Bata
- 1. 1 Batch 2010-12 Literature of BATA Presented By- Rakesh Gakare Sushmita Agrawal Siddhartha Roy Kiran Thakur "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 2. 2 CONTENTS SR NO TOPIC 1 EARLY HISTORY AND EVOLUTIONOF BATA 2 INITIAL POSITIONING AND SUBSEQUENT REPOSITIOING 3 ADVERTISING,SALES PROMOTION AND SEGMENTATION STRATEGY FOLLOWED BY BATA 4 ANALYSIS OF THE PRODUCT AND GENERIC COMPETITION TO THE BRAND 5 Strategies Adopted over time by the Brand to tackle Competition or Prime Market expansion Bata above the others 6 DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY FOLLOWED BY THE BRAND 7 FUTURE DIRECTIONS 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY A JOURNEY FROM TO "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 3. 3 1. Early History and Evolution of BATA The Bata Shoe Organization (BSO) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and retailers of footwear. The company rapidly expanded after its foundation in 1894 and by 1930s it operated in Switzerland, Germany, England, France, Yugoslavia, Poland, India and Holland. This expansion continued and by 1960, Bata employed over 42,000 employees, owned thousands of company stores and many factories across the world including almost every continent. It has a retail presence in over 50 countries and production facilities in 26 countries. The company has sold more than 14 billion pairs of shoes till now. Every day, about 1 million customers are being served throughout its 4,600 retail stores worldwide. EARLY HISTORY The company was founded in 1894 in Zlín (Czech Republic) by Tomas Bata whose family had been cobblers for generations. A large order from the army, military shoes and rising demand for them, during World War I started rapid growth and small manufacture turned into modern industrial concern, one of the first mass producers of shoes. TOMAS BATA: Tomas Bata was recognized for his social conscience, establishing housing, cinemas and advancement programs for his employees. He saw technology as a means of progress, and wanted to make the shoes as cheaply as possible so that the greatest number of people could access them. He employed 16,560 people, maintained 1,645 shops and 25 enterprises. The total international contribution to the Bata organization at the time of Tomas' death consisted of 20 international enterprises, 132 shops, and 790 employees. JAN ANTONIN BATA: After Tomáš Baťa's plane crash his half-brother Jan Antonín Baťa becomes head of the company; at this time the company continues the diversification into the production of tires, aircraft, bicycles, machineries. Under Jan Antonín Baťa the company grew quickly, continued its expansion throughout Europe, North America, Asia, and North Africa. EFFECT OF WORLD WAR-II: After the Second World War the Bata Shoe Organization was led by Thomas J. Bata (Tomáš Baťa Junior), son of Tomáš Baťa and the company grew significantly under Thomas J. Bata's driving leadership. In 2002 the headquarters was moved to Lausanne Switzerland and the Organization has been led by Thomas G. Bata, grandson of Tomáš Baťa. KEY DATES: 1894: The Bata family establishes a company in Zlin, located in what is now the Czech Republic. 1931: The Company was incorporated in India. 1932: Founder Tomas Bata dies in an airplane accident. 1939: The Company relocates to Canada after the movement of German military forces into Eastern Europe. 1945: Czechoslovakia business operations are nationalized by the new communist government following World War II. 1991: Bata returns to the Czech Republic following fall of the communist regime. 1994: Thomas J. Bata, the son of the company's founder, retires. 2001: Thomas J. Bata, Jr., becomes chairman and CEO. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 4. 4 BATA INDIA: The Company was incorporated in the year 1931 as Bata Shoe Company Pvt. Ltd. in Konngar, West Bengal, which was then shifted to Batanagar. Batanagar was the first manufacturing facility in the Indian shoe industry to receive the ISO 9001 certification. The Company went public in 1973. They changed their name to Bata India Ltd. Over the years, Bata India has established a leadership position in the footwear industry and is easily the most trusted name in branded footwear. The Company has entered into an agreement with Bata Ltd of Toronto, Canada for supply of technical know-how and services such as Footwear technology and design, brand development, product development, retailing and information systems for a period of ten years from January 1, 2001. The company bagged the Retailer of the year award for the year 2006 in the footwear category as a part of the Reid and Taylor Award for Retail Excellence which was presented during the Indian Retail Summit 2006. Bata was honoured with Most Admired Brand of the year 2006-07 in Footwear category. They have been rated as one of the Top 10 super brands in India and awarded Super Brands Award on April 12 2007.Bata has entered into the retail segment and is currently has 1250 stores all over India. 