing its presence in Pune
and help further its growth in the city.

 The next step was to come up with Engagement Activities for the store, at the store
launch that would drive publicity organically and create a buzz around the store. By way
of creating an experiential drama around the store, prospective customers would be
intrigued to come to the store and check out the merchandise.
Some of the activities that could be planned are:-
o Mock Auction – This activity can be carried out when
the bloggers/stylists are called to the store. A pair of
Dune footwear and an accessory (bag,etc) would be
put on display at the centre of the store. These 2 pieces
of merchandise would obviously be not selected from

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 the ones which are already on display. The bloggers/stylists would
be asked to take

a guess at identifying the approximate price range for the products (one product at
a time). The one who gives the closest approximation would be gifted the
footwear or accessory. This would be announced on all social media channels of
Dune with the relevant hashtags such as #dunemockauction, #mockauction,
#dunelondonindia, etc. Since this is an interesting concept, it would be interesting
to see the amount of engagement it actually leads to for the store.

o Another type of engagement activity could be based on the location of the store-
The store would most likely be located on the ground floor of the mall (this is as
per details given by the Projects team at Reliance Brands Ltd.). An option could
be to have two people stationed in the Atrium who would be serving small bites
(cookies) on a tray to visitors coming to the mall and if interested, directing them
to the Dune store located on the same floor. This inorganic activity could help
drive footfalls to the store.

MEDIA PLAN

An integral part of any marketing plan is to ensure that the Media is also kept in the loop to
leverage the brand and increase its visibility. In the case of Pune, we would need to take the help
of a Stringer- a local media relations associate who would help in guaranteeing that Dune’s store
launch is announced to the right stakeholders and target audience.

A stringer is a freelancer who maintains an ongoing relationship with news organizations, media
agencies and PR agencies too. Apart from the bloggers/stylists that have their own pages,
stringers help in getting key Print Media/Electronic media coverage in the concerned city. In this
case, we got in touch with a stringer who informed us about the important media publications in
Pune who would be interested to cover a luxury footwear store launch (lifestyle media) and also
be a Category A publication in particular. Post getting a probable Media Universe for Pune
which included- Sakal Times, The Times of India- Pune Times, Pune Mirror, The Indian
Express- Pune Newsline, Creme Magazine, India Today- Simply Pune, an estimate cost was also
quoted by the stringer. This helps the brand in making a sound decision when it comes to inviting
select media for the launch.

Photo opportunities can be an option too in case a celebrity or a socialite is invited for the store
launch. This also forms an important part in garnering coverage in the media. The media would
be ready to lap up the launch if a celebrity is present as they thrive on coverage. It would also

22
help Dune as it could piggyback on the celebrity’s status and get noticed among their social
circles.

Additionally, a Media Kit would need to be made prior to the launch event which would be
handed over to the media coming for the launch. A media kit consists of a launch press release,
relevant images in a pen drive and a small gift from Dune that would be handed to the media
attendees post the launch event.

Furthermore, contests on Dune’s social media handles can also help in creating a buzz around the
launch and engaging with followers in the online space too. Rewarding the participants and
winners with Dune vouchers and freebies also makes the target audience actively participate in
the same.

In this way, a media plan is made and finally executed on the given day. Being a sophisticated
brand, Dune requires only the select media that can help in announcing its arrival in Pune.

23
 RFM ANALYSIS

“Almost 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers.” – This marketing quote shall
help in explaining the next segment that is integral to the retail industry.

The RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) analysis is an important marketing technique that
is used by brands to determine and differentiate quantitatively which customers are the most
loyal by way of the following parameters:-

 Recency- How recently has the customer made a purchase?

 Frequency- How often do they purchase?
 Monetary- How much do they spend?

RFM is one of the most widely used methodologies to segment the customer portfolio and
identify the best targets for an offer or a campaign. This will increase marketing efficiency and
effectiveness by targeting to the most responsive and higher future value customers. With the
emergence of email marketing initiatives and CRM software (Customer Relationship
Management), RFM ratings have become an important instrument of decoding the various
customer segments.

