Shade Shops New Thrust Area For Asian Paints

Asian Paints, the Rs 737.20 crore paints major, has launched a new marketing thrust with the introduction of a one-stop colour shop for paints complete with a software for consumers to choose and select their different shade combinations.

Called the Asian Paints Colour World, the one-stop shop is the result of two years work and a new strategy aimed at consolidating its dominant position in decorative segment of the Rs 3,500 crore paints market. The one-stop-shop designed to make purchase of paints less cumbersome.

Consumers have a choice of nearly 1151 different shades of all Asian Paints brands and specially developed software helps them choose their colour combinations and match different shades with the help of a computer and display panels.

 

The new system will be installed with all major dealers starting next month. A dealer will need to spend between Rs 6-6.5 lakh on the new system.

Announcing the launch in Mumbai yesterday, Ashwin Dani, vice-chairman said the company plans to change the way paints is sold and bought in the country.

The package is easy-to-use, and has several add-on features which the consumer can play around with to suit his needs.

With this, Asian Paints has targeted an increase in its market share by one per cent every year. The new system will be initially installed in around 500 dealers.

The new marketing initiative comes barely six months after a boardroom battle led to the exit of erstwhile managing director Atul Choksey and the buy-out of his 9.1 per cent stake by ICI India.

Analysts say the marketing initiative is also designed to show that Asian Paints is not handicapped by the absence of Atul Choksey, who is generally considered the marketing brain behind Asian Paints success for some time. As managing director Choksey had independent charge of marketing.

The new system features shades of all major existing Asian Paints brands. Bharat Puri, general manager, marketing, says there will be no extra price burden.

The system is akin to Insta Colour of Jenson & Nicholson but incorporates some more features.

Meanwhile, Ashwin Dani said the promoters have received no response from ICI to its offer of buying the latters 9.1 per cent stake in the company.