Oakley to start second innings in India

Given India’s growth rates, sports and lifestyle brand Oakley is set for a second innings here. The move is in line with the brand’s effort to grow in developing markets.

Following its merger with Luxottica, the Italian luxury sunglasses group, Oakley hopes to have better access to retail channels. “So far, we did not have the kind of infrastructure and distribution reach Luxottica has, but now, we have access to Luxottica’s resources, which will allow us to push sales,” Scott Bowers, senior vice-president, global marketing and brand development, Oakley Inc, told Business Standard.

Oakley will now be available through Sunglass Hut stores, an eyewear retail chain of Luxottica, apart from some high-end retailers. The company, however, will not hurry in terms of expansion and will invest to train retailers to sell the brand.

 

The company hopes to market itself as an active lifestyle brand operating in the premium segment, instead of adopting only the sports plank. It will also promote technology and innovation in engineering, as well as functionality. The company is also looking at sponsoring sports events and promoting sports other than cricket.

While it is still to work out an advertising plan for the traditional media, it plans to start online initiatives for promotion. “The promotional events can be as small as a marathon in New Delhi to as big as the Formula One race,” Bowers said. He hopes the Commonwealth Games in 2010 will provide Oakley a good platform to promote itself.

The company is keen to associate itself with sportspersons across fields, but will not go for individual brand ambassadors. Oakley’s target audience in India will be between the age of 18 and 40 years, as is the case worldwide.

Globally, Oakley manufactures prescription eye wear, apparel, footwear and accessories and hopes to bring the entire portfolio to India once the distribution network is in place.

The company is also open to manufacturing the products in India at a later stage, following the success of Ray Ban. “The product, however, will continue to be a premium one,” he said.