Brand Leisure No Hurry No Worry  BY JAGDEEP KAPOOR One of the fastest growing markets in India is the “Leisure Market”. By definition leisure means, “time free from work”. In other words when you do things leisurely it is without hurry and I may add, without worry. In today’s hustle and bustle and life full of strain and stress, it is but natural that consumers are going to be attracted more and more towards leisure. Brands which encourage leisure activities and provide an atmosphere which is able to soothe the senses and relax the mind and ease the body are going to be preferred more and more by today’s Indian consumers. Brand Leisure to my mind is going to be one of the most lucrative and fast growth market opportunities in today’s India. What are the segments, which constitute the brand leisure market? To my mind, to look at the five senses makes the most sense, while analysing the brand leisure market. Two of the senses that are sight and sound – to see and to hear – could be a large constituent of the brand leisure market. Whether going to a multiplex and enjoying a movie or using your leisure time to watch your favorite show on the television could be great opportunities of making your brand provide leisure to consumers who can then be relaxed and rejuvenated after that piece of activity or shall I call it inactivity. Audio visuals in a pleasant manner is one of the great opportunity for entertainment and leisure. If it is only related to sight then it could be watching the sunrise from a particular location or point, or letting your eyes feast on the wonders of nature whether from a hill station or a beach or even from 36,000 ft in an airplane. Thus we see that this brand of leisure can give satisfaction to consumers from various normal brands and there could be brands exclusively, which provides leisure. The other senses including the feel and the taste and the smell can provide leisure whether through flowers or through a quiet meal or a swim or a visit to a spa, whether it be a club or a 5 star hotel, whether it be a short break from work everyday or a long break on a holiday, it makes sense to use the 5 senses to savour and delight and indulge in brand leisure. Indians have been able to get most of their material benefits whether it be a house or a car, whether it be attire or status. What Indians now aspire for is that precious elements – LEISURE – time free from work. Brands, which are able to provide in part or in total relaxed feelings to Indians, would be brands, which would command a premium and have a positive word of mouth. Whether it be entertainment in the form of films or music, whether it be a visit to the Club or a private moment of peace, brands which would help Indians enjoy leisure are going to be preferred brands in the future. It is not only brands, which market holidays or trips or tours or vacations or clubs which are going to be important leisure brands. Even normal brands in any sector can always release sometime for the consumers and release the consumers from stressful activities. These brands will be truly leisure brands and will make the Brand Leisure market grow fast in a slow leisurely manner. The brand leisure market is applicable to all segments, whether they are young or old, whether they are children or senior citizens. If it is school kids, they also need leisure from the work and homework. If it is adults they need time off and breaks from their office work and from their business. Thus we see that brand leisure as a market throws us opportunities as a market across all eight segments. Similarly, across towns and villages, across the east and the west and the north and the south, consumers look for leisure as an inspirational element and value it immensely. This most important and precious ingredient in a human being’s life is being seen as precious as clean air, or pure water as an element which improves the quality of life. So if a car is able to provide some time off during a drive or a bookread in a bookstore or in a bedroom is able to provide relaxation and leisure, all these become very valuable moments which are treasured and looked up to and desired by consumers. In today’s urban world a large amount of time is spent commuting to and fro from work and the pressure of keeping pace with the fast life makes it even more valuable to add few moments of leisure. Therefore, Clubs, which provide a quiet tennis game or a few caps in the swimming pool or a peaceful drink, all add up to rejuvenating the body mind and soul so that people can get back to work, rejuvenated and refreshed. To my mind, brand leisure is the going to be the difference between brands, which are hated, or brands, which are loved. Brand leisure is a true opportunity in today’s India and brand marketeers must handle this in a sensitive and peaceful manner to improve the quality of life of the Indian consumer. The author is Brand Guru Jagdeep Kapoor, Managing Director of the successful Samsika Marketing Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. Tel: 022-28597700/7701 Fax: 28597699 E-mail: jkapoor@samsika.com Copyright © 2007 All rights reserved with Jagdeep Kapoor, Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultants Pvt. Ltd. No Part of this document may be modified, reproduced, stored, deleted or introduced in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (Electronic, Mechanical, Photocopying, Recording or Otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of the document.