Clovia's Rajeswar Rao on the changing face of lingerie marketing in India

The Indian lingerie market size reached $4.9 billion in 2023, as per a report by IMARC Group, which expect the market to reach $10.9 billion by 2032, garnering a growth rate (CAGR) of 9.32% during 2024-2032.

Prior to the advent of e-commerce and D2C platforms, lingerie shopping in the offline retail space has never been a comfortable experience for women. Often manned by salesmen, the options and range had been limited. However, with time, lingerie has become an important high fashion category.

One of the fast rising brand in the lingerie category has been Clovia. Clovia began its journey by addressing women’s lingerie needs and offering a wide array of high-fashion lingerie styles at affordable prices. With over 1,000 styles available in 50+ sizes for 9 Indian body types, Clovia has become synonymous with lingerie variety.

Building upon this success, Clovia is now expanding to products catering to women’s hygiene & personal care needs. Through thorough research and surveys, the innovation team at Clovia developed Skivia, a range of skincare, haircare, and body care products. After being loved by 50 lakh women, as per the company’s website, Clovia expanded into men’s innerwear and kid’s nightwear categories, leading to the genesis of John Player and Clovia Cubs.

In conversation with Adgully, Rajeswar Rao, Vice President - Digital Marketing, Clovia, shares insights into the brand’s approach to consumer sentiment and marketing strategies. As one of India’s leading lingerie and sleepwear brands, Clovia is witnessing a surge in consumer enthusiasm. This year, the brand has been focusing on a blend of value-driven products, exclusive partnerships, and a thoughtful marketing strategy to cater to the evolving needs of customers, especially during the festive season. Rao also delves into the brand’s festive campaign initiatives, budget allocation across media platforms, and the importance of enhancing the shopping experience to make the festive season more special for Clovia’s customers.

Sharing his observation on the overall consumer and market sentiment, Rao said, “Traditionally, this time of year sees heightened spending across the country, and we’re noticing a significant surge in both online shopping and foot traffic at retail stores. Consumer sentiment has been noticeably upbeat, driven by the excitement around festive sales, attractive discounts, and special promotions across both e-commerce platforms and physical retail stores.”

Speaking about the festive season, he remarked, “While excitement around shopping remains high, we are seeing consumers become more discerning and value-conscious in their purchase decisions. The modern shopper is not just looking for attractive discounts, but is also seeking products that offer durability, quality, and long-term value. They’re more informed, with access to reviews, product comparisons, and a variety of options at their fingertips. As a result, at Clovia, we are catering to this demand by ensuring that our products – whether it’s lingerie or nightwear – balance both affordability and high quality.

Elaborating on the marketing strategy for this year, Rao highlighted Clovia’s commitment towards enhancing the customer experience through exclusive partnerships and carefully curated collections, complemented by thoughtful festive discounts that resonate with the growing trend of intentional shopping.

He added, “Through strategic collaborations, we’re enhancing the shopping journey by adding interesting elements such as exclusive products and special offers, making the experience both convenient and exciting for our customers. These partnerships help us create a distinctive shopping environment that aligns with the festive spirit, offering something special and memorable.”

Rao stressed that the brand’s ultimate goal is to make festive shopping seamless and enjoyable. “By guiding each customer through personalized recommendations and intuitive shopping experiences, we aim to help them find their perfect fit,” he added.

As far as the campaign strategy is concerned, Rao informed that Clovia strives to bring something extra special to its patrons every season. “This year is no exception as we aim to add more joy, comfort, and confidence to our customers’ lives. We recently partnered with MyGlamm, a popular beauty and skincare brand, to celebrate the spirit of Navratri. Customers who visited select Clovia stores enjoyed complimentary beauty makeovers from MyGlamm and received special gifts from us. We are also offering free mehendi during Karwa Chauth to excite and delight our customers.”

In addition to its partnership, Clovia are offering festive offers and freebies across its website, app, and offline stores. The brand’s festive campaign featured a minimum of 50% discount on its extensive range of lingerie, sleepwear, and activewear. Rao said that this initiative not only made Clovia’s our products more accessible, but also encourages the customers to indulge in self-care and refresh their wardrobes for the festivities ahead.

Adding further, Rao said, “As video consumption increases during the festive times, we create a significant amount of video content to promote through channels like YouTube and Instagram. This approach helps us maintain visibility and engagement while positioning ourselves for future conversions. Also, to mitigate the effects of the rising costs of CPC during the festive season, we shift a certain percentage of our budget towards awareness campaigns to build top-of-funnel engagement, allowing us to retarget these audiences in the following months for conversion.”

Also Read: Reliance Retail Ventures acquires 89% stake in Clovia business for Rs 950 cr