Tanishq - The Turnaround Story

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The company also kept the entry-level price as low as Rs 600 (for a pendant) and offered a range, which far exceeded that offered by any other jeweller. All Tanishq outlets gave a 100% return guarantee on its brand of jewellery and also exchanged other jewellery after deductions depending on purity. A customer satisfaction measurement program was started with the help of Customer Satisfaction Measurement Management (CSMM), an associate of IMRB. CSMM tracked customer satisfaction parameters for Tanishq on a quarterly basis. This gave the company the benefit of benchmarking against local and international players and also aided in improving repeat purchases. As a result, Tanishq was able to directly link the remuneration of franchisees with customer satisfaction. The company's corporate gold gift scheme ('When you want to say thank you, say it in gold'), launched in December 1998 proved to be a major success. Tanishq delivered 50,000 customized gold coins to 0.25 million Maruti car owners nationwide as part of the 15th anniversary celebrations of Maruti Udyog. By 2001, the scheme accounted for almost 5% of the turnover and over 30 corporate clients like Coca-Cola, the UB Group, Whirlpool, the TVS Group, Ceat and Liberty Shoes. The communication and promotion budget was increased from Rs. 65 million in 1999-2000 to Rs 100 million in 2000-01.

A majority of this was spent towards advertising, while a portion was also earmarked for promotions tailored to match regional preferences. For instance, in New Delhi, which was Tanishq's single largest market, substantial promotions were carried out. The Rs 100 million was split into four parts, comprising national-level spends (both electronic and print media), regional budgets, direct mail and research. For the first time, Tanishq initiated a long-term media plan, aiming to give the brand a round-the-year presence and enhance awareness. The communication focused on design and quality instead of the price.

Future Prospects

The Indian branded jewellery market, though nascent, grew at the rate of 20-30% during 1998-2000. Besides Tanishq, other major players included Intergold, Gili and Carbon. However, in the Rs 400 billion Indian jewellery market, Tanishq's share was not even 1%. Not willing to accept this as a 'poor show,' Tanishq saw it as a vast opportunity instead. The company planned to attain a 2% market share in the next few years. Kurian said, "The jewellery market is one of the largest consumer segments in the country. It has an estimated 2,50,000 retailers with no national or international brand and no corporate player. Titan believes that this market is right for consolidation. A consumer-oriented, highly ethical corporate player will have great opportunity. Our growth rates in the past three years have fully substantiated this hypothesis." Tanishq had ambitious plans to invest in information technology and utilize Intranets and the Internet to link all of its showrooms to one another. There were also plans to do online monitoring of sales and design popularity as well as using the Internet to place orders. The Intranet was to contain a photo collection of all the designs in all the stores so that even those not in stock in a particular store could be ordered by customers. In a highly innovative move, Tanishq tied up with Countrywide Finance for providing pre-approved credit line to the customers at selective outlets. This was expected to boost sales significantly in the future. In May 2000, Tanishq unveiled plans to surpass its parent company’s turnover by 2002. Jacob Kurian who had taken over as the CEO the same month, said, "We have finally figured out the jewellery business and should be solidly profitable, shorn of any caveat, this year."

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