An award-winning communications professional who has worked in a number of leadership roles across Corporate and Agency environments in India and the United Kingdom, Rohan Srinivasan is currently heading Marketing and Communications at ISHO. From running his own agency, to starting and scaling up businesses in new markets to strategising and implementing high impact national and market entry campaigns for previous clients, Rohan’s core expertise lies in understanding of the entire communications and marketing spectrum. Rohan has also been recognised for his achievements in the Indian Communications Industry by being featured in Reputation Today’s 40 under 40 a few years back.
ISHO has brought a unique approach to design and aesthetics in Bangladesh’s furniture sector, which has traditionally been catering to the mass market. What are the company’s core values, and how will it help it enhance the lives of its customers?
We follow a customer- centric approach and our vision has been clear from the very beginning – we want to reinvent the use of spaces and create unforgettable experiences for people in their daily lives. Before we even started our e-commerce portal in May 2019 we spent time researching the market thoroughly from customer behaviour to individual tastes and preferences to which and what design aesthetics and concepts would work. We wanted to understand how people live and use their spaces and thus identify the gap in the market.
WE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE LIVE AND USE THEIR SPACES AND THUS IDENTIFY THE GAP IN THE MARKET
The findings from this research and our globally inspired and innovative designs are what form a key component of our company’s DNA today and what our customers get to see when they shop at ISHO.
Speaking of marketing, ISHO’s unique out-of-the-box marketing initiatives have continually resonated with its niche consumer base. What factors have inspired the unique approach towards consumer engagement?
We’ve been pioneers of many industry-firsts – from our collections to campaigns. The fact that our furniture designs are unique in the market means that we see it as our responsibility to back it up with out of the box ideas and engaging initiatives. From creating customized landing pages on our website and incorporating spotify playlists to campaigns such as our ‘Friends and Furniture’ campaign where our customers had the opportunity to get coupons for every friend they introduced to us have proved to be very popular.
Our ‘You know you need it’ van campaign was also a furniture industry first where we created a different room set up in a van which went around Dhaka city and stopped at various locations. This enabled passers-by to come and see our furniture first-hand. We also still remain the only furniture brand to collaborate and showcase up and coming artists’ work as part of our Artists Club launch and also introduced a unique co-living concept called Dormbox which offers students and young professionals an affordable option of living.
Some of our campaigns have also seen us tie-up with leading fashion and F&B brands that compliment our campaign outreach objectives. There are many more to mention but it goes without saying that all our initiatives help in creating a buzz and also bring our customers closer to the brand.
In a very short time, ISHO has become a furniture retailer with the highest number of online sales. How has the brand been able to facilitate an effective platform that encourages online purchases? How crucial has been the role of the marketing and communications team in achieving this?
There are a number of factors that have contributed to this milestone and the role of the marketing and communications teams has been to think out of the box, be innovative in our ideas and ensure we are engaging with our customers in a meaningful and impactful manner. How we are putting our messages across has also been critical in this process and our content and creative teams also fulfil a very important role.
WE ENSURE ALL OUR WOOD BEARS THE FSC CONTROLLED WOOD STANDARD OR WORD BREAK OUR SUPPLIERS ARE ORGANISED AND LEGITIMATE
Engaging and stunning looking furniture creatives, quirky copy and campaign tag-lines across our social channels – Instagram and Facebook in particular – form the backbone of our communications and what drives traffic to our pages and website. Apart from this, we also run a number of promotions and exclusive offers on special occasions which encourage our customers to participate and begin their furniture buying journeys. All of these efforts are complemented by a customer-friendly and an easy to navigate website. Thus, there is a conscious decision to achieve standout by ensuring our content is engaging, unique and also informative.
A significant portion of ISHO’s customer base is millennials. Why do you believe this particular segment responds so well with the brand’s aggregate business approach? How will this segment affect the furniture market in the coming years?
It is well documented that the country has a young population and we believe ISHO represents their voice. We don’t just see ourselves as a company that only sells furniture but more importantly we sell a ‘lifestyle’ that people crave for and want. For us, millennials are the future of the country and also drivers of change in society. Importantly they are fast becoming the decision makers and these decisions are based on individual tastes, styles and being aspirational.
Prioritising environmental sustainability has been one of ISHO’s founding principles. Would you please share the details of the company’s sustainability measures?
From the sourcing of our raw materials to introducing products that make a difference in people’s lives we are proud of being both responsible and accountable to the environment.
Since we’re always introducing wood and recycled wood collections, we adhere strictly to certified global best practices and responsible sourcing norms. Specifically, when it comes to the source, we ensure all our wood bears the FSC Controlled Wood standard or word break our suppliers are organised and legitimate. Apart from sourcing responsibly, we have also been pioneers in preserving tradition with our Satranji Project, where we recycle fabric waste raw materials that help in creating a local circular economy.
Also, to celebrate World Environment Day this year, we introduced a ‘limited edition’ recycled bird feeder that was made entirely out of waste wood. Apart from the product being available to buy on our website, we also donated a few feeders to a leading bird and tree conservation NGO.