Asian Paints CANVAS 2020

About the case

With the evolution of paint industry, the engagement level has seen a significant shift, thereby

creating an interesting aspect in Indian home décor and maintenance space – the concept of ‘Do It

Yourself (DIY)’.

DIY in Painting: A lackluster concept

Traditionally, the Indian consumers have not been part of the décor/painting DIY bandwagon. There

are multiple factors that can be attributed to this trait. Firstly, painting is a complex activity involving

understanding of the application surface, multiple products, mixing ratios, etc. The know-how of

these among the general consumers is limited. Also its the pain in PAINting that dissuades people

from it. Customers perceive it as a clumsy & time taking process. Secondly, the painting labor cost in

India is low. While it has grown significantly over the years, the overall cost still continues to be much

lower compared to Western countries. Thirdly, the cross-country migration has ensured easy

availability of painters across the country which has further kept the labor rates under check.

Fourthly, there are limited parallel DIY examples in allied sectors like plumbing, construction, etc.

thereby limiting the overall movement towards DIY.

The Introduction of sampler pots created an avenue for self-trial as an exploration before painting,

but this still largely existed in the world of painters & contractors. An attempt by Asian Paints in 2011

of introducing TIY ‘try it yourself’ range didn’t see too much of a traction despite the ease of usage.

DIY: The Opportunity

However, the experience of tectonic shifts witnessed in décor consumption, color and color

consultation point to an increased involvement of consumers in the painting process. By extension,

the shift to DIY in the painting industry in India is inevitable.

Few changes in the macro environment are likely to accelerate the shift in the Indian context:

• Home is now finding a central spot in all activities – like a multifunctional hub, a place where

people live, work, play, learn and shop. This is bound to influence home décor & maintenance in a

big way

• With ‘Work from Home (WFH)’ gaining prominence, and people spending more than the usual

time at home, homer décor & maintenance is set to occupy a larger share of the mind space

Numbers also point in the similar direction:

• 115 million+ digital consumers in India are actively searching for ‘DIY’

• 30 million+ of these consumers are in the age bracket of 35-44 years

• Interest for DIY has seen a tremendous surge over pre-March period as observed through digital

search patterns ~ 100% growth in ‘DIY queries’ & 90% growth in ‘how to paint’ queries.

The DIY market, in India, is thus, at a tipping point – still in a nascent stage but expected to explode.

The Scope:

Over the years, Asian Paints has provided infinite celebrations to millions of consumers through

innovative unique solutions, cutting edge tech & revolutionary products. With changes imminent in

the home décor & maintenance space, it seemed to be a perfect time to take the organization into

the DIY space. A Strategy team named ‘AtmaNirbhar’ comprising of representative from various

functions- Sales, Marketing, Research & Technology & Supply Chain formed has formulated the

strategy for entry into the DIY space. The team has worked on innovative products across categories

packaged in easy-to-use spray cans & kits.

The team also strategized an alternate channel through e-commerce to take the product to

consumers via all leading e-com platforms in India

The team has launched products across repair & maintenance, health & hygiene and décor space.

Visit the page to know more about the product range.

https://www.asianpaints.com/online-shop/Do-it-yourself.html

Now, the key aspects for deliberation before the team are:

• Consumers: Consumer propensity to DIY is higher for repair & maintenance space or fun or both?

• Future product mix strategy: Large opportunity areas in DIY space that are begging for

investment– Aspects of home décor and maintenance over which DIY concept could fan across

• Market Landscape: Is the market ready for an organized player like AP to consolidate? How does

the competition scenario pan out?

Points to Ponder:

• Other industries/sectors that have gone through or are undergoing a similar DIY shift?

• Content & Influencer Marketing – Relevance in the home décor & maintenance space?

• Stakeholders: How does the DIY shift affect thousands of dealers and lakhs of contractors who

have been instrumental to the success of Asian Paints?

Solution Idea

Content courstesy:

Harsh Bardhan (LinkedIn)

Nikita Iyer (LinkedIn)

Sarbajit Biswas (LinkedIn)

If you liked the content and the initiative, do post a like and a comment!

Wish you all the very best