Hello rodinhooders
This is my first discussion post (Had posted 2 blog posts earlier) and I would love to get some suggestions from fellow rodinhooders about “How can I convert or I should say upgrade my family business i.e. Zorrik Enterprises, manufacturing and trading of Neck Ties, Socks and handkerchiefs respectively into a brand like ZODIAC, BONJOUR etc””.
ZORRIK ENTERPRISES – Manufacturers and Suppliers of Neck Tie, Socks & handkerchiefs.
My Grandfather started Zorrik Enterprises business in 1972, then my Dad joined it, followed by my uncle and now it’s my turn to contribute to it and take it to new heights. Few things that I have implemented so far –
- Computerized all the manual operated accounts via Tally
- Made website ie www.ZorrikEnterprises.com, FB page, some online marketing
- Registered on some forums like IndiaMart, Just Dial etc
But for now I’m struck and very confused about taking other steps. Whenever we all discuss about future plans of the business, the usual response i get “Sales honi chaiye bas, sabse zaroori wohi hai”. Yes i do agree that sales are the most important aspect of any business, but being an 21st century social media kid, seeing and reading stories about Big Brands, I want that our Business, in addition to the sales, should be known by a Name i.e. a Brand.
One thing that i have observed is that this is not only my concerned issue, but every young fellow joining the family business or any present or Future Entrepreneur is facing with the same issue ie “HOW TO BUILD A BRAND”
What other steps should I take to solve my purpose? Please put in your suggestions and feedbacks.. Thank You.. 🙂
asha chaudhry
hi sagar,
i don’t know if you know, alok’s family business was socks manufacturing! he made socks for a good decade before becoming a digital entrepreneur!!
when you have time, pls read all of his “socks stories” – you can find them in the TAB ‘alok’s posts’
okay… being from advtg, i shall be ruthless with you.
YOU NEED A TOTAL BRANDING MAKEOVER (essentially cosmetic, for the look is what creates the first impression, therefore image) – [i’m taking it for granted that your product rocks!!]
the “enterprises” in your name gives me a trader image. manufacturing doesn’t come through.
pls compare your logo and your website with leading brands. you need serious help here.
even the image you added to the post, sagar… doesn’t give justice to the lively fun kind of socks i see on your website. also there is a huge image clash here – ties and ankle socks!! perception of ties = formal wear. perception of ankle socks = casual/sports wear
but before you sit with a designer/ad agency – first you need to figure out what kind of positioning Zorrik should have. Do you want to be “all the socks & ties & hankies in the world” or do you want to be a “certain kind of socks company” – like “funky fashionable/young/trendy socks” – that’s what the lady toe socks says to me!
we have a lot of designers, web designers, social media specialists, marcomm specialists on trhs. but first you need to figure out what you are and where you want to be.
branding is a huge huge exercise. it can’t happen over night. branding is what can create totally new concepts like “friday dressing”. i think you need to sit and brainstorm with a branding expert who can understand your product and figure out your niche, your positioning. then you can think of building a brand.
ps: if you think your strength is in mass production – the perhaps you don’t need to build a zodiac kind of brand. Zorrik could be quality suppliers to e-com players or big chains or sports shops…??
Abhik Prasad
Sagar,
Its an interesting question you pose here.
You might first want to ask yourself, “Why do I want to build a Brand ?”
Is it for personal satisfaction, that you contributed something significant to the company ?
Is it to drive sales from your current $1 million to $10 million ?
Is it to move from a mid market product to a premium product range ?
What are my key brand values ? etc etc
Brands usually take a long time to build and they offer something unique and compelling so that users come back for more. Its a lot about the product and the experience behind it, and the appropriate communication behind it to speak to users and convert them into loyalists.
