Brand Positioning of BATA

BATA (The World Moves On Your Feet)

Bata was founded by three siblings with a small inheritance in the town of Zlin, Czechoslovakia on August 24, 1894. It was one of the world’s first shoe “manufacturers”; a team of stitchers and shoemakers creating footwear not just for neighbors, but for distant retail merchants.Less than 10 years later, Bata produced 2200 pairs per day, employing resourceful imaginations, skilled hands and modern machinery to keep up with demand. Innovative shoes styles were developed with new customer-sensitive ways to promote them. 

                                              

Bata Bangladesh is a public limited company, which has 51- 49% share with the government of Bangladesh. Positioning is done in-order to locate the brand in the minds of the customers, which in-turn increases the benefits of the company. Positioning results in customer-focused value proposition. The positioning is done with respect to the brand and product portfolio. Positioning strategy is done by identifying the possible competitive advantages through which a company can attain sustainable position in the market. Bata always aims to be sustainable in the market and it has proved it over years. The company has taken various steps to increase its market share, some of them are renovating its already existing stores, opening new stores in sub-urban places and the main strategy which is followed by the company is high quality and low price. This has made the company sustainable for more than seven decades in India. The company will follow the same strategy for the new product Power-Lite. On the other hand when looking into the market for the products from Nike, Puma, Adidas and Reebok, they charge a huge amount for their sports products. The cost of shoes from Bata is relatively low, when compared to others. There are few local manufacturers who produce the replica of the branded products with low quality and low costs. This makes the customers feel unsatisfied. Bata is already filling the positional gap in the market following low price and high quality strategy. This new product also comes under the same category, which adds value to the impression given to the customers in relation with the competing product. The low price and high quality strategy works well in the Indian market as it is a developing market.

Bata Bangladesh is the largest player in the footwear industry with around 9-10% volume share and a 60% market-share in the organized segment. BB (Bata Bangladesh) has a market share of 70% in canvas shoes segment while it has a share of 60% in leather shoes. BB manufactures about 10% of the total Hawaii’s sold in the country. BB competes in manufacturing low priced Hawaii’s with the unorganized sector with its price ranging from Taka35-Taka110 with unorganized sector’s pricing in the range of Taka25-Taka50. Leading competitor in the popular segment of the organized market Apex Shoes. Other organized sector players are liberty shoes, Baly Shoes, Woodland, Pagasus. Most global players like Adidas India, Reebok, Nike, etc are operating through their Bangladeshi subsidiaries with main focus on premium sports shoes segment, which has an insignificant volume share. Competition is hotting up in the domestic market due to popular brands such as Gaitonde, Red Tape, Lotus Bawa in the illegal and smuggling of these shoes. These brands are gaining market share especially in the premium segment.

  Master-brand Positioning Tool for Bata:

Rallying Call: A shoe for a very Occasion.

Values: Venality, Trust, Value for money.

Personality: Tour personal footwear guru, Every sale is a relationship.

Brand Promise: To provide footwear for every member of the family for every phase of life.

Be Refits: Wide variety, Batter customer experience, Quality footwear.

Brand Truths: Comfortable, Value for money, Older brand in Bangladesh.

Core Insight: A trustful leader in footwear that shrives to evolve itself with changing times to offer a wide range of variety to customers.

Market Definition:   
               Core - Footwear Oscar Categories.

               Stretch - Leather & Shoe Accessories.

Customer Target: Young working prates and married couples that are influences and opinion leaders.

According to my opinion Bata should focus on:

• Give sales discount and free samples to influence more sales in the growing shoe market.
• Reduce the price level.
• More advertisements should be aired.
• Should build awareness among the potential users of this type of footwear product.
• Bring more design, color, and design combination to be competitive.
• To merge with the local companies and to expand more segmentation.

Reference: 

• http://www.assignmentpoint.com/business/marketing-business/report-on-marketing-strategies-of-bata-shoe-limited
• htmlhttp://www.batabd.com/about-us.html