Reliance Brands undertakes the RFM Analysis for all its brands through its in-house retail
software (Retail Pro Data feed) that has been designed to churn out monthly RFM statistics.
Analysts sit and create thresholds which can be revised from time to time for every brand.

Using RFM analysis, customers are assigned a ranking number of 1,2,3,4, or 5 (with 5 being
highest) for each RFM parameter. The three scores together are referred to as an RFM "cell".
The database is sorted to determine which customers were "the best customers" in the past, with
a cell ranking of "555" being ideal.

Under each of the 3 parameters (RFM), there are further 3 divisions namely:-

 High (H)
 Medium (M)
 Low (L)

These 3 divisions have corresponding thresholds that explain the degree of Recency, Frequency
and Monetary value shown by customers (as shown in the table below).

Each of the thresholds will have a certain percentage of customers associated with it.

24
 Source- Retail Pro-Data Feed(Decision Support System)

The numbers are calculated by another team that sits at the main Reliance Industries Office in
Mumbai whose task is to analyze the numbers and do a quantitative analysis that shall eventually
help Reliance Brands in monitoring the performance of every brand under its umbrella.

This is how the scores are allotted to the various customer brackets- If the customer bought in
recent past, they get higher points. If they bought many times, they receive a higher score. And if
they spent a bigger amount, they get more number of points. These 3 scores are combined to
create the RFM score.

With the help of these scores, one can create different types of customer segments with the help
of RFM analysis. For Dune, the major customer segments that are associated are as follows
(descending order):-

 Super Loyal – These are people who have spent more than Rs.31,000 and have shopped
twice or more in the last 10.1 months.
 Super Loyal Churned- These are customers who are spending more than 31k but have
not visited in the last 10.1 months.
 Loyal- This category is important for any brand and most brands aim to increase the
percentage of customers in this segment. These are your loyal customers who spend
utmost 31k and have shopped twice or more in the last 10.1 months.
 Potential- Another category that can be honed and developed further is the Potential
category. These are people who have visited only once in the last 2.2-10.1 months.
 Potential Inactive – They spend between 12k-31k but have not visited the store in the
last 10.1 months.

25
  New Acquisition- They have visited the store only once in the last 2.2
months.
 Inactive- This category spends less than 12k and has not visited the store in the last 10.1
months.

In brief, these are the important segments of customers for Dune as a brand. Through
calculations, one can arrive at a percentage of existing customers in each of these segments.
Basis that, we can evaluate what effective marketing strategies can be recommended for the
different customer segments.

Some of the actionable tips that can be given to each of the aforementioned segments are:-

Customer Segment Actionable Strategy

Super Loyal Rewarding them suitably. They can act as early
adopters of new product launches for your
brand and can also help in promoting the
brand.
Super Loyal Churned Making limited time offers for them.
Recommendations to be made basis their last
or past purchases. It is necessary to reactivate
them soon.
Loyal One can upsell higher value products to them
and simultaneously ask them for their feedback
or reviews on the same. The key word here is
to keep them ‘engaged’ on a continuous basis.
Potential One can offer membership or loyalty programs
to them and also recommend other
merchandise.
Potential Inactive Creating brand awareness and offering free
trials is a good method to get them to the
Potential segment.
New Acquisition One can provide them an onboarding support
system and slowly start building a lasting
relationship with them.
Inactive Recreating and re-affirming the brand value
shall help changing the attitudes of this
customer segment. Offering relevant products
and special discounts can help salvage this
segment before losing them out to a
competitor.

26
In this way, RFM analysis is a useful method to find your best customers, understand their
behaviour and thus run targeted direct marketing (email,SMS,etc) campaigns to increase sales,
customer satisfaction and CLV (Customer Lifetime Value).

27
 KEY LEARNINGS

 A luxury brand cannot be loosely marketed in the Indian market. Definite marketing
strategies need to be put in place to inform the prospect and convert a prospect into a
customer.
 Cross Promotion with other non-competing brands is possible. This benefits both brands
and helps in gaining traction and attracting customers.
 Awareness and internalization of the brand (live the brand, wear the brand, own the brand) is
one philosophy that Reliance Brands stands by- ownership of the brand that you work for is a
must.
 Store visits- Termed as the Head office- Helps in a nuanced understanding of the brand and
aids in gaining a perspective at ground level. The Tail Office (corporate office) then gleans
all information and strategizes on marketing initiatives that shall help the brand prosper in the
country.
 Holistic marketing plans for the coming quarters and End of Season (EOSS) are integral
parts in making a working marketing plan for a luxury brand.
 Sustenance in an ever growing and competitive market place is integral for any brand in
today’s times.
 Pitching to key stakeholders at appropriate times to avoid obsolescence of the brand and loss
of customer retention.
 Digital marketing knowledge/ tools are pivotal to conceptualizing marketing plans and
targeting the audience in a digitized world as ours today.
 Consumer brand activations/In store marketing help engaging with customers and prospects
and keeps the audience well informed of the latest happenings or offers in store for them.
 Influencers also play a pivotal role in marketing luxury and super luxury brands – a right
influencer will resonate with the brand’s attributes and enhance its qualities such that the
customer is assured of the product.

Luxury brands take a calculated approach to incorporate new methods into their marketing
efforts and hence they are protective of their audiences and messaging routes. Brand Loyalty
and pertinent Content Marketing go hand in hand, as according to Ariel Hendrick, Marketing
Analyst at Olapic. Many luxury brands have a rich lineage and extraordinary history that turn
into an inseparable part of the brand’s persona. Over revelation and mass distribution of
luxury brands can cause brand dilution and therefore most of these brands try to maintain a
perception that their goods are scarce yet unique. Thus, product excellence by itself is not
enough. The luxury brand must perform at an experiential level as well.

28
 CONCLUSION

The Indian retail sector is ever changing. Furthermore, luxury retail is evolving in a country like
India with major international brands announcing their entry here. To increase and improve on
their value proposition here, luxury brands enter into franchise agreements with Indian
organizations that are well equipped to handle their business in this part of the world.

Dune London made its entry in India 5 years back and is quickly expanding its presence across
the country as a sophisticated footwear brand that thrives on comfortable wearability and utility.

Marketing a luxury footwear brand to a growing class of consumers that have an increasing
propensity to consume, requires a lot of planning, positioning and strategizing on part of the
marketing team. The luxury market here is seeing competition too on a large scale with each
brand vying for a share of the market revenue pie. Hence, it becomes all the more important for
brands to differentiate from one another and carve a niche for themselves in this growing market.

Dune has made a significant difference in the Indian market as a comfortable, classy and all
time-any occasion wear footwear brand. Fashion stylists, bloggers and the like prefer Dune for
their clients and continue to source from the stores or the Reliance Brands Office. Through
effective word of mouth (organic) marketing, Dune is slowly becoming a brand to reckon with.

Dune employs simple yet sustained marketing efforts, both in the online and offline space.
Through Internal Marketing activities, it makes sure all employees are aligned to the brand’s
core objectives. Various promotional offers are arranged from time to time (during End of
Season Sale-twice a year) to rewarding customer loyalty for repeat purchases. Topical
promotions especially during Mother’s Day or Indian festivals such as Diwali make Dune
relevant to the Indian customer and not just another international brand. It looks at ‘glocalizing’
in the Indian market.

In sum, a luxury brand opens up new possibilities and ways of promoting itself and an entirely
different ball game altogether. Reliance Brands Limited has a host of global luxury and super
luxury brands under its umbrella yet each one of the function in their own unique way. Dune
London has connected with the Indian woman at the right time, at the right places, such that a lot
of them today have become motivated users and loyalists of the brand.

29
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 https://in.linkedin.com/company/reliance-brands-ltd-

 https://www.dunelondon.com/

 http://www.indiaretailing.com/2017/03/22/fashion/stepping-into-a-bigger-better-future-a-
report-on-indias-footwear-market/

 http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/rise-of-luxury-shoe-brands-like-jimmy-choo-roger-
vivier-others-in-indian-fashion/articleshow/15238102.cms

 http://www.marketing-schools.org/types-of-marketing/internal-marketing.html

 https://www.econsultancy.com/blog/66013-brand-activation-and-its-role-in-driving-
consumer-engagement-and-awareness

 http://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/definition/RFM-analysis

 https://www.putler.com/rfm-analysis/

 http://www.euromonitor.com/apparel-and-footwear-specialist-retailers-in-india/report

 http://lombardo.agency/2016/08/08/the-8-ps-of-luxury-brand-marketing/

30
TURNITIN REPORT

31
Entire Report (Declaration to Tracker) has been submitted for Turnitin. Screenshots as
attached above.

32
 CPS TRACKER

Date and Day Discussion Theories Learning Point Remarks

Points at Co. Applied
4th April, Reporting to None About company, brands
2017- Tuesday company,
Induction
5th April, Induction None Brands under the Assignment of
2017- company, Visual brands and
Wednesday Merchandising, PR and mentor
other functions in the Was assigned
organization ‘Dune’ brand
Asked to
submit a
document on
your
understanding
of the brand
6th April, Visit Dune None Shadowing the fashion Understood
2017- store in Phoenix consultants, profiling
Thursday Palladium Mall understanding customer customers,
in Lower Parel profile, how a store various types of
operates, etc customers,
store operations
in general
7th April, Store visit- None Understanding store Asked to
2017- Friday Dune operations, visual submit insights
merchandising, on 2 day store
competitor analysis, and visit to Dune
their pricing of similar store in
products, etc. Palladium by
Monday (10th
April)
10th April, Work on Consumer To integrate marketing
2017- Monday document Behaviour mix and do a SWOT
pertaining to theory analysis on the brand
insights on 4Ps of
store visit to Marketing
Dune (Marketing
Mix)

11th April, Marketing

2017- Tuesday induction for
Dune + Visual
Merchandising
as an important

33
 differentiator
12th April, Help in sorting Digital Learnt the different kinds Understanding
2017- out old season marketing of merchandise particular handling
Wednesday Dune to Dune brand. Instagram
merchandise, Was also given the handle to
handle responsibility of leverage more
Instagram managing the Instagram traction for
account – account- Styledbyyou2.0 their contest
Styledbyyou2.0 and the ongoing contest
(till 24th April) for
fashion consultants
13th April, RFM Induction How to monitor customer
2017- + Handling buying activity (sales) for
Thursday Instagram each of our brands and
account understand different
Styledbyyou2.0 customer categories
through RFM analysis.
14th April, Repost photos None Managing the Instagram Ideating on
2017- Friday of fashion account and also internal
consultants preparing a Presentation marketing
across Dune with the photographs of initiatives
London stores the FCs and the various (Dune London)
in India for the themes for the contest to engage with
Styledbyyou2.0 employees for
account. Fast and
Furious 8
17th April, Announcing the None Ideating on various
2017- Monday winners of activations for brands.
Styledbyyou2.0
contest for the
first week.
Preparing the
social media
calendar for the
week.
th
18 April, Styledbyyou2.0 None Brainstorming on
2017- Tuesday week 2 themes marketing ideas for Dune
announced on London.
Instagram + Awaiting for RFM
Team Meeting access.
for way forward
on Dune
London
th
19 April, Week 2 None Doing sourcing for
2017- Styledbyyou2.0 media/fashion stylists for
Wednesday contest Dune footwear(PR)
34
 commenced on
Instagram for
fashion
consultants
across all Dune
stores in India
20th April, Ideating on None Tracking social media
2017- ways to channels and doing a
Thursday introduce GWP SWOT analysis
(gift with
purchase) and
attract
customers to
Dune stores
Doing an
analysis on
competitor’s of
Dune across all
social media
channels
st
21 April, Attended a None Learnt how to promote
2017- Friday digital campaigns on social
marketing media handles, ensure
workshop in customer engagement on
office digital media channels
24th April, Announcement None Prepared a PPT detailing
2017- Monday of Styled By The Style Cracker contest
You 2.0 2nd which is for winners of
week winners Styled By You 2.0.
Coming up with
appropriate theme ideas
for the Style Cracker
round.
25th April, Winners None Cleaning and arranging
2017- Tuesday announced for the Dune press room for
most stylists and journalists to
participating easily choose what they
store and FC need.
RFM analysis session
attended which was
explained by Tanvi
26th April, Preparation of None Combed through the
2017- social media Dune database and its
Wednesday calendar with products available in
Instagram posts India and made a calendar
made for May with instagram posts for
35
 month for Dune May
27th April, PR plan and PR tips Monthly way forward
2017- social media actionable plan made and
Thursday calendar discussed.
discussed for
Dune
th
28 April, Made cue sheet Digital Checked for coverage of
2017- Friday of Dune marketing Dune in relevant
footwear in the magazines from January
press room. 2017- April, 2017.
Reposted
photos of Style
Cracker
contestants on
official
instagram
handle
st
1 May, 2017- Monday – May Day/Maharashtra Day Holiday
2nd May, Announced Edits made to Style
2017- Tuesday Style Cracker Cracker PPT after inputs
winner and from seniors.
made PPT for
CEO’s Pick
rd
3 May, 2017- Discussion on Team meeting and con-
Wednesday GWP (Gift with call for way forward on
purchase) and marketing activities for
way forward the month.
th
4 May, 2017- Coming up with Had meeting with another
Thursday ideas for agency which could help
Mother’s Day out in gifting hampers to
activation in all women who visit Dune
Dune stores in store on Mother’s Day.
India Agency to get back with
particulars
th
5 May, 2017- Draft press Public Prepared draft press
Friday release for Relations- release with latest
Dune catering Press Release Spring/Summer ’17
to Indian writing collection. Did sourcing
markets for Dune and Steve
Madden footwear for
Farhan Akhtar.
th
8 May, 2017- Prepare a Marketing Jotted down key pointers
Monday marketing plan strategy, and adopted a 360 degree
for Pune marketing approach to launch plan
Launch of Dune plan

