Last year was a year of great significance to Marina Home. Several milestones were accomplished in 2012 as part of the company’s overall development strategy, which led to impressive growth against forecasts.
As a company, sales were up by 21 per cent over 2011. Many new initiatives helped to increase sales across most markets, thus taking Marina Home’s brand positioning from strength to strength. Brand Marina was launched in India in
December 2012 to much fanfare and celebrity glitz, through a 40,000sq ft flagship store in Delhi, making it the country’s largest premium home décor store. The event, its pre- & post-PR coverage have had strong positive impact on the store’s footfall and the brand has enjoyed a fantastic response, with the product offer, store ambience and services taking the country by storm.
A pan-India roll out plan is now underway. Marina Home Interiors was rebranded Marina Home with a carefully enhanced identity while retaining the company colours.
The new identity has a fresher appeal and is more free spirited and cosmopolitan in its look and feel – just like the brand offerings itself. This enhanced identity has been incorporated in all company collateral and presents the brand with a global appeal.
The conceptualisation of Marina Home’s world concept store at The Dubai Mall is part of the company’s overall long-term business strategy. Phase one of this new strategy was to present the enhanced logo with a rebranding campaign, whilst phase two presents an unmatched in-store shopping experience by creating a store design that is a first for the region. Marina Home at The Dubai Mall truly epitomises this retail design concept in totality, and is something that really has not been seen before; the store presents an eclectic yet urban atmosphere synonymous of an industrial loft in a large format.
All current and future stores will be transformed to look like this as the company moves forward. “The rebranding campaign, together with the new in-store design and the launch of the company’s flagship store at The Dubai Mall has helped in soaring brand recognition and interest from consumers and prospective franchisees,” says Marina Home co-Founder, Khurshid Vakil. The new in-store design will represent brand Marina as a unique home décor concept, ready for a global franchise roll-out, besides the company owned and managed operations in key strategic markets. The evolution of its merchandise mix has always been one of Marina’s fortes and is something that the brand is famous for.
However, after running a successful business model for 15 years, any changes to the original concept will naturally result in one or two challenges. The consumer loyalty factor, particularly the emotional connection with the brand that has been fostered over the years, had to be kept in mind throughout the rebranding exercise and whilst conceptualising the new look in-store experience.
“All this has been received with a wow factor resulting in increased footfall and revenues,” adds Vakil. “Importantly the new look Marina Home has been instrumental in generating a new type of customer base, besides our normal target market.
“The new look Marina has exceeded our company expectations and those of the consumers. It has set a new benchmark for the home décor industry in general and our organisation in particular. This exercise also constitutes time, effort and heavy investments as all aspects of collateral, store fit-out and legalities needed to be covered all over again.”
The Dubai-based Marina Home retail chain successfully operates in each of the Arabian Gulf Countries and is present in a number of key shopping centre and high streets locations.
The brand presents its unique, high quality and innovative home furniture concept through large format stores..
For the full article, please see the May 2013 issue.
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