NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

BENGALURU

MASTER OF DESIGN
(2021 – 2023)

SUSTAINABILITY AND CO-DESIGN

To Study the Existing Brand Identity of Navalgund Dhurries and Propose Interventions
for the Identified Gaps.

Submitted by:

Mehak (MD/21/7), Pranjal Kumar (MD/21/28) and Shimar Ahamed (MD/21/22)

 National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru
To Study the Existing Brand Identity of Navalgund Dhurries and Propose Interventions
for the Identified Gaps.

Sustainable Systems and Co-Design

Batch 2021-2023

Submitted By

Mehak Dhariwal, Pranjal Kumar and Shimar Ahamed

Submitted to NIFT in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Design of the National Institute of Fashion Technology at (Name of Campus) and
hereby certify that in the judgement of the following members of the jury it is worth of
acceptance:

Remarks regarding fulfilling further requirements, if any:

Signature of CC- Department of Design Space

Date:
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mehak Dhariwal, Pranjal Kumar and Shimar

Ahamed of the Design Space Department at the National Institute of
Fashion Technology–Bengaluru, have been evaluated for their Sustainable
Systems and Co-Design Project Report titled “To Study the Existing
Brand Identity of Navalgund Dhurries and Propose Interventions for
the Identified Gaps” and have fulfilled the requirements set by the
institute and the evaluation jury. Their work has been found satisfactory.

Faculty mentor Campus Coordinator

Mr Mohammed Ansar Ms Biniya Arul Jyothi

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Our most sincere gratitude to Director Ms. Susan Thomas, IRS for giving
us the opportunity to work on this project.

We would also like to extend my gratitude to subject faculty and research

mentor, Mr Mohammed Ansar for his expert guidance and invaluable
inputs.

We would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to the Navalgund Craft

Cluster- all the artisans and management for their relentless support
throughout the period of study.

Our sincere thanks to all the faculties from the Department of Design
Space for their constant support. It was a great privilege and honour to
work and study under their guidance.

We are particularly grateful for the support and critiques provided by our
peers. This project would not have been possible without their earnest
encouragement.
Table of Contents:
Abstract 7
Key Words 7
Introduction 7
Geographical Indication 7
Navalgund Dhurries 7
Purpose of the study 8
Implications 8
Originality/Value 8
Review of Literature 9
Objectives 12
Research Design 12
Process 12
Discover- Conducting Research 12
1. Understanding the Organisation: 13
2. Market Research 18
Qualitative Research 18
1. Findings from one-on-one interviews with artisans (Akkamma) 18
2. Findings from one-on-one interview with store manager (Mr. Ramesh) 19
3. Insights from Mystery shopping (At Cauvery Emporium, Hubbali) 19
4. Insights from Participatory Observation (At NIFT, Bengaluru) 20
5. Passive observation through shadowing 20
Segmentation 21
Demographic segmentation 21
Psychographic segmentation 21
Geographical segmentation 21
Behavioural segmentation 22
3. Marketing Audit 22
Brand Identity: 22
Sales and Marketing 23
Digital communications 23
Pricing 24
Touchpoints 26
Environmental applications 26
4. Case Study 28
Bhadohi Carpets 28
 1. Who are they? 28
2. What does their brand stand for? 28
3. What market of audience do they cater to? 28
4. What strengths do they have? 29
5. What weaknesses do they have? 30
6. What are their modes of selling/cultivating customers? 30
7. How do they position themselves ? 30
8. What is their financial condition? 30
9. Mission, tagline, advertising themes. 30
10. Symbols, meaning, shape, colour, typography, look and feel. 31
11. Online Presence 31
12. Naming system for products 32
5. SWOT: 33
6. Key Insights / Gap Analysis 33
Define- Clarifying Strategy 34
1. Core Values and Brand Attributes 34
2. Brand Pillars 35
Purpose: 35
Differences: 35
Value 36
Execution 37
1. How do you demonstrate your benefits? 37
3. Positioning Statement 37
4. Brand Brief 37
1. Core Purpose/ Mission statement: To empower the artisans to tell stories
and showcase the rich culture of Navalgund to an international audience. 37
2. Target Audience: 37
3. Value Proposition: 39
4. Values: 39
5. Personality: 39
6. Touch points: 39
Develop- Designing identity, Creating touchpoints 40
1. Brand Logo: 40
2. Typography: 42
3. Colour: 42
Deliver- Managing assets 42
Conclusion 43
Abstract
This study develops comprehensive guidelines that integrate the historical value of the craft
with the sense of pride in ownership and belongingness. Descriptive research with data
collection methods like Observational, case study, etc. were applied in order to gain insights
regarding the existing brand image of the craft. This further helped in establishing new
positioning of the brand that aided in coming up with a new identity. The study concluded
with a guide that would aid all stakeholders in effective brand communication.

Key Words
Geographical indication, Navalgund Dhurries, Karnataka, Brand Identity, 4D Branding
model, Positioning.

Introduction
Traditional handicrafts appear to have dominated human society's social and economic life
since the dawn of humanity. These not only demonstrated service to the essential
requirements of everyday living, but also served as a means of self-expression that exhibited
a deliberate appreciation of aesthetics.

Geographical Indication

India has one of the highest growth rates in the world. India contributed to the development
of the emerging intellectual property known as Geographical Indication. The overall number
of geographic indications is rising each year. Manufacturers, farmers, craftspeople, and other
people were quite receptive to the idea of GI. The GIs play a crucial role in safeguarding and
promoting the state's biological and cultural variety in addition to assisting the state in
maintaining the distinctiveness of its products.

