Levi Strauss to target women

Levi Strauss India's new advertising campaign, slated to be unveiled next month, is targeted at women. This is in response to the encouraging growth in the women's segment of the apparel market.

Levi Strauss India managing director Shumone Chatterjee said: "The women's segment in India has seen a double digit growth while the men's segment has logged a mere seven to eight per cent growth."

According to Chatterjee, the market for branded denim and casual pants is pegged at Rs 1200 crore. About 12 million units of denim and eight million units of casual pants and khakis are sold in the top six towns in India.

The women's market in India is one-fourth the size of the men's market. However, in the last few years, young Indian women have adapted to western lifestyles at a faster pace.

Levis had launched the low rise jeans collection in 2003 which was successful. J Walter Thompson created the ad "Low Rise - Dangerously Low" for the company. Levis plans to grow organically in the country and expand the category of jeans, t-shirts, shirts, etc.

Levis will also enter the footwear and the eyewear segment later this year. The target audience for the new segment is the guy who is urban, upwardly mobile, a modernist, trendy and full of attitude.

Levi's entered the Indian market in 1995. Since then the Indian market for Levi is growing at a rate of 25-30 per cent.