Mumbai: Travel is love, and exploring new places, and gathering the best from your trips is a whole new learning experience. American Tourister, a well-known international luggage brand, aims to provide innovative offerings while making one’s trips memorable.
In 1993, American Tourister was acquired by Astrum International, which also owns Samsonite. Astrum was renamed the Samsonite Corporation two years later.
American Tourister has stood tall for the past 90 years. It is positioned in the midst of the pyramid at the mass premium segment, making it a fine mix of premium and accessible. The brand caters to travellers in search of resilient, efficient, and trendy luggage. American Tourister’s marketing positioning in India reinforces its commitment to innovation, design, and quality, and positions the brand as trendy, joyful/fun, vibrant rooted in values, and forever genuine. It is a trustworthy option for travellers who are always at the forefront of exploring new places, satisfying their curiosity, and who also look for a genuine brand that offers new innovations.
The partnership with ace cricketer Virat Kohli, as the brand ambassador of American Tourister has been going strong for the past seven years and the duo have delivered striking and off-beat campaigns seamlessly. The current running campaign, ‘Born To Cross Boundaries’, encourages travellers to unleash their adventurous side and surpass their inhibitions.
The ‘Born To Cross Boundaries’ campaign challenges people to embrace the unexplored side of themselves. The campaign aims the audience on a journey that goes beyond their comfort zones and pushes past their personal boundaries, spurring that American Tourister luggage is built to celebrate the spirit of a true traveller who is willing to explore and have fun when travelling across the world. It doesn’t just recognize the need for luggage which enables people to travel, it goes beyond, which has been beautifully captured in the TVC.
Indiantelevision.com spoke to Samsonite South Asia head – marketing communications Pradnya Somesh Popade about the differentiation between the brands American Tourister and Samsonite, Samsonite positioning itself as a thought leader, having Virat Kohli as American Tourister’s brand ambassador, and more.
Popade is currently in charge of well-known Indian and global brands such as American Tourister and Samsonite. She also handled the responsibilities of marketing communication for Samsonite in Middle East markets for four years.
By identifying the category for rapid market growth opportunity, Popade brought phenomenal growth in Samsonite and American Tourister backpacks by 450 per cent and 200 per cent respectively. To increase the penetration of the brand American Tourister, she recommended brand ambassador strategy and on-boarded Virat Kohli as the first brand ambassador of American Tourister. The association helped the brand for a wider brand recall and accessibility in tier I and tier II Indian, and the Middle East markets.
Popade has spearheaded socially responsible campaigns for Samsonite such as #KeralasOpen, #EkDinKiChutti, #DiwalikaSafar building Samsonite as a thought leadership brand. She also drives the revenue business of www.samsonite.in, the e-commerce website.
Edited excerpts:
On Samsonite acquiring American Tourister in 1993, and the evolution of Samsonite
We are a 113-year-old multi-brand company. We have been the world leaders in the luggage industry for all these years. Samsonite is the world’s number one and American Tourister is the world’s number two luggage brand. World’s number three is also owned by our parent company – Tumi. Samsonite has been in India for the last 25-plus years. In the mid-2000s American Tourister was launched, and it has been an excellent journey for both brands. American Tourister is India’s biggest brand and every year, the lead compared to the other brands keeps increasing.
On differentiating American Tourister and Samsonite
Samsonite has a premium luxury brand positioning in India and internationally, it caters to a niche traveller, someone who’s extremely well-travelled and is looking for that little bit extra in the travel gear that he/ she purchases. They care about the bag lasting long and finer aspects of craftsmanship and luxury which tend to be high network individuals or people who really travel a lot frequently to domestic and global destinations. That segment is small in India but is growing and with-it Samsonite too. American Tourister is more of a mass brand. The promise of American Tourister is basically about bringing international quality, style, and technology at a more affordable price for everyone. There we cater to a really large audience, whether it’s a young family, individual travellers, students, or young professionals. American Tourister, of course in terms of size is larger than Samsonite in India. In fact, I would say it’s the single largest brand in the country today for luggage. There are plenty of domestic competitors available at a similar price point or a little bit lower kind of a price point. But of course, from an international brand perspective, there is no competition. Meanwhile, Samsonite is the only brand that exists in its price and positioning segments.