2. Initial Positioning and Subsequent Repositioning Bata has positioned itself as a one stop family store for all footwear and related products. It has traditionally positioned itself as providing product lines catering to the middle class segment of the society; it has also tried targeting the high class customers. Bata had become a need brand .In terms of the needs, Bata was in a way successful in positioning itself as a brand having stores with products to meet the needs of almost all members of the family, since it had product ranges for children, men, women etc. Till the 1980s, Bata enjoyed an almost monopolistic position in the organized footwear market. It’s simple, yet iconic, brown leather sandals and blue-and-white rubber slippers were instantly recognizable and also are still recognized. Bata was the choice for everyone in the family. Whether it was shoes for the monsoon, school shoes, formal wear or even comfort wear for the elderly, the brand had something for every member in the Indian household. There was a period in the past in India when anyone mentioned shoes or chappals, there would be a single name Bata. It was one of the most popular names after Tata. The brand Bata was household name then. It ruled market as leader till recent years when various national and international brands came up. The Bata shoe lovers were so addicted with Bata for them thinking shoes other than Bata was an unpatriotic act. People wore Bata proudly (Said by Mr. Manmohan Singh). It has also come out with new set of brands like hush puppies, Marie Claire brand offering the latest patent, metallic and ethnic styles in footwear. The recently introduced ladies hand bags have also met with a very good response from the youth. EXAMPLES: Dr. Scholl: Dr. Scholl’s which is positioned well as medicated footwear with a trendy look. These are prescribed by doctors for people having problems in the nerves, diabetics and related diseases. This product was initially brought on prescription but now people are buying it out of their own interest and hence have good growth opportunity. Bata has designed this product in various models giving a better advantage over the local physiotherapy made standard designs. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 5. 5 Sandak, Batalite and Sunshine labels has continued to allure millions of customers with trendy and lightweight all-weather footwear as these footwear are very light . WHY REPOSITIONING?? Bata was considered as manufacturing oriented company who concentrate on producing footwear and sell them in market at anyhow. Bata wanted to change this image of production oriented company to affordable, market driven, fashion conscious, lifestyle brand that is why Bata wanted to reposition itself. Bata is trying to move out of the image of an age old seller of their manufactured goods. They are now concentrating on “products that the customer wants rather than products that they produce”. Bata India is in a complete process to change from its earlier image. Bata Was considered as manufacturing oriented company who concentrated on producing footwear and sell them in market at anyhow. It wanted to change its image from a manufacturing company to a marketing company. Bata wanted to change this image of production oriented company to affordable, market driven, fashion conscious, lifestyle brand. They are focusing on a better brand recall by opening bigger stores in malls etc. It has revamped its stores to look more contemporary, shedding its age old image. The company has decided to be more visible in shopping malls, open up to the franchisee model and also create the shop-in-shop experience in a multi-branded store. A step towards rejuvenating the Bata brand, the company is repositioning itself as a market driven, fashion conscious lifestyle brand with an emphasis on service and production. The company recently introduced international styles and trends for women, men and kids, which have gone a long way in providing a trendy and contemporary image to the company. Revamping its marketing operations, Bata India has introduced the concepts Flagship, City, Family and Bazaar stores that cater to different segments of the market. Further, to capture the retail boom prevailing in the country, the company has decided to move its headquarters to Gurgaon this year. They are also intending to make the shopping experience better to their customers by employing skilled salesperson & creating a better ambience. Few Examples are: Hush puppies "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 6. 6 This unique invention would not only change the kind of shoes we wear, it would also herald the beginning of today's relaxed style. Bounce technology for shock absorption and energy return in every step. 100% relax Hush Puppies collection of innovative, authentic casual footwear, mixed textures of soft casual leathers and rich Hush Puppies worry-free suede. NORTH STAR: North Star is synonymous with street creed. Stylish, trendy comfortable and durable, the range is ideally suited to the urban environment » The youth market is attracted to the brands retro styles, including designs from the late 80s as well as contemporary interpretations, making it a highly sought after brand name. It's a casual yet fashionable street-style shoes that caters to the young at heart. MARIE CLAIRE: Marie Claire, a fashion lifestyle brand of shoes with a touch of elegance that caters to the young cosmopolitan women. Bata Brands is the trademark owner of Marie Claire for shoes worldwide » Marie Claire stands for Contemporary and modern styling, adaptive to an active lifestyle yet elegant and feminine. Subtle fashion trend details and quality products with a clean finish, it is a brand that brings out every woman's confidence & individual style. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 7. 