American Standard's campaign to project itself as consumer-centric brand

The firm is present in 175 cities. Its products are available in 405-plus stores

Think about it: This is a category that would never feature among the top 10 advertising categories; the end consumer would rarely take the trouble to go to a retail outlet to choose what she wants; once bought they are expected to last a lifetime and chances of repeat purchase are, therefore, low.

Little wonder then that less than one per cent of the annual industry sales of about Rs 50 billion is spent on advertising bathroom fixtures. The products are more or less similar except in the premium category and there is hardly any true innovation involved. 

Hence, it is uncanny to come across differentiated advertising in the bathroom fixtures category. Most players depict the high life in their advertisements typically with young, foreign models seen using the products. Take away the brand name and everything looks the same. American Standard, one of the first international brands to enter India, has decided to tread a different path. “We have created an advertising property of an American Standard family — a young, upmarket, contemporary family that visually holds the campaign together,” says Shubhajit Sen, head of strategy, Lixil Asia, that has taken over the marketing for American Standard and other associate brands in India. “Each piece of the communication explains the functional superiority of American Standard products in an engaging, humourous manner that is fresh in this industry,” he adds.

According to Sen, over 50 per cent of the volume sales in the bathroom fixtures category are accounted for by developers for housing and commercial projects while the balance is consumer-facing and is influenced by architects, designers, contractors and trade dealers. “There has been little need to speak directly to consumers,” he says adding, “that’s what we are trying to change through our 360-degree campaign.” The campaign aims to project American Standard as a consumer-centric brand, create awareness among consumers, leading to increase footfalls in its brand stores. “More the brand awareness, the more the number of dealers who will join us as a result,” he says. 

“Every brand is this category is fighting on two parameters — brand imagery and superficial design. Further, the entire category depends on discounts, and product performance is not very high on consumer agenda,” says Rajesh Aggarwal, founder and CEO, Daiko FHO, the agency behind the creative campaign. 

“The objective with which we created the campaign was to position the brand as one that can deliver superior functional performance and be viewed as a premier yet approachable brand,” says Sen. “If you look at the campaign, you will see we have chosen a family to be the mouthpiece — a young, contemporary family that’s quirky. The point we are trying to make is that a bathroom is a place that is shared by a family,” Aggarwal adds. 

And, that’s precisely what the TV commercials convey. Sample this: A boy tells viewers how compatible his dada-dadi (paternal grandparents) are. However, that compatibility goes for a toss when it comes to taking a shower. While the tall grandfather finds it easy to reach the shower, it is tough for the short grandmother to do so. Enter American Standard spectra showers that have e-sensors that can be adjusted as per the user’s need. 

Currently, the company is present in 175 cities across the country; over 405 stores sell its products. The TV campaign is expected to reach 12.5 million people in the next four weeks while the digital one will reach around 25 million.