On Samsonite positioning itself as a thought leader, and paving its way to connect with its core consumers
Samsonite’s investment in the latest technology and innovation has been a key factor in improving the design and functionality of its products. The brand has introduced numerous first-of-its-kind innovations in the luggage industry making for a smoother and more comfortable journey for consumers.
Samsonite has leveraged content marketing to connect with its core consumers in India. The brand has created engaging content that highlights its products’ unique features and benefits
Samsonite has undertaken several corporate social responsibility initiatives in India. Samsonite is on a responsible journey and is leading sustainable transformation in our industry
The brand has D2C and marketplace platforms, as well as a network of physical retail stores across the country. This has enabled Samsonite to provide a seamless shopping experience to its customers, both online and offline.
The use of celebrity endorsements has helped Samsonite build brand awareness and connect with its target audience in India.
Samsonite’s content marketing strategy has helped the brand establish a strong online presence and build a loyal customer base in India. It also places high emphasis on the customer service
Overall the brand Samsonite has built a strong brand reputation in India over the years. The brand is known for its quality products, innovative designs, and commitment to customer satisfaction. Samsonite’s reputation has helped it establish itself as a thought leader in the luggage industry in India.
On Virat Kohli’s 7th year as American Tourister’s brand ambassador and on sticking to him as your brand ambassador
Virat Kohli really represents what the brand is looking for in India. We wanted a youth icon that appeals to an Indian audience but is international in his stature for an international brand like American Tourister, and honestly today as well, there aren’t many other Indian celebrities I would count in that space who are international figures as well. I cannot comment on from the side of other brands or on behalf of Virat Kohli but it has really been a fruitful association, we’ve had a good working relationship with each other. Our core values are very similar to each other as well and that is why it worked both ways.
On partnering with Amitabh Bachchan, Yuvraj Singh and Mithila Raj earlier this year for the ‘Tested Like Samsonite’ campaigns
We looked at some personalities whose life stories are well-known for strength and perseverance. Amitabh Bachchan, Yuvraj Singh, and Mithali Raj, all of them have an inspiring story with an element of strength and the ‘Tested Like Samsonite’ campaign also highlights the common characteristic, just like its range of products that undergo the toughest strength and durability tests before they are considered worthy for the end user, to ensure the highest quality standards.
The ‘Tested Like Samsonite’ campaign has helped Samsonite as a brand grow even faster than our own company. Our company is the fastest growing in the luggage industry and within the company, Samsonite is growing much faster. In the January quarter, the brand Samsonite doubled the business compared to 2022. This is our first quarter post the campaign launch.
On the ‘Diwali Ka Safar’, ‘Travel To Vote’, ‘Kerala is Open’, ‘Tested like Samsonite’ campaigns – how does Samsonite strive to create a mark amongst its consumers with its unique storytelling approach?
The 3 digital/social media films had the perfect timing and a topical situation where the message was weaved in beautifully with an emotional appeal and the brand was subtly plugged in without making it seem intrusive. All the films were based on the travel narrative and thought that a leadership brand takes.
‘Tested like Samsonite’, the campaign draws a common ground with individuals who have encountered adversities in their lives and is a testament to those who chose to rise back up and face the challenges with confidence and valour.
The campaign highlights the common characteristics just like its range of products that undergo the toughest strength and durability tests before they are considered worthy for the end user to ensure the highest quality standards.
On the media mix for Samsonite and American Tourister
We will continue to speak to the consumers through all mediums. The spend on digital increases with every campaign. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t ignore other mediums. For Samsonite, we are very big on airports – at 25 to 28 pc. Digital garners 20 pc and the rest is for TV and print.
For American Tourister, TV takes the major share followed by digital, print and OOH.
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