7 3. Advertising, Sales Promotion and Segmentation Strategy Followed By Bata above the Line Sales Promotion- TAG-LINE: Bata taglines meant for individual products are the key components of advertising. These tag-lines are modified according to demographic profile of consumers. These appear on hoardings at every crucial & congested part of the cities in which Bata retail stores are operating. Everybody understands and connects easily with these simple one- liners like ‘Shoes for all’ , ‘The world moves on your feet’, ’Outdoor is yours’, ‘Get comfortable today’,’ One world ,one Bata’. PRINT ADS: Bata advertises its products just before launch of any new scheme. This helps in setting up a platform for the new products brand in the minds of customers. The ads are displayed on a full page in the leading newspapers which again is based on the preference of the people. They also attach pamphlets of their ads along with the newspaper. TV-ADS- Television is one of the best platforms to advertise one’s product. Bata being a family brand, the ads are shown during the prime time slot so the entire family can see it together. ROAD SIDE ADVERTISING: Bata bill- boards are displayed on prime locations in various cities as a brand building exercise. CELEBRITY ENDORSER- Bata’s sale doubled as soon as they used Rani Mukherjee as their brand endorser. SPECIALIZED SHOES: Bata has also launched a new specialized division — Bata Industrials — to offer specialized footwear to various sectors – defense, "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 8. 8 automobiles, metals, petroleum, construction and agriculture. “Bata Industrials is the world leader in high performance safety shoes and has experience of this market segment and access to world class technology, and knowledge on safety footwear. NEW STORES: To maintain its leadership position and growth, the company is expanding and adding 200 new stores in next 2 years. These stores will operate in a four-tiered retail format under a new retail model - Up-market Flagship Stores, Smart and Trendy City Stores, Super Stores and Traditional Family Stores. This will help the company service better in places where currently it does not have presence. RETAIL SHOPS: These are the places where majority of the purchasing decisions are made. Bata stores are now spacious with over 3,000 sq. ft. of retail space; some are even larger than 10,000 sq. ft. BELOW THE LINE SALES PROMOTION: Below the line sales promotions are short-term incentives, largely aimed at consumers. The different types of strategies adopted by Bata in this respect are discussed below- 1. PRICE PROMOTION: Price promotion refers to ‘price discounting’. It is done by two ways, namely DICOUNTS: A discount on the normal selling price of the product. For example Bata a family footwear brand with showrooms all over the city, is offering discounts ranging up to 30% on shoes, sandals, chappals, ladies footwear, kid’s footwear and men’s footwear. This offer is available at all Bata footwear showrooms in Hyderabad. STOCK CLEARANCE SALE: Bata often has ‘stock clearance sale’ which helps in boosting up the sales figure. 2. GIFT WITH PURCHASE: Bata introduces Gift Vouchers – Giving vouchers are a first of a kind initiative in the footwear retail industry, Bata India introduced it for the time, “Bata Gift Vouchers”. These gift vouchers can be used in place of cash and are available in various denominations to provide the convenience and choice to purchase a wide range of footwear., Bata Gift Vouchers are targeted at three major segments – "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 9. 9 employee incentives & rewards, business gifting and customer promotions. They are also very ideal for customer promotions – loyalty reward points redemption, sales promotion & contests, etc. 3. ‘99’ MAGIC FORMULA: “Bata has managed to keep its pricing competitive and attractive for its customers. It has products for every foot and every social class to suit every member of the family. Bata is a value for money footwear brand “says Villagran. 4. EXCHANGE POLICY: In case if a customer is not satisfied with the product he can exchange it within 7 days provided the product is unused, clean and in their original state of packing. MARKET SEGMENTATION: INDIA A (14%, includes high disposable income group) INDIA B (50%, includes people middle class and middle class group) INDIA C (36%, lower income class group) DEMOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION: Findings: The target market for Bata is all the class of the society i.e. lowers, middle and the upper. Though, Bata is minimizing itself in selling footwear to lower segment, as Chinese products have taken over the market completely. The in-house brands make it possible for Bata to cater to its upper and middle class segment. Bata cater to the needs of male, female and children in equal proportion. The school shoes which Bata sells are most prominent and sell the most. All Bata stores reflect the new ideology like selling premium brands like hush puppies and Marie Clarie etc. As for now, ladies' shoes is the main revenue earner, contributing 30% to the company's revenue, followed by men's shoes, children's shoes, school shoes and sports shoes. The stores offer fresh collections and are visually stimulating. Thus we can say presently their target customer base is the entire market segment. GEOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION: Findings: Bata products are made keeping in mind people & their choices from different parts of India as it has positioned itself as a truly Indian footwear brand which caters the needs of all Indians all across the country. Bata is present across the country through more than 1200 stores. It has successfully placed itself as an Indian product. Stores are well available throughout the country. It sells footwear according to the season as well. They have specialized shoes for monsoon, summer, winter etc. Bata stores are spread throughout the country. This means Bata is a product for all Indian. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 10. 10 PSCHYCOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION: 1. Bata’s target group includes all the three sections of the society .They like the brand because its aptly priced and has got a variety of products under its name. 2. Bata offers quality products at reasonable rate which makes it a clear favorite among the mass. 3. Shoes for all seasons, age groups and gender. GLOBAL EXISTENCE OF BATA: Bata is one of the world's leading footwear retailers and manufacturers with operations across 5 continents managed by 3 regional meaningful business units (MBUs). The MBU approach provides quality resources and support in key areas to the companies operating in similar markets such as product development, sourcing or marketing support. Each MBU is entrepreneurial in nature, and can quickly adapt to changes in the market place and seize potential growth opportunities. Bata's strength lies in its worldwide presence. While local companies are self-governing, each one benefits from its link to the international organization for back-office systems, product innovations and sourcing. IN AFRICA: In many forums discussing the continent of Africa, we can hear the sensible claim that Africa is still a continent where a number of adult people die well before they have ever worn their first pair of new or any shoes and yet for the large number of African children who attend primary school, the one name that is synonymous with and most recognizable brand is Bata. There's no doubt that this is one of the most ubiquitous companies in the main cities of the African continent. Ian Austen (Journalist – nytimes) reports on the passing on of Thomas Bata, the founder's son who was the Chief Executive has passed on. The story states that the corporation that makes nearly 300 million pairs of shoes annually was indeed run by this "shoemaker for the world". As most firms find out in Africa, the continent is a difficult terrain for business but Thomas Bata's statement declaring that the expansion into Africa was motivated by the desired to sell shoes is clearer than many states. All I am certain of is that he found reasonable returns for his efforts selling shoes to a continent with an uncomfortably large number of the worlds unshod. BATA Masterpieces!!! "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 11. 11 4. Analysis and generic competition to the brand: ANALYSIS: Bata is the largest shoe company in India in terms of sales and revenues. It commands around 35 percent of market share in India. Company’s 98 percent revenue comes from domestic operation. It owns about 1250 stores spread across India. The company which demonstrated the highest degree of early commitment to the Indian market was obviously Bata, The shoe major invested in a fairly elaborate distribution network with company owned retail shops in even small towns. Bata also took the bold step of targeting the mass markets instead of just milking the premium segments. It targeted middle class Indians with value-for-money products. Indeed, many Indians do not know that Bata is an MNC. In targeting up-market segments, however, Bata began to deviate from this strategy in the late 1980s. We can also see that the positioning of the brand was very well done in minds of all the segments of the country. The segmentation, target customers were very well focused. The sale of Bata was increasing and it was doing well. But the problem with Bata was that it did not redesign its product. It went on with the similar product range. Taking the advantage of this many competitors entered the market and wiped off a larger market share of Bata. And the market share of Bata had come down from 50 percent to 10 percent. Then Bata realized to change its strategy and aligned towards addressing a larger pie, introducing newer product lines and new brands. Bata was also focusing on 'quality sales' with stress on consumer satisfaction as it found that quantity sales could increase the turnover, but quantity without quality would only destabilize the consumer confidence that had taken ages to build. Bata does very less promotional activities. Although Bata has done a lot to revamp the brand, these efforts are not well communicated. In a bigger level, people’s perception for Bata will always remain the same. Their promotion is restricted to seasonal offers in the form of “Sale”, but the advertisement part is missing. There are rare ads of Bata seen by the customer both in print and media. This result in very less returns compared to its huge revamp exercise. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 12. 