Godrej Security Solutions, the division of Godrej that provides mechanical and electronic home security solutions, is doubling its marketing spend to around Rs. 20 crore per year for the next three years, to establish its products in the market. Although the 122-year-old brand is synonymous with padlocks, there are fewer takers for its home lockers.
Mehernosh Pithawalla, VP and global head – marketing, sales and innovation, Godrej Security Solutions, shares that the penetration of home lockers in India is at a mere 7% currently, with B2C sales contributing around 40% of the total sales. In its most recent attempt to draw consumers’ attention, the company has launched an advertising campaign featuring actor Ayushmann Khurrana, in addition to on-ground brand activations challenging people to break open a Godrej home locker.
The campaign is targeted at boosting retail sales through its online and offline stores. Godrej home lockers are now available on Godrej’s own e-commerce site, as well as Amazon and Flipkart. Additionally, the company is working on expanding its reach to 250 districts, and hopes to have a presence in 10,000 retail outlets across urban markets in India over the next three years.
Shaziya Khan, national planning director, Wunderman Thompson, who was part of the team that created the campaign, says there are several reasons why people don’t invest in lockers — they are satisfied with their traditional lock and key arrangement; think it is meant for the ‘super rich’; prefer to use bank lockers; don’t want to attract unwanted attention; and believe that if nothing has happened to them so far, nothing will in the future.
Moreover, Pithawalla adds that “people still hide valuables under mattresses, in wooden cupboards and other nooks in the home that are vulnerable to theft.” Godrej has stepped up its marketing efforts in the last two years by integrating its products into movies. In 2018, Khurrana used a Godrej personal locker in his office in the movie Badhai Ho! and in 2019, a key character in the movie Dream Girl is also seen using a Godrej locker at the shop he owns. Pithawalla says that movie integrations are useful for the category, as they demonstrate use cases for the product. Interestingly, Godrej Security Solutions’ other products such as CCTV cameras have higher penetration (15-18%) in India than home lockers.