36
 at Pavilion Mall
9th May, 2017- Ideated with Checked Pinterest,
Tuesday Namrata on YouTube and other
pointers already digital channels for ideas
jotted down and and engagement activities
discussed on for
working plan stylists/bloggers/socialites
for Dune Pune
launch
th
10 May, Mother’s Day Gift customers walking
2017- promotion plan into Dune store with
Wednesday discussed vouchers for their
mothers
11th May, Dune CEO’s Final PPT sent to Shivani
2017- Pick mail to be which would be
Thursday sent to CEO . forwarded to Darshan Sir
Listing of (CEO) for the Styled By
merchandise You 2.0 competition.
available in Karen and I went to the
press room and Dune press room and
making an made a note of all Dune
inventory of it Footwear and accessories
available for sourcing.
12th May, Presented first Tie up with Jean Claude
2017- Friday draft of Biguine Spa finalized for
marketing plan Mother’s Day promotion
for Dune, Pune (valid only for Mumbai
launch and Bangalore)
th
15 May, Post submitting Strategy Came up with a couple of
2017- Monday Pune launch ideas for Pune store
plan, launch- need to make
engagement them more engaging and
activities need crisp
to be worked
upon, as
mentioned by
Shivani
th
16 May, GWP Ideation, Planned creatives along
2017- Tuesday Promotion- with team for GWP
(Gift with promotion for Dune for
Purchase) to end of this month (across
start soon- all stores)
planning
creatives along
with team

37
17th May, RFM meeting Postponed till next week
2017- scheduled with due to Family Day
Wednesday Gagan and activity planning at
Shivani office. Continued with
Pune launch plan
activities.
18th May, Pune store Prepared an excel sheet
2017- launch plan with lists of
Thursday bloggers/stylists/fashion
designers/socialites, etc to
be invited to the store
launch. Sourcing out
numbers for the same.
19th May, Review Noted down discussions
2017- Friday meeting to at the meeting for Dune
discuss ongoing way forward plan.
plans and way
forward.
22nd May- 26th Preparing Dune Digital Scheduled posts for
May, 2017 social media Marketing Dune’s Instagram
(Mon-Fri) calendar for account. Additionally, did
June. a few sourcing requests
for Dune and Steve
Madden.
29th May- 2nd Handover of None Submitted final Received a
June, 2017 important presentation of work done positive and
(Mon- Fri) documents to during the 2 months at constructive
Namrata and RBL. Feedback session feedback from
Shivani. with Shivani. Shivani basis
work done for
Dune.

38