Navalgund Dhurries

The Navalgund Durries, also known as "jamkhana" in Kannada, is a generational craft being
forwarded from mother-in-laws to daughter-in-laws as a legacy. The craft is not directly
taught to their daughters as after marriage they would go away to another family.
These durries were initially made by a group of weavers of Bijapur who used to live in the
Jumkhaan Gulli during the reign of Ali Adil Shah. As a result of the war between the Adil
Shahs and the Vijayanagar empire, the Jumkhaan weavers sought a safe place to pursue their
trade, and so migrated to Navalgund, initially to trade in pearls but later settled down in the
town, established looms and wove durries
Traditional Muslim women of the Sheikh Sayeed community were confined to their homes,
and hence this craft became their exclusive culture and a means at home to make a living.
This type of durrie is not made at any other [Link] one time, there were 75 women working
on this craft, but due to lack of facilities and poor returns, now only 20 women are engaged in
the weaving of these rugs. Today, the craft has been taken over by the Government of India
and a handful of interested weavers, regardless of their religion and community, can obtain
training. The interested women are often trained in the Navalgund marketplace for a few
hours everyday and upon completion of the training, they are certified as artisans and are
provided with ID cards.

Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study is to study the existing brand of the “Navalgund Dhurries” craft in
order to ascertain the organisation’s current brand identity and to derive the intended
personality, thereby measuring the gaps and making suggestions to fill them through identity
and communication design interventions.

Implications
The implications of the study is that it will provide a guide for those responsible for the
marketing and sales of these dhurries to be able to establish a brand identity through
thought-out communication design collateral. It will also give scope for collaborations with
other brands for wider reach and awareness.

Originality/Value
This paper is one of its kind as it suggests interventions to enhance the communication of an
authentic GI tagged handicraft to be able to position its values better, while keeping its
essence intact.
Review of Literature
(Pani and Pradhan, 2017; 1149-1158) have presented a model of Buying Behaviour of
Handicraft products:
● Consumer’s behavioural attitude towards the product has a significant relationship on
behavioural intention.
● Consumers perceive subjective norms have a positive effect on behavioural intention.
● Consumers perceive consumption status to have a positive effect on behavioural
intention.
● Cultural Motivation factors have a positive effect on behavioural intention.
● Consumer’s demographic factors have a positive effect on behavioural intention.
● Consumers' behavioural intention has a positive effect on buying behaviour.

(Sharma and Kulhari 2015) pointed out that Geographical indicators are distinguishing marks
or names that are typically owned collectively and can be used to distinguish products based
on their specific qualities and place of origin. Geographical indication products need to be
protected and promoted for social, economic, and cultural reasons. It supports and develops
entire communities while helping to cultivate and strengthen important skills and traditions.
To pinpoint the crucial elements influencing the efficacy of their marketing approach, a
review of a select few GI products that have found success in India and other foreign markets
was conducted. The following were some crucial elements:
1. Proper organisation structure and control
2. Well defined and monitored production process
3. Strict quality control and tracking
4. Creation of a strong brand identity for the GI, in addition to individual brand names
5. Well recognized logos and symbols
6. Investment in brand building and market expansion
7. Focus on building customer engagement and brand associations in addition to
awareness
8. Steps for legal protection

Before formulating a marketing strategy, it is important to understand the gaps and

challenges faced by producers/farmers/artisans and traders in leveraging market
opportunities. This was done through extensive stakeholder consultations and circulation of
questionnaires across product categories in different regions of India. Some of the key
marketing challenges and Issues were identified as follows-

1. GI status not exploited post registration.

2. Limited Consumer Awareness of GI
3. Lack of initiatives in building brands and visibility
4. Misuse of GI name
5. Lack of formal organisation structures and/or control mechanisms
6. Lack of producer/artisan database
7. Low Share in value chain for producer
8. Uncertainty and price risk
9. Lack proper monitoring of quality and compliance
10. Identification of markets and information on market trends Low level of online
presence/e-marketing initiatives
11. Need for financial support for marketing
12. Limited production capacity
13. Requirement of support in form of space, equipment, R&D, Technical and Design
Inputs

A uniform branding plan cannot be put into practise without some degree of standardisation.
Absolute standardisation and strict controls on every area, on the other hand, can undermine
the incentives for innovation in addition to being challenging to achieve in a situation of
communal ownership. It is necessary to take a middle road that enables all authorised users of
a specific GI product to benefit from a shared identity while also having the freedom to
differentiate within this common identity. It is essential that several crucial elements
connected to the originality and quality of the GI product be standardised and closely
followed in order for a shared identity to form and have some meaning. In such a case, it is
advised to use the GI brand as an endorser brand for each of the various product brands
created by the approved users. An endorser brand is one that gives the primary brand
credibility and substance.

The GI brand must be created as a trustworthy and preferred brand for the relevant product
category with distinct and differentiated positioning for this strategy to be effective, as has
been done by Darjeeling Tea and Kota Doria. The GI brand's primary value proposition and
target market must first be identified. The brand's name and visual identity must then be
created, and mechanisms must be put in place to verify that all items it endorses adhere to a
minimal set of requirements. Customers must then be informed about this GI brand's unique
positioning, and investments must be made to raise awareness of its symbolic significance
and visual identity.

