The arduous lockdown was a rude awakening for young and niche brands like Kalaneca, who were labeled as “non-essential.” Consumer behavior has undoubtedly changed as a result of the pandemic; every country on the planet has observed this phenomenon. We have to live with delivery systems, e-commerce, and stay-at-home orders.
These days, life is split into two parts: before and after Corona. Their business model and module evolved in tandem with customer behavior. To stay alive, they had to learn, unlearn, and go back to square one every other day. Studying and preparing took a great deal of time and effort. Fortunately, Kalaneca has always recognized the value of its online presence.
Their problems, however, were distinct. Depending on their specialty. When it came to grassroots level artisans, moving the supply chain to an integrated online program seemed like a tall order. They are talented with their fingertips on the loom, but they are still sluggish with the digital capabilities that their phones have.
To ensure smooth operations, Kalaneca integrated them into Whatsapp Business and Gpay/Paytm. They enlisted the assistance of their children, who are more technologically adept. They set up small digital boot camps for them.
Since they were more relaxed with it, their designs would be discussed through Whatsapp calls. Change Management is one of the skills they believe supported them through this period. From November 2020 onwards, the whole team will use this capability to pivot the company operations.
They worked with The Yellow Bags, a Madurai-based team, to make 100% handmade cloth bags. They shipped their sarees in recyclable plastic and used seed paper to share their handwritten notes with customers. To ensure quick delivery to customers, they began working from two locations instead of one, and they worked with an aggregator to fulfill the orders.
Simultaneously, the team received training in SEO and online marketing, allowing them to take advantage of the current marketing platforms to promote the goods through multiple networks. Their interns were also taught about Shopify, the website on which Kalaneca is hosted, by the marketing team.
Constant contact with their clients, as well as numerous online polling and surveys, assisted them in better understanding and catering to their tastes and desires. Today, their brand promise and positioning are far more established.
They have raised their advertisement spends to ensure full coverage in India and internationally, which was not the case in previous years, and it has yielded results. All of this has contributed to the creation of new experiences and a greater impact.
Follow and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter
