Popy is the largest umbrella brand in India, selling over 200,000 umbrellas annually. Established in 1954 in Kerala, Popy helped transform umbrellas from a commodity into an interesting product line through extensive innovation, including adding colors, sizes, styles, and functionalities. Popy has over 140 umbrella varieties and faces competition from cheaper Chinese imports. However, Popy has strengthened its brand through continuous innovation appealing to all customer segments and building brand loyalty.

2. Introduction
Popy is the market leader in the fiercely competitive umbrella
market in Kerala. Looking at the number of umbrellas it sold every
year, I think that Popy is largest selling umbrella brand in India.
Annually this brands sells more than 2 Lakh umbrellas.
Popy has a legacy that is associated with the rise of the product
umbrella from a staid ugly accessory to an interesting product. The
brand comes from a family that is credited with branding a product
that once was considered commodity.
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In 1954 Mr Thayyil Abraham Varghese established St George
Umbrella mart with its base in the Alleppy District of Kerala. Soon
the brand St George began aggressive marketing which made the
brand number one in the market. In 1995, the family business split
into two : Popy Umbrella mart and John's Umbrella mart. The
competition between these two companies marked the umbrella
market in Kerala - a haven of innovation and smart marketing.

4. × The brand Popy ( also Johns) is more interesting because it was
able to make the product from a lousy dull product to a lifestyle
product through sheer innovation. The brands made innovations
that are aimed at all segments of customers be it kids, young
customers or older ones.
× Despite these innovations and smart marketing, the brand faces
issues from the entry of cheap umbrellas from China. These can
take away the mass market from Poppy because mass market is
price sensitive and the product is seasonal. The life of umbrellas
are less than 2 years and customers may not be brand loyals. Both
Popy and Johns are on an overdrive to build the brand equity so as
to sustain the imminent price war.
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5. × These innovations also has helped the brand to
command a premium over the usual black ones.
The brand comes in different price range from Rs
59 to Rs 35000. Popy has tie- up with Futai
umbrellas of Taiwan mainly for the sourcing of
cloth. The brand has more than 140 varieties of
umbrellas in the market.
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Umbrella market is a highly seasonal one ( not a big discovery from
my part !) and selling a seasonal product is any marketers nightmare
because he may have to sell all the inventory during the season and
also device methods to tide over the seasonality factor also. On the
top of it, the product category was considered a commodity.
But Popy and Johns did wonders in the market. These brands made
brands out of commodity through sheer innovation. But Popy got a
head start with its successful campaign that caught the attention of
the consumers. The popular Malayalam jingle " Mazha mazha kuda
kuda mazha vannal popy kuda" became an instant hit in the market.

7. ADVERTISEMENT
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8. 2000 tv
advertisment.
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10. 2008 tv
advertisment
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2010 tv
advertisement

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14. 2012 tv
advertisement
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16. 2011 tv
advertisement
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18. 2018 tv
advertisement
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comparison
 First advertisement mainly focus on the students but later on
their advertisement also focus on adults.
 Every ad they try to concentrate on company iconic songs but
later on they shifted their focus on conversation mode to convey
the product specification.
 They try to shift focus technology driven umbrella making
which was change a new concept in umbrella industry.
Ex: navigation system .

21.  The popular malayalam jingle " Mazha mazha kuda
kuda mazha vannal popy kuda" became an instant hit in
the market.
 They mainly focus on children in advertisement for
attracting school students .
 In early advertisements they mainly add songs for
attracting customers ,then they change to technical
aspects and new trends in umbrella making.
 In 2016 onwards they focus on new demographic and
sell two fold ,three fold, Nano ..etc in umbrella making.
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22.  On the marketing front also the brands have carefully
segmented the market according to the age and
demographical variables and innovated to suit their needs.
For example, one of the common problems faced by lady
commuters is the problem they face with the closing of
umbrella when they board a bus. The auto-close umbrella
will close the umbrella with the click of a button. Also the
brands come out with another umbrella that will resist heavy
wind. For the older ones, the brand has umbrella that double
as a walking stick. These small but customer centric
innovations have kept the product an exciting one.
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23. × If I have to write all the innovations, it will take two blog
posts because that is the extent of innovations that these
brands have done. This season the brand has come out with a
Laser umbrella aimed at kids.
× Some of the innovations are include auto-open/close
umbrellas, walking stick like umbrellas,5 fold ones,
umbrellas with steel rims water gun umbrellas for kids,
umbrella with torch, umbrella that is too small in the size of
a Ray Ban?, umbrella that has UV protection, umbrella in
different colors etc.
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24. Thanks!
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