(Yadav and Rose 2659-2665) discussed that Durrie weavers faced problems of low sale price
and poor marketability, inadequate skill, tiring job, inadequate finances and non availability
of raw materials. They also analysed that lack of adequate market outlets dampens the
enthusiasm of artisans as they also additionally pointed out different problems like finance,
lack of Govt. support and lack of availability of new designs.
. It may be concluded that lack of adequate market outlets dampens the enthusiasm of artisans
who need to be helped in terms of product design, consumer preference, latest product styles
and designs. Handicraft articles are appreciated in the overseas market, therefore, efforts
should be made to identify and explore the export market for durries.

Hong Fan (2014) discusses that Branding is a major aspect of contemporary, post industrial
society (Abankina, 2013). As such, the concept and techniques of product and corporate
branding are employed in a variety of ways, including place branding (Kavaratzis, 2009).
The 4D Place Branding Model aimed at creating a place image through conducting in-depth
research in China is specifically designed as a framework for destination marketing projects.
This also encompasses further communication processes that helps establish the brand and its
message with regards to the target audiences.
The 4D Place Branding Model also focuses on communicating a created image. This reflects
the essential role assigned to image formulation and image communication in theoretical
discussions (Kavaratzis, 2004). The 4D Place Branding Model consists of four phases:
Discover, Define, Design (re-Design) and Deliver. It was designed for general application of
place branding and as protocol that can be used as a blueprint in a variety of projects. In place
branding, a new image can be created from distinctive characteristics of the place as well as
preexisting images. The 4D Place Branding Model was used in the branding project of Tofu
Village in China, where there was a specific focus on the reinterpretation of preexisting
images and values of Shouxian Daquan village in creating the new brand. Accordingly, the
third phase of the 4D Place Branding Model involves not only Design, but also a process to
re-Design the branding strategy.

Objectives
● To analyse the current position of Navalgund Dhurries in the craft market.
● To define new positioning to create awareness in order to ensure sustenance of the
craft.

Research Design
Both Secondary and Primary data was used for the study, where the secondary data was
collected from the Geographical Indications tag application document submitted by the craft
cluster. Primary data was collected in the form of one-on-one interviews, participatory and
non-participatory observation methods. Descriptive analysis was used for the purpose of
analysis.

To simplify the flow of the study, all the steps of the Branding Process were structured under
the 4D Design Thinking framework

Process

Discover- Conducting Research

Building a brand requires business acumen and design thinking. The first priority is to
understand the organization: its mission, vision, values, target markets, corporate culture,
advantages, strengths and weaknesses, marketing strategies, and challenges for the future.
Understanding comes from various sources— from reading strategic documents and business
plans to interviewing key stakeholders. Requesting the appropriate information from a client
is the first step; it should precede interviewing of any key management or stakeholders.
Listening to the organization’s vision and strategies for the future forms the nucleus of the
creative process for a new identity.
Interviewing key people face-to-face provides invaluable insight into the voice, cadence, and
personality of an organization. Frequently, ideas and strategies that may never have been
recorded before emerge during an interview. Understanding may also be achieved by
experiencing the organization from a customer’s perspective, gaining insight from navigating
the website, and seeing how easy it is to understand the product offerings, receive a sales
pitch, or use the products. The goals are to uncover the essence of this company and to
understand how the organization fits into the larger competitive environment.

1. Understanding the Organisation:

Background Research:
Baseline information from the organization through interviews with key stakeholders and
primary research to ascertain the organization's personality.

Identified stakeholders:
1. Government of India
2. Artisans
3. People - Indian and Foreign consumers
4. Organizations/NGO’s/Trust/Institutions supporting the craft sector.
5. Industry - Management, Suppliers, Auditors, Retailers

Core Questions initially answered:

1. What business are you in?
Navalgund dhurries is a GI Tagged Handicraft cluster that produces dhurries made on
a vertical loom. It is based in Navalgund, North Karnataka. The Dhurries are used
mainly as souvenir articles and for other purposes such as decor, table mats, floor
 mats, etc.

2. What is your mission? What are your most important goals?

The mission is to increase the craft's sustenance and increase the awareness of the
brand. In addition, it expands the market for actualizing the profit which will
eventually improve the growth of the cluster and the lives of artisans.

3. How did this craft emerge?

The craft emerged from a migration that happened in the 16th Century due to a war
between the Vijayanagar empire and the kingdom of Ali Adil Shah. A group of
weavers who were based in Bijapur migrated to Navalgund and continued practising
the craft of making dhurries.
Since its inception, it has always been made by women of Navalgund, and the craft
until recently has not been taught to anybody other than married women of
Navalgund, not even the daughters of artisans- in order to preserve the craft within
their community.
4. Describe your products.
Dhurries are made mainly for
a. Floor coverings, table mats,
b. Decoration material,
c. Gifting materials for occasions such as weddings, religious gatherings, etc
d. Souvenir

The products are made out of cotton yarn. The cotton yarn is procured and outsourced for
dye. Based on the requirement of design, the dhurries are made in different colours and in
different sizes. The three main types of durries are Navalgund Jamkhan,
JaNamaz-Ja-Namaz and Guddar.

1. Navalgund Jamkhan
Warp - 3/10s cotton unbleached
Weft - 10s cotton (6 ply)
Reed - 12 ends/inch
Pick - 28 picks / inch
Size - 3’ * 5’, 9’ * 6’ and 6’ * 9’ ft
Previously people used to get Jamkhans woven of the size of their Verandahs or according to
their required sizes as they were mainly used as Floor covering for special occasions in the
house like marriage functions, etc.

2. Ja-Namaz-Ki-Namaz
Warp - 3/10s cotton unbleached
Weft - 10s cotton (6 ply)
Reed - 12 ends/inch Pick - 28 picks / inch
Size - 2’* 4’ ft.
A prayer mat, which is used only by the Muslim community. In Urdu Ja-namaaz means a
place for worshipping God. It is generally decorated with geometrical floral motifs but no
animal or bird figure in it.

3. Guddar
Warp - 3/10s cotton unbleached
Weft - 10s cotton (6 ply)
Reed - 12 ends/inch
Pick - 28 picks / inch
Size - 18’ * 9’ ft
This is the third type of floor covering as well as a covering for stored grains and is woven by
different a group of weavers in Navalgund, which has got no connection with Jamkhan
weavers. To make a guddar 9” broad and 18” long stripes are stitched together. This fabric is
warp faced and patterns in stripes are made using different colours in the warp.

Recently, however, the scope has increased and Navalgund durries are found to be used in
more ways than the above mentioned ones. Additionally, the designs and sizes can be
customised as the artisans are fully equipped to do so.

The colours of the dhurrie are vibrant. Dhurries used to comprise vibrant, loud colours but
recently, they have taken a minimal look with the base being largely neutral colours - mostly
being and the designs are weaved in a wide variety of colours.

The popular designs weaved are:

1. Mor (peacock)
2. Badi Ghari (zigzag diamond shape with double edge)
3. Nanhi Ghari (zigzag diamond shape with single edge)
4. Char mor (Four peacock motif)
5. Bada Phool (geometric flower)
6. Pagadi Aata (game of ludo)

5. Who is your target market?

The market is generic to the Indian audience. Since it is a handicraft product, it
attracts craft enthusiasts all across the globe.

6. How do you want to be perceived by each audience?

a. To feel the authenticity of the dhurries
b. To be aware that it is a traditional and handcrafted product with historical
significance.
c. Sustainable, durable, and customizable..

7. What is the competitive advantage?

The uniqueness of the product lies in the production of dhurrie. It is the only dhurrie
that is made on a vertical loom in India, and hence is categorized as “handicraft” and
not as a “handloom”. In addition, it is a historical product that has been made since
the 16th century.

Usually no two dhurrie designs are exactly alike nor does one end of the dhurrie
necessarily tally with the design at the other end. All these designs are intuitively
woven by the artisans without the use of any guidelines- they are directly transferred
from their mind to the loom.
This gives each dhurrie a particularly human as well as individual touch.

8. Who are your competitors?

The direct competitors are dhurries which are made in power looms and indirect
competitors will include other dhurries which focus mainly on utility.

9. How do you market your products?

The Navalgund dhurries are a part of an organised craft sector under the Indian
 government issued as a GI Tagged product. However, they operate in an unstructured
distribution and marketing channel. The marketing is done mainly by word of mouth,
exhibitions, Instagram, website, and through Karnataka state emporiums.

10. Do you think the business is economically profitable?

The craft is unable to meet the demand in the market because of poor management
which in turn affects in procuring of raw materials, necessary funding, and orders of
dhurries.

11. What values and beliefs unify artisans to practise this craft?
The essence of tradition embedded in this craft and the will to keep this craft alive.

12. What are the potential barriers to the craft?

a. Awareness
i. There is a lack of channels of awareness/communication of the craft
cluster as currently, word of mouth is the one most prominent
communication.
ii. Dhurries do not have a brand identity of their own.
iii. All the artisans are women who face major difficulties in travelling to
exhibitions and communicating with the audience due to language
barriers.
iv. There is a lack of awareness of cultural and historical significance
among the general public.
b. Marketing
i. There is no efficient marketing framework to sell the dhurries.
ii. The marketing system which was implemented years back has failed to
meet the current standards.
iii. The dhurries find it hard to market themselves as utility products.
iv. They don’t have a specified market positioning.
v. Lack of proper packaging or distinguishable collaterals
c. Distribution channel
d. Management.
 13. If you could communicate a single message about the craft, what would it be?
“Navalgund dhurries are the only thing we are proud about and we want it to sustain
forever”.