12 PRODUCT LINE chappals closed chappals casual closed children infants ladies closed dress men sandals closed sand als sandals chappals sandak canvas sunshine Evalite socks belt polish power and sports brush accessories ladies school bags bags Bata has an enlarged product range. They have mainly 9 types of product range which includes children, men, ladies, sandak, canvas, sunshine, evalite, sports and accessories. Under these product lines there are many sub products which has been portrayed above. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 13. 13 ANALYSIS USING 4 P’S IN THE MARKET: PRODUCT: Bata sells all the range of footwear from shoes, canvas, belly, leather shoes, sandals, school shoes, flipflops etc. PRICE: The price is considered as the most dominant “P” in the product mix. The pricing of Bata has been very nominal and user friendly for the customer which Bata targeted. As Bata has product for all segment of the market. they came up with the strategy called “ 95 paisa price tag” It was a strategy to begin sales talk with buyers curious about price like Rs 299.95.the reason behind it was it fell short of an amount that might have looked like a high price. There is a sale going on Bata almost throughout the year if not almost (few products are always on sale). PLACE: Place and location is the important and prominent in any retail store. Bata has provided as a place where you can find all kinds of footwear at just one stop. In all metro cities Bata is located in all the prime areas of the city and also exists in almost all the cities of India. People look for Bata as a reliable place for their footwear requirements. PROMOTION: Bata does not promote much by advertising. Bata mainly promotes by providing “sale” in their existing product lines .it also promotes itself by keeping international/premium brands like hush puppies ,Marie Claire etc.. BRANDS OF BATA: "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 14. 14 COMPETITION: Bata has a 13.7 percent market share. It also has to face tough competition from many organized and unorganized sectors. Bata has overcome all the competitors and well sustained with a good market share .it has to watch the other manufacturers and make a counter move to match the competitors move. Leading competitors are Lakhani Shoes, Liberty Shoes, Action Shoes, Woodland, Paragon and Relaxo in organized sectors. UNORGANIZED SECTORS: it has to face a major competition from Chinese footwear market which is imported from china .because Chinese footwear entered Indian market , Bata has to change its policy and also had to face major financial loss. Which also led to fall of Bata’s market share to 10%.which was a major setback for Bata India. Bata then stopped concentrating on lower segment (in which Chinese had an edge: low price) which led Bata to concentrate on other segments like on premium brands also. Bata faces the most competition from the ladies footwear division and that too from the local unorganized shoe manufacturers and Chinese shoe makers. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 15. 15 5. Strategies Adopted over time by the Brand to tackle Competition or Prime Market expansion Bata above the others – If analyzed for the value that Bata was providing to its customers their value proposition may be categorized as follows. Reasonable quality at low or reasonable price. Footwear for the entire family. Footwear catering to various functional needs e.g. sports, casual footwear, formal-semi formal. Conveniently accessible outlets in various parts of the country. Prior to entry of local players and the Chinese imports, some sort of social visibility could also be associated with Bata, as it was one of the two major brands in the country then. Bata has a sizeable brand advantage and a presence across price points, but faces competition from imports and the unorganised sector. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE ABOVE THE OTHER BRANDS: MANUFACTURING Bata is dwelling on its international presence which is its competitive edge and importing its best practices from abroad to be able to handle the manufacturing requirements for slightly trendier lines with lesser volumes. It is also utilizing its regional expertise e.g. in Malaysia for rubber based shoes and in China for artificial leather shoes. CUSTOMER The customer value proposition is substantial as Bata offers value for money along with the trust which its customers have because of the established Bata brand. In terms of access, functionality and selection options it always fulfils its promises of being a family outlet where each member of the family can buy something. The service standards is strictly monitored and hence an experience fit will be provided to the customers and these customers for this will be willing to pay a bit of premium because of Bata’s brand and hence the competition undercutting Bata on price would no longer be that big a threat. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 16. 