Lets take ties for example. I usually buy(or atleast used to) Satya Paul ties. They were slightly more expensive than the other available brands, but they had a fresh new range of designs, a luxurious and heavy feel to the ties and a great brand identity which was communicated across the product and service line – Right from the Ties to the packaging, the store display, advertisements, websites etc
e.g. Compare the ties page at Satya Paul’s website to your website to get a brief idea of what I am referring to.
https://www.satyapaul.com/satyapaul/shop/accessories/ties
https://www.indiamart.com/zorrikenterprises/neck-ties.html
If you are based in Delhi / Gurgaon, drop me a line at abhik@experiamedia.com and we can talk more about it.
cheers
Sagar Gupta
thanx a ton mam for your valuable feedback..
2 points which were the most imp –
1. being quality suppliers – at the end of the day sales matters.. the better the sales, the better would be the market reach..
2. we have to focus on particular market – we or anybody else can’t produce anything and everything..
But one thing i wanna ask – how can i approach e-com players and other big chain players as i think they will say “your product are good at good prices, but we haven’t heard about you, you are not a brand.. why we should keep/sell your product”
P.S. – read your feedback 3 times and every time i read it, i was feeling like.. “yahi to krna hai” 😀
asha chaudhry
sagar – i just checked – you’re in delhi! please meet with abhik! he really knows his stuff 🙂
asha chaudhry
meanwhile – i’m pinging nameet potnis of sell mojo – they are into creating fb stores (s-commerce) – he can definitely help you out in creating an exclusive socks store!!!
https://www.therodinhoods.com/profile/NameetPotnis
Sagar Gupta
Thanx Abhivak for the wonderful feedback.. 🙂
My main purpose of creating a brand is to drive sales as one thing i have observed is that people buy those product about which they have heard, whether from any source.. I just want to make people aware/think that “ZORRIK is a company which makes pretty good quality ties and socks and we can bet our money on their products..”
Sanket Saraf
Hello Sagar, Is your company, the same as Zorex owned by Bhatiaji?
Himanshu Mody
Read Positioning from Al-ries / jack trout , differentiate or die.
Take a Position in the market which is difficult if not impossible to claim. Do everything to live upto that position, persevere enough that you and your company get identified with the problem you are solving.
What you have done so far has nothing to do with branding.
So basically answer this question Zorrik is a socks manufacturer which ‘ does something differently’
What is that something ?
Abhik Prasad
Here is a thought.
You could start a subscription service where for a certain amount, you could send socks to users every month. Everybody needs socks on a regular basis but a lot of us forget to buy it on a regular basis.
It could be a mix of formal, casual and sports socks.
Same could be done with ties (though the market might be a bit smaller for this)
Subscription commerce is not yet very big in India but should catch up over time.
Sagar Gupta
Zorex too is into manufacturing of ties.. Like Us.. 🙂
Sagar Gupta
Love that idea. Brilliant thought… Thanx.. 🙂
Will surely do R&D on it..
Sagar Gupta
Interesting view point of being different..
I read the it some where – “either be the best or be different from the rest”
Will try to focus on those point which makes up different or better from the rest..
Thanx for your valuable feedback..
Ratnakar Gokarn
Asha and Abhik have covered everything. There is just one thing I can point out, branding is not about you and your sales.
No great brand was created when the company starts thinking “We need more sales”.
Its all about the customer. It starts there.
Your brand is all the associations that come to mind when your potential customers see or hear your name.
All your efforts so far have been towards streamlining your company processes and registering on social media networks. Nothing of that creates any value to the customer buying your product. Just because you have social media exposure does not mean you are branding.
Your efforts should be thinking about creating an unique, memorable association in customers mind.
I think Abhik hit the nail with Satyapaul example.
A beautiful book is “Pour your heart into it :How Starbucks built a company one cup at a time”. by Howard Schultz.
Uma Mansharamani
Can help you with Brand concept, vision, mission, logo, identifying target market and how to influence them, market penetration and distribution strategies to increase sales online and offline while elevating perceived brand value to reach better price bracket etc.etc.
Regards, Uma.
9811966111.
Uma@heritagesourcing.com.
Shravan
Sagar,
I tried visiting your website but its not working. Please update the link if it has been changed to a new domain.
Regards,
Shravan