2. Market Research

Qualitative Research

1. Findings from one-on-one interviews with artisans (Akkamma)

a. Artisans are proud of their dhurries and strongly believe in developing the
market.
b. Dhurries are not limited to India and some are exported to other countries
based on custom orders.
c. Artisans find it hard to market their products.
d. There is a communication barrier.
e. There is less recognition of the authenticity of dhurrie even though it is GI
Tagged
f. The artisans make products of standard varieties as well as customised orders.
g. They connect with customers through WhatsApp for custom orders and
reorders from previous clients.
h. There are only 2 out of 15 artisans who can coordinate participation in
exhibitions to display dhurries. This limitation arises mainly due to the
language and literacy barrier which exists among other artisans.
i. The artisans are not concerned about the resale of dhurries. They feel like they
can't do anything about it.
j. Their products don’t reflect any authenticity or any mark that justifies their
value.
k. Trade fairs are the main mode for attracting new customers for the craft.
l. Artisans supply their business cards to the customers, however, the visiting
cards are printed only in Kannada.
m. The township of Navalgund does not brand the craft cluster.
2. Findings from one-on-one interview with store manager (Mr. Ramesh)
a. The dhurries are sold in Cauvery outlets in all major cities. There is a stable monthly
demand and more quantities of fast moving variants are sent to the respective stores
accordingly- directly from Navalgund.
b. Bangalore- MG Road store is the outlet that makes the most sales- almost above
50-60k pm.
c. Navalgund Dhurries are sold exclusively in Cauvery emporium outlets as production
is done only in 2 craft complexes/kendras in Navalgund.
d. There is an online store called [Link] but it only has a limited number of
designs. The whole inventory isn’t uploaded.
e. There is no control over re-selling of dhurries as people make custom orders
according to their requirements and sell them wherever they want to.
f. The GI tag is supposed to be present on the products.
g. Any design can be customised- sending a picture of the design is enough.
h. Char-mor is the bestselling design
i. Most custom orders are in bulk and at least 5 extra pieces are manufactured for every
bulk order in order to create a buffer in case of damages.
j. International orders are usually by people who are either visiting the store themselves
or having a friend collect the dhurries for them. There hasn’t been any direct
international shipments.
k. Not all showrooms have stock of bigger dhurries as they are highly priced.
l. Only 1-2 small fully coloured dhurries are displayed occasionally- in order to save
them from getting dirty/ collecting dust.

3. Insights from Mystery shopping (At Cauvery Emporium, Hubbali)

a. The store sells multiple items other than Navalgund Dhurries
b. There is no specific/ strategically assigned space for displaying Dhurries
c. There are no set channels of communication between different branches of the
emporium as the manager was unaware of the availability of larger sized dhurries in
stores located in different cities.
d. The most fast moving products in the store were Agarbattis, perfumes and Mysore
Rosewood panels.
e. Charmor and Pagad are the most popular designs
 f. There is no internal facility to ship dhurries even across major cities.

4. Insights from Participatory Observation (At NIFT, Bengaluru)

a. The artisans were unable to verbally communicate with their audience in any other
language other than Kannada.
b. Artisans sold the dhurries by mentioning about the history and the unique way in
which dhurries are made.
c. Artisans found it hard to arrange and display their dhurries in the given space.
d. Artisans were efficiently unable to convey the aesthetic importance of the dhurrie.
e. Some customers bought the dhurries for souvenir purposes.
f. Customers were skeptical about the usability of the dhurrie.
g. Customers don’t associate with the traditional value of the dhurrie and hesitate to pay
the price.

5. Passive observation through shadowing

User 1:
Name: D. Das
Age: 26
Occupation: Student/Freelancer
Place: Bangalore, India
Purchase Channel: Trade fair
Observations:
1. The user used it as a mat on the chair.
2. Bought it for aesthetic purposes.
3. Over a period of time it accumulated dirt that the user had to discard.
4. The user was unsure whether to wash the dhurrie or not since it had dye on it.
5. The user never mentioned it to his fellow members about the product.

User 2:
Name: P. Pramanik
Age: 73
Occupation: Housewife
Place: Kolkata, India
Purchase Channel: Word of mouth and Cauvery emporium
Observations:
1. She knows the value of dhurrie because she has seen dhurries on an
International forum.
2. The dhurries are used as a central piece in the living room.
3. She flaunts the dhurrie to the visitors.
4. She is aware of the authenticity of the craft
5. She was very glad to own it.

Segmentation

Demographic segmentation

a. Age: 25 to 65 years
b. Gender: No specification
c. Ethnicity: Indian audience
d. Income: 6 lac pa+
e. Education level : Minimum under graduation
f. Occupation: White collar job, An occupation that makes the user well
educated.
g. Marital status: Not significant

Psychographic segmentation

a. Lifestyle: Creative, Wealthy, Culturally rooted

b. Social Status: Middle, upper class
c. Interests: Travel, Home decor, craft, Indian culture
d. Values: Sustainability, slow-living, tradition,
e. Personality: globally inclined, eclectic

Geographical segmentation

a. Region: India and other developed countries

b. Topography: colder regions
 Behavioural segmentation

a. Purchase behaviour: occasion oriented, once/twice for life, decorative, gifting

and utility purposes
b. Benefits sought: Aesthetic enhancement, insulation and tactile experiential,
Purchase attitude: historical significance

3. Marketing Audit

Brand Identity:
1. Identities - Navalgund dhurries have no concrete brand identity.

2. Signatures, Marks, and logotypes

This is the existing brand signature. However, it is not reflected in

any of the collaterals or on the dhurrie.

3. Names - Navalgund durries

4. Product names
Based on Size:
a. Navalgund Jamkhan
b. Ja-Namaaz
c. Guddar
d. Navalgund dhurries

Based on pattern
1. Badi Ghari - Zigzag diamond shape with double edge.
2. Nanhi Ghari - Zigzag diamond shape with single edge.
3. Laheri - Geometrical pattern like a wave.
4. Phul - Geometrical flower.
5. Bel (bael) - Creeper pattern with zigzag edge.
6. Chinda - Vertical stripes.
 7. Chunnat - Twill diamonds with extra weft.
8. Mor (Navelu) – Peacock
9. Dhara - Horizontal stripes.
10. Pagadi Aata – Board of Traditional

Sales and Marketing

1. Advertising campaigns - Exhibition collaterals.
2. Annual reports - [Link]

Digital communications
1. Website
The Navalgund dhurries doesn’t have any website on their own. They have their dhurries
present in other websites like blogs and third party sellers.
2. Banners
3. Blogs
4. Social networks
The Navalgund dhurries doesn’t have a facebook presence on their own. They have their
dhurries present in other accounts

Fig : Indian fabric treat - facebook Fig : Fable folks - Facebook

Instagram:

Fig : navalgund dhurries - instagram

The Instagram account was initiated by the students of NIFT, Bengaluru. It hasn’t been active
lately.