16 INTERNAL PROCESS As far as the internal aspects of the firm are concerned Bata is restoring its operations management processes, customer management processes, innovation processes and regulatory and social processes. Modifications in the Operations management processes will allow Bata to have low cost to an extent, through economies of scale attained through specialist regions worldwide supplying the products, as import duties would no longer be a barrier, and other stable high volume products being manufactured locally at the Bata plants. LEARNING AND GROWTH In order to attain its goals as per the new strategies Bata is consistently putting in quite a lot of effort into training its human resource, especially those at the outlets to provide consistent quality service to its customers so that customers can associate the same experience with which ever outlet they visit of Bata. A culture of empowerment is fostered and younger energetic managers are being appointed given the responsibilities so that they may fill in any leadership void, if created. However overall longer leadership stints for top executives e.g. CEOs would be needed to allow them to take the company towards its goals by implementing the strategy. With these changes in place, Bata would be in a better position to cope with the various challenges posed to it, by its competitors. 6. Distribution Strategy followed by the Brand Bata India MD Marcelo Villagran says, "In today's challenging market, our strategy of opening large format stores has been successful and we would continue to invest in expanding our retail business. Along with this, we have also focused upon providing our customers with a new trendy collection and better shoe designs. Our value pricing, coupled with improved customer service, has helped us to grow." Bata has its retail footprints in major metro and other big cities, revamping key stores, more store space in superior retail outlets and closing unviable stores. At present there are 1200 stores in 400 cities in India, all are company owned and reaching out rural markets through dealer network. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 17. 17 The company has a three-pronged strategy; setting up 60 large-format stores every year (minimum area of 3,000 sq ft), closing down the unviable ones and increasing its focus on institutional business. FOCUS ON PRODUCT DESIGN: creating contemporary look for the product which can be found in almost every retail store and in every occasion, introducing new offerings for men, ladies, sports personnel and children. Initiation of regular customer feedback process, customer research, training of staff, multi pronged sourcing strategy to reach faster, procure faster and more economically, Consolidation of manufacturing operations, restructuring of wholesale division into four independent distribution channels: urban and institutional, safety, branding segment for more impact and better sales. The stores operate in a four-tier retail format under a new model -- upmarket flagship stores, smart and trendy city stores, super stores and traditional family stores. This helps the company service its customers better in places where currently it does not have presence. "The large-format stores are mostly franchise-run. The new- design store interiors itself cost the company around Rs 2 core per store," Bata chairman P M Sinha says. These new stores have helped Bata to bring its contemporary and trendy range of footwear sold in an international style outlet to customers even in small towns. The company is also depending on institutional business heavily. "We will have shoes tailor made for hospitals, military forces, factory workers, and airlines. We will also introduce a new range of sports shoes in India this year which will be comparable to the best sportswear brands available here," Sinha says.s The company has already set up a dedicated team headed by a retired defence man to secure contracts. The total market size for footwear used by the defence personnel is about 12 million pairs a year. "The country has roughly three million defence and paramilitary personnel and each buys four pair of shoes per year, totalling 12 million pairs a year. That's a big market," Sinha says. Defence authorities currently source most of its footwear requirement from unorganised players. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 18. 18 7. Future Directions for Brand Company should focus more on Product and Market Development and Market penetration Strategies. More attention should be given to the middle and upper middle class of the society, because increasing number of people belonging to these segments and also because of their rising incomes. Renewed brand image will help Bata to attract upper middle end of the market and will raise the higher income. As footwear industry is highly fashionable industry; Bata must concentrate on bringing new designs and styles. The service standards should be strictly monitored and hence an experience fit will be provided to the customers and these customers for this will be willing to pay a bit of premium because of Bata’s brand and hence the competition undercutting Bata on price would no longer be that big a threat. It will need to focus on marketing itself as an outlet meeting all basic needs of the families in its target market segment Should provide consistent quality service to its customers so that customers can associate the same experience with whichever outlet they visit of Bata. Internet is a broad medium so they should also improve e-business. "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata
- 19. 19 8. Bibliography www.bata.in www.bata.com www.tomasbata.com www.scribd.com www.shareternpapers.com www.slideshare.net www.managementparadise.com www.business.outlookindia.com www.thehindubusinessline.com www.telegraphicindia.com www.economictimes.indiatimes.com www.wikipedia.com www.bataindustrial.com "It doesn't matter at all that you make the best shoes in the world if there is no one around to afford them." - Tomas Bata