Group Assignment 1

Company:Transcom;SBU: Furniture

There are many furniture manufacturer companies now in Bangladesh manufacturing world class furniture and they are
already exporting across the world. Bangladeshi furniture is now appreciated globally due to the quality, design and
affordable prices of these collections. Bangladesh furniture industry seems to become another promising export line for the
country. Some most recalled brands among these mainstream manufacturers are Otobi, Hatil, Partex and Brothers. These
brands are built on different personality traits for decades and are associated with different unique images.

Otobi,is synonym with reinventing and accomplishment as if there is no limit and no restraints. This sense of freedom
manifests itself in innovative product designs and business strategies. Strait from nature is another node that Otobi recently
is focusing on. To support their positioning, they have designed an innovative recruitment procedure to ensure the system
is unbiased, enabling real talent to enter the company to make Otobi the greatest creative organization in the world. The
Brandwas born in 1975 and since then started out with passion and creativity and always have believed in inside Otobi
Ideas. The spirit of independence –the spirit of countless Otobians –will keep Otobi alive for years to come. “Keep
reinventing” is Otobi’s new tagline, working as a constant reminder that we set our own standards only to break them over
and over again. The idea is to challenge our own limits in order to surprise consumers consistently in terms of product
design and variety, as well as ensure we are motivated ourselves. Though Otobi started its journey with office furniture, it
now is a strong name in household collections including nursery furnies. Otobi uses creative experience based
communications mainly that supports their positioning. Some of their recent campaign includes ‘office interior alive’ for
their office range and ‘ SuddhotarShuddhotay’ for their timber household collection, which was a critically acclaimed.

HATIL stands for elegant, contemporary, and affordable furniture. HATIL is synonymous with superior quality, credibility,
craftsmanship, and post sales service as well. HATIL is a cherished and trusted household brand for every homemaker in
Bangladesh. HATIL creates trends that others love to follow. HATIL traces its root in H.A. Timer Industries Ltd., a company
established in 1966 by late Al-Haj HabiburRahman. Following the avenues of H.A. Timber, HATIL was established in 1989
by Selim H Rahman, a veteran and visionary leader in the furniture industry of Bangladesh. HATIL’s 47 years of
accumulated experience in wood processing and furniture manufacturing ensures that HATIL furniture are aesthetically
pleasing, functionally superior, and durable. The unique design themes of HATIL ensure that our designs remain trendy
over years to come. To give the customer the best possible quality, HATIL has been practicing Japanese quality management
philosophy “Kaizen” since 2007. HATIL is committed to excellence in everything it does and takes pride in being the
pioneer in using FSC Certified wood and installing environmental protection measures. We care for our customers, our
environment,our employees, and our society. Their recent campaigns were launched with the slogans of “ Hatil, a name that
has earned your trust.’ and “ amader furniture apnaderbujhe” accordingly.

Partex Star Group is one of the largest Bangladeshi diversified private sector enterprises. The Group, the then Partex Group,
started its journey in 1962, with the torchbearer, Mr. M.A. Hashem, the founder Chairman of the then Partex Group, an
eminent industrialist of the country. Partex Star Group owns and successfully operates twenty manufacturing, service and
trading concerns delivering best values to customers through its products and services. Our business primarily exists in two
different areas – consumer durables like different types of boards(particle board, veneer board, melamine faced chip board,
plywood, PVC sheet) doors and door frames & furniture to FMCG like dairy products, cookies, spices, etc. Our team is
dedicated to creating an enriched customer experience through a top-to-bottom focus on excellence in execution. From the
hiring of people to the selection of merchandise, the negotiations with vendors to the design of ours showrooms, the
generation of the purchase order to the delivery to our customers’ homes. A motivated work force, management and
committed board members led by the Partex Star Group Chairperson and backed by a market oriented corporate strategy
has been the cornerstone of the group’s success.Partex Furniture label has the tagline of ‘total care’. Their recent campaigns
include ‘shopnopuron with a 45% discount and Eid offer with a 18% discount.

Originated with tea plantations in 1885, TRANSCOM today is one of the leading and fastest growing diversified business
houses in the country employing over 10000 people. Not many industrial groups in Bangladesh can claim a history of
continuous business pursuits stretching back over 125 years focusing on quality. Presently this company is operating
businesses involving high-tech manufacturing (TRANSTEC), international trading and distribution(Loreal, PepsiCo,Pizza
Hut, KFC,Philips, Samsung,Whirpooletc), forming strong ties with a host of blue chip multinational companies. In recent
years, TRANSCOM has emerged as the largest media house in Bangladesh (Daily Star and ProtomAlo, ABC Radio) and
now planning to step in the furniture market by making contemporary style furniture for local and global market. The way
Arong has associated their Brand with lifestyle, Transcom wants to create a urban lifestyle for the people all over Bangladesh
who prefer trendy styles over classic but at competitive price to survive the mainstream competition in both household and
office furni market making the brand an one stop solution to trendy lifestyle. Young executives, entrepreneurs, students are
their prime demographic target but their focus is on behavioral segmentation based of preference for modern and multi-
functional designs. Designing their own furni seems to be a well demanded idea for this target segments as per research
findings. They are still to label this new SBU. You are appointed as a Brand Consultant to help them developing the brand
for this SBU.

Answer the following questions: Students are expected to collect info from brand websites and other authentic sources as
well.

1.Develop a Brand Name Logo, Symbolic Logo, Tagline and Brand Character/ Mascot (assign name, personality
traits and expressions to your brand character) for this new furni unit under Tanscom. (CH 4)
Justify your color, shape and font selection by relating those to your brand personality traits/ core brand essence and
describing how those selections shall secure the expected responses (attention, interpretation and retention of your
message through the brand elements) from your customers.
2.List a SBU (product categories) plan under your furni brand. Derive different levels (core, augmented and potential) of
your product category (any one) by mentioning different features/attributes/benefits offered at these levels. Add
minimum one product visual. (Ch 1,5)
3. List the POPs and the PODs of the mentioned competitive frame of references (Hatil, Otobi and Partex) and then
Develop POPs and PODs of your brand accordingly in a table mentioning the Straddle positioning (mention who you are
straddling with). (Ch 2)
(Ch 2)

Associations/ Nodes Hatil Otobi Partex Your Brand

Correlational POPs (if any)

PODs (mention your emotional POD as well)

4. A. Develop a Category Structure for a furni industry and highlight the product categories/lines your brand wants to to
associated with. (Ch 3)
B. Develop an interactive print ad (where the viewers will have a role to play other than just viewing the content)
showing one core and one augmented purchase considerations to build a Salience for your brand. (Ch 3)

5. A. List three Performance and two Imagery criteria under the Meaning block of Resonance Model and then highlight
the primary and secondary associations.
B. Develop an interactive print communication (where the viewers will have a role to play other than just viewing the
content) reflecting few nodes. (Ch3)