Whatsapp: Other than these, the artisans give out their visiting cards during exhibitions and
get orders on their whatsapp directly.

Existing Visiting card

Pricing
The price split up is as follows:
The split up isn’t definite and depends entirely upon the size of the dhurrie - for instance, for
a small 2ft x 2ft the sales price is 800, where 350 will be the cost of the raw materials and 450
will be the cost of labour. While a 8ft x 15ft dhurrie, the largest size they offer, is priced at
15,000 where 7,000 will be the cost of labour; 4000 will be the cost of raw materials and
another 4000 for the additional labour. In case of customisation, the prices are negotiated
between the person placing the order and the artisans or the manager.

Sl no Size (feet) Popular Usage Price(INR)

1. 4ft x 7ft Floor covering, yoga mat 4500

2. 5ft x 7ft Floor covering 5500

3. 3ft x 6ft Sofa covers 3500

4. 2ft x 2ft Floor mats 800

5. 1.25ft x 1.5ft Floor mats 600

6. 6ft x 12ft Floor carpet 13,500

7. 6ft x 10ft Floor carpet 11,000

8. 2ft x 4ft Floor mats, wallpaper hanging, prayer mats 1600

9. 2ft x 6ft Sofa covers, wall hanging, yoga mat 2500

10. 2ft x 5ft Sofa covers, wall hanging 2200

11. 1.5ft x 1.5ft Floor mats, wall hanging 500

Touchpoints
1. Packaging - The packaging of the product is done using regular paper envelopes.
They don’t have any branding identities on the packaging.
2. Visual Merchandising - Other than exhibitions, the dhurries are mostly sold in stores
that sell multiple crafts- for eg. Cauvery emporium. These stores do not have specific
visual merchandising to make the craft/ product stand out.

Environmental applications

1. Craft centre Interior (Jamkhaan Kendra)

2. Store interiors (Cauvery Emporium)
4. Case Study

Bhadohi Carpets

1. Who are they?

Bhadohi carpets is a fine hand-woven rugs company. It is near Varanasi, Uttar

Pradesh. They are a GI tagged industry. Apart from GI tag, they have other
international certifications such as:
1. dun&bradstreet certification
2. Goodweave License certificate
3. Certification from Federation of Indian Export Organisations

2. What does their brand stand for?

a. The Bhadohi carpets are one of the best quality maintained and is known for
its excellence in unmatched style and distinctive grace
b. Brand Personality
i. Physique: Bold Logo , Fine handwoven rugs, GI tagged,
ii. Relationship: Sophisticated, Trendy and bold
iii. Reflection: Well off, Educated, Urban people
iv. Personality: Energetic, Young and luxurious
v. Culture: Modern, Traditional roots. State of the art quality
vi. Self image : Proud, Culturally uplifted, eclectic
c. Domain
i. Handicraft
ii. Aesthetically important
iii. Decoration material
iv. Souvenir product
v. Culturally significant

3. What market of audience do they cater to?

a. Demographic segmentation
Age: 25 to 65 years
Gender: No specification
 Ethnicity: Global audience
Income: 12 lac pa+
Education level : Minimum under graduation
Occupation: White collar job, An occupation that makes the user well
off.
Marital status: Not significant

b. Psychographic segmentation
i. Lifestyle: Maximalist, Creative, Wealthy
ii. Social Status: Upper class
iii. Interests: Travel, Culture, Home decor, craft enthusiasts, antique
collectors
iv. Income: Upper middle class to High class
v. Values: Community, slow-living, tradition
vi. Personality: globally inclined, eclectic

c. Geographical segmentation
i. Region: India and other developed countries
ii. Topography: colder regions

d. Behavioural segmentation
i. Purchase behaviour: occasion oriented, once/twice for life, decorative
and utility purposes
ii. Benefits sought: Aesthetic enhancement, insulation and tactile
experiential,
iii. Purchase attitude: historical significance

4. What strengths do they have?

a. Unmatched style
b. Diverse variety in designs
c. Different sizes
d. Strong Social media presence
e. Authenticity
 5. What weaknesses do they have?
a. Lack of interest of young people in the craft industry.
b. Lack of coordination between government bodies and private players
c. Lack of technical advancement in production.

6. What are their modes of selling/cultivating customers?

a. Social media
b. Exhibitions
c. Print media
d. Trade fairs
e. Talk shows
f. Craft Expo

7. How do they position themselves ?

For decorators, craft enthusiasts, homemakers and general audience, Badohi carpets
are the rugs and carpets that will serve as a utility/ souvenir material so they can enjoy a sense
of luxury, culture and aesthetic value.

8. What is their financial condition?

Good, stable

9. Mission, tagline, advertising themes.

Vision/mission: The combination of experience and youth, the hard work and perseverance of the
team .in weaving many success stories to make Bhadohi Carpets a new benchmark of innovation.
Advertising themes and messaging: Since 1989, Bhadohi Carpets takes pride in being the most
elaborate manufacturing units of Fine Hand-woven Carpets.
Tagline: Fine Handwoven Rugs
10. Symbols, meaning, shape, colour, typography, look and feel.

