PUMA India: The Remarkable Underdog Story : Abhishek Ganguly

Leader: Abhishek Ganguly

Puma India – underdog story of Puma India, a company that became the market leader in the Indian market despite entering the market late. Puma India did not have the first-mover advantage. They entered the market in 2006, a decade and a half after their competitor. However, they were able to overcome this disadvantage by doing things differently.

Here are some of the key factors that contributed to Puma India’s success:

• Direct retail: Puma India was the first brand in their industry to do retail in India directly. This allowed them to directly engage with consumers and understand their needs.
• Focus on e-commerce: Puma India was also one of the first brands to get into e-commerce in India. This helped them to reach customers even during the time of crisis when stores were closed.
• Digital marketing: Puma India focuses almost all of their media money on digital and social media marketing. They avoid traditional advertising and use unconventional marketing tools.
• Technology adoption: Puma India has adopted new technologies across various aspects of their business, including supply chain, analytics, business intelligence, and enterprise.
• Local relevance: Puma India did not just copy what other Puma branches were doing globally. They created local marketing campaigns and collaborated with Indian celebrities.
• Great place to work: Puma India has a strong focus on creating a great place to work. They believe that having a good team is essential for success.

Overall, Puma India’s success story is a result of their unique approach to the Indian market. They were able to overcome the disadvantage of being a late entrant by focusing on innovation, customer centricity, and building a great team.