bandhej
brand strategy, brand identity,
communication
Nothing expresses the luxury of handcrafted textiles, better than the textiles themselves. rgd brought alive the dna of the Bandhej brand to every customer – young or old, with uniquely designed, tactile experiences at every store.
The Bandhej label was conceived by textile designer Archana Shah in1985. One of the first “designer” stores in the country, the label offered a range of fashion apparel made with indigenous handcrafted fabrics.
In 2015, The client approached rgd to help them repurpose the brand along with its identity before they embarked on a national expansion plan. In the 3 decades since Bandhej’s inception, a lot had changed. The market had grown tremendously with international, national and boutique brands. Customers had evolved, each of their needs being catered to through segmentation and niche offerings. Shopping behaviour was changing constantly, and a multi-channel world of retail and communication was on the anvil. But unfortunately the brand had not kept abreast.
So whilst we did a deep dive into the brand, its past and its present, we also did extensive market research to better understand the retail landscape and fashion trends and of course most importantly identify Bandhej’s new customer, and what she wanted.
The contemporary urban woman today is a multicultural individual, with a strong sense of self and style. Proud of her lineage, she seeks a lifestyle that is contemporary, sustainable and eco-sensitive. And Bandhej was extremely well suited to answer her fashion requirements.
It’s three decade commitment to the artisan and Indian textile craft was enviable. Its design expertise and capital quite unique. And what it could promise and deliver was never more relevant.
Bandhej was perfectly poised to offer India’s contemporary woman the “preciousness of handcrafted fabrics, reimagined for today.” On articulation of the brand promise, we worked to develop a comprehensive strategy that would help deliver it from a merchandise point of view, build communication assets and perhaps most importantly cascade it on an experiential level at each store.
It was important for Bandhej to claim its position of authority in the indigenous handcrafted fabrics segment. With many hundreds of craftspeople at its core,
the brand stood apart in its commitment to the craft community. Its efforts to innovate, build relationships, and value add, help keep these traditions alive.
Equally the beauty and preciousness of craft processes were stories waiting to be told. Narratives that could be experienced first-hand, as customers engaged with fabrics and weaves on the ensembles they chose on the shop floor.
Whilst the new brand story of Bandhej called for a revamp of their in-store experience, we were cautious whilst modifying its iconic Brand Mark. Just rounding of its edges, to shift it from a modernist sensibility to a softer gentler one was all it needed.
A deep dive into the brand, its past and its present. A comprehensive study of the retail landscape, profile of the Bandhej customer along with strategic directions for marketing and communication were put together as an aid, to help brand custodians across the country.
Bandhej’s three decade commitment to the artisan and the Indian textile heritage is enviable. Its design expertise and capital quite unique. It needed to communicate its captainship at the store level.
This unusual hand rendered infographic captures the diversity of craft across the country; a great conversation starter about the origin of the merchandise at Bandhej.
Handcrafted panels, fashion images and stories that talk of the craftsperson and their craft give each customer a chance to engage with the product on a much deeper level, communicating the brand promise emotionally and sensorially.