11. Online Presence

 1. They have a strong imagery throughout their social media presence.
2. They focus on reels on instagram in order to stay up with the latest trendsand drive
more audience into their business.
3. Consistency is observed throughout their instagram handle which is highly required
for that platform.
4. In the website, the products are promoted with their USP, i.e their unmatched designs.
5. The products are categorised properly on their website.
6. They have been constantly a part of various events and have been mentioned in
international magazines. These events and news are properly documented on their
website which shows their international presence.
7. Designs on the carpets are shown prominently everywhere and have been used as the
selling point.

12. Naming system for products

Naming of the products sounds very modern and globally oriented. It is based on the
designs.
5. SWOT:

6. Key Insights / Gap Analysis

1. Dhurries aren't positioned in any specific way to increase sales. Need to position the
dhurries as not only as authentic, traditional handcrafted, durable, sustainable but also
customizable
2. There is a need for Brand awareness to increase sustenance.
3. There is a need to narrow the scope of the Target market.
5. Need to position unique factors:
a. Only handcrafted dhurries made on a vertical loom.
b. No two dhurrie designs are exactly alike; each dhurrie has a unique and human touch.
c. The weavers do not use any reference to remember the patterns and motifs.
6. There is a lack of visual and informational/infographic collaterals to facilitate distribution
and marketing
7. The essence of tradition embedded in this craft needs to be evident in the brand
8. There is a lack of awareness of cultural and historical significance among the general
public
9. Lack of proper packaging and distinguishable collaterals
10. Exhibitions are the main mode of attracting new customers and 8 out of 15 artisans
cannot coordinate participation in them, due to language and literacy barriers and their
visiting cards are printed only in Kannada. Artisans also find it hard to arrange and display
their dhurries
11. There is no mark of authenticity that justifies value
12. The township of Navalgund does not brand the craft cluster
13. There is so set brand identity and communication.
14. The kendra doesn't talk about the craft at all.
15. There is no visual merchandising of Navalgund dhurries even at places of high sales
potential
16. The little existing collaterals like banners, visiting cards, etc. Are all in Kannada
17. There is no packaging design that speaks about the craft.

Interventions areas:
1. Awareness
2. Positioning
3. Brand identity/communication

Define- Clarifying Strategy

This step involves both methodical examination and strategic imagination. It is about
analysis, discovery, synthesis, simplicity, and clarity. This combination of rational thinking
and creative intelligence characterizes the best strategies, which go where others have not.

1. Core Values and Brand Attributes

● Simplicity, Natural design- Simplified geometric nature inspired motifs
 ● Aesthetic appeal
● Encourages artistic and Creative Expression- Customizable, they don’t use a
guide, Individuality- each dhurrie is unique- human touch
● Cultural Influence- All-women organisation, historical
● Eco-friendliness- sustainable, durable, passed from generations, mono
material,
● Global appeal- Preserving Indianness that increases appeal in the global
market

2. Brand Pillars

Purpose:

1. What is your purpose beyond making money?

Empowering women by supporting this woman run handicraft and providing
international recognition to the culture and heritage of Navalgund, Karnataka.

2. What motivates your employees?

The ability to tell their ancestral stories to the world and to keep the tradition of their
ancestors alive through this craft is the primary motivation. Moreover, as artisans, the scope
to develop this craft, create new designs and diversify the product also encourages them to
pursue this craft.

3. What gets you out of bed in the morning?

The craft is such that the artisans are not required to overly exert themselves and this
encourages women of all ages to work. Apart from this, the women prefer working indoors in
a relatively cooler environment thus urging them to work at the Kendra.

Differences:

1. What do you do or deliver that your competitors don't?

Navalgund durries are the only durries in India that’s woven on a vertical loom instead of a
horizontal loom, thus labelling it as a handicraft rather than handloom product. It's also
famous for its motifs.
 2. What is your unique personality?
The stories and the culture of Navalgund portrayed through these durries is unique to this
product. They are also the reflection of the artisan weaving it as these durries are woven
intuitively without any external tool to maintain uniformity. Hence, every durrie is unique.

3. Why should your customer choose you over the others?

The vertical loom helps in producing a thicker fabric than the horizontal loom thus the
durries, as floor mats, are more durable than the others.

Value

1. What do your customers truly need? Why?

Customers require unique, authentic and durable products that are steeped in history and have
cultural value. Customers need to experience a historical product that has retained its essence
over centuries. In addition, the customers acquire a sense of pride in owning a handmade
product.
2. What are their functional and emotional drivers?
The functions of Navalgund dhurrie are: Souvenir, table runner, sofa cover, gift, Floor mats,
Bedding mats, Prayer mats and Game mats.
Emotional drivers: The mat is deeply associated with the culture and heritage of Navalgund
and has been associated with several natives of the place. As it's a craft that’s been taught for
generations within the family, the artisans also have a deep indelible connection with it. Many
people perceive handicraft products to be something unique and rare artefact with skilful
artistry embedded in them.
3. How do you connect on a deeper level?
Through the right brand communication, the buyers can be made aware of the rich cultural
value that’s woven into the durries. By telling the tales of the durries origin, the stories of the
artisans behind it and providing an insight into the region itself, a deeper connection can be
forged. Emotional branding- induce empathy
Execution

1. How do you demonstrate your benefits?

Benefits can be demonstrated through the brand communication and other visual
infographics. (visual merchandising, flyers etc)
2. How do you consistently reinforce your position in the marketplace?
Through strong branding and communication - By maintaining a consistent brand identity
and brand voice the position in the market can be retained.
3. How do you ensure a positive customer experience?
Through enhanced sales channels and receptive customer service. The durrie itself is a low
maintenance and low involvement product. Hence the only time a customer comes in contact
with the management or sales teams during the initial sales.

