Marketing Management Case Study

"Madura Garments’ New Product Mix and Positioning Strategies: Big Battle for Small Clothes"

OR

Abstract:
Since foraying into the Indian textiles scenario in 1988, Madura Garments, a division of Madura Coats till 1999, has been catering to the varied apparel needs of men, with brands like Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England. Even after the reins of Madura Garments were passed on to Indian Rayon (a subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group) the company continued to offer a wide array of formal and informal men’s apparel. However, in spite of being a stable and dominant player in the men’s apparel segment, in 2001, Madura Garments ventured into women’s wear by extending its brands – Allen Solly and later Van Heusen. What was Madura Garments’ rationale and how did it affect the company? The case can be used to explore the same.

After 7 years in 2008, Madura Garments implemented a similar strategy to enter the kidswear segment. Madura Garments is aiming to emerge as a specialty retail outlet, catering to the apparel needs of the entire family under one large roof. Its entry into the lucrative kidswear territory has been marked by a restrained advertising approach. However, can Madura Garments garner critical mass in a market that is dominated by unorganised players and homegrown brands like Gini & Jony and Lilliput, which boast of a strong national presence? Can it face competitors like Raymond that has marked its entry with an exclusive brand (Zapp!)? The case delves into the challenges that Madura Garments would face in the dynamic kidswear industry and questions its product mix and positioning strategies.

Pedagogical Objective:

• To analyse the nature of the kidswear market in India and understand the critical success factors in this industry
• To debate on whether Madura Garments’ strategy of extending its successful brands from men’s wear and women’s wear to kids’ apparel segment is sensible or not
• To debate on Madura Garments’ brand extension strategy in comparison with Raymond’s exclusive kidswear store (Zapp!).

Keywords : Branding; Positioning; Product mix; Retailing; Kids; Segmentation; Targeting; Consumer Behavior; Garments; Clothes; Birla; Critical success factors; Brand extension; Mass brands; User segments; Stretching brand offering, Marketing Management; Marketing Mix; Market Segmentation; Product Life Cycle; New Product Development; Consumer Behavior; Marketing Case Studies; MBA; Marketing Course for MBA Marketing Course Case Map; Course Case Map; Case Map

Contents:

• Madura Garments
• Kids'Apparel Market in India
• Madura Garments: Foraying into Kid's Apparel Market