3. Positioning Statement
Navalgund dhurries, a craft originated in the mughal era, is india's only GI Tagged dhurries
classified as handicraft, masterfully crafted on a vertical loom by all women artisans who
carry learned intuitive practices imbibed into them through generations by their
mother-in-laws.

They weave vibrant and simple geometric motifs that have specific innate meanings into
dhurries that are sustainable, durable and carry scope for customisation. Each of these
dhurries are one-of-a-kind and serve versatile purposes - from floor covers, home decor items
to prayer mats and game dhurries.

4. Brand Brief

1. Core Purpose/ Mission statement: To empower the artisans to tell stories and showcase the
rich culture of Navalgund to an international audience.

2. Target Audience:

Demography
Age: 25 to 65 years
Gender: No specification
Ethnicity: Global audience
 Income: 12 lac pa+
Education level : Minimum under graduation
Occupation: White collar job, An occupation that makes the user well
off.
Marital status: Not significant

Psychography
a. Lifestyle: Creative, Wealthy, outgoing, implicit expectations,
b. Social Status: Upper class
c. Interests: Travel, Culture, Home decor, art/craft/design enthusiasts, antique
collectors
d. Income: Upper middle class to High class
e. Values: Community, slow-living, tradition
f. Personality: globally inclined, eclectic

Geography
a. Region: India and other developed countries
b. Topography: colder regions

Behaviour
g. Purchase behaviour: occasion oriented, once/twice for life, decorative and
utility purposes
h. Benefits sought: Aesthetic enhancement, insulation and tactile experiential,
i. Purchase attitude: historical significance

Personas
1. Scholar- Middle aged- Craft enthusiast- collector mindset- woke- planet conscious-
charity oriented- well off: high disposable income, visit trade fairs/exhibitions and
cultural events- travel enthusiast
2. Rich, upper class homemakers- party hosts- looking for conversation starters- status
symbol- interested in interior design- collector mindset- connoisseur- tea lover- travel
enthusiast
 3. Thoughtful gifter- Knowledgeable- goes extra mile for gifting - woke - trendy -
choice based on the type of the giftee - has multiple acquaintances - people pleaser -
culturally rooted
4. Religious Practitioner (Indian Muslim)- want something that is culturally
significant - practice ramzan in style - seek value in everything - experience oriented

3. Value Proposition:

To provide an opportunity for the customers to travel back in time to

appreciate the culture and craft of Navalgund, thus imbibing a sense of pride
in keeping a craft’s essence alive.

At the core of Navalgund Dhurries are the women who have skilfully crafted
these dhurries for generations. They function through creating a culture of
warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome.

4. Values:

Culture, Community, Quality, Authenticity

5. Personality:

According to Aaker’s Brand personality model, Navalgund Dhurries will fall under
Sophistication and Sincerity since they are Earthy, hold Historic value and encourage artistic
and creative expression.

6. Touch points:

Cauvery Emporium, Kendra, Online presence, Exhibitions, Collaborations with other

enterprises.
Develop- Designing identity, Creating
touchpoints

1. Brand Logo:

The Brand Logo is inspired primarily

from Peahen. Peahen and peacock are
the prominent motifs which are used in
the Navalgund dhurries. In addition,
‘Navalgund’ means ‘Hill of peacocks’,
this is the reason the logo iterations were
focused on this motif. In particular, Peahen was chosen in order to represent the
all-women run craft. The motif was made in geometric shape taking inspiration from
the geometric patterns followed in the dhurrie. Navalgund dhurries also holds
speciality being made in vertical loom. This is incorporated in the logo by adding
vertical lines in the tail of the peahen.

Explorations:
Iterations:
 2. Typography:
Playfair display and Arial has been chosen as primary and secondary typeface
respectively. Playfair display is a serif typeface. It has been chosen to resonate with the brand
position and brand personality of sophistication and sincere. It also supports with a royal feel.
For secondary font, arial has been chosen to give a timeless feel as well as for the adaptability
nature of arail across different mediums. Arial font also gives a touch of modern feel to the
brand personality.

3. Colour:
Colour palette for the brand has been extracted from dhurries in such a way that it
reflects historical value as well as it is earthy. By choosing this way, the colours can convey a
sense of history that the handcrafted culture that has been rooted to navalgund for centuries.
In addition, earthy choices will convey that the products made are handcrafted with human
touch and free from machine produced product.

Deliver- Managing assets

Collaterals for each touchpoint:

 1. Cauvery Emporium- Visual Merchandising, Display, Packaging
2. Kendra- Infographics
3. Online presence- Social media marketing
4. Exhibitions- Banners, Flyers, Standee, Portable display stand
5. Collaborations with other enterprises.

Conclusion
The study conducted to analyse the existing brand image in order to understand the gap areas
was further extended to exploring the intended identity of the brand by establishing a new
positioning. The findings of the study were used to create a brand identity that clearly panned
out guidelines in order to be able to make clear communications.
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