SANA SAFINAZ CASE

STUDY

Marketing Issues in Pakistan
Group
Members:
Kanza Shahab
M. Umer Qureshi
Sayem Ghofran
M. Khizar Raza
M. TalhaNoman
MaazTanveer
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Table of Contents
Opening Paragraph ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Historical Background and Company Overview .......................................................................................... 3
Industry Overview and Competitive Analysis .............................................................................................. 4
Consumer Behavior ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Market Analysis ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Challenge encountered by Sana Safinaz Fashion Resources ........................................................................ 8
Alternative Explored to deal with the problem ........................................................................................... 11
Chosen Course of Action and Result: ......................................................................................................... 13
References ................................................................................................................................................... 15


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Opening Paragraph
One fine evening, few weeks after Mr. Harris assumed his responsibility as the Head of Retail
Business in SS fashion Resources (Sana Safinaz), he wondered how to increase the consumer
base of the brand. He was quick to identify two distinct target markets: desired target consumers
(women aged 20-35) and actual target consumers (women aged 35-45). Mr. Harris knew that the
challenge ahead of him was to develop marketing strategies to actively engage the desired target
market and increase the consumer base.

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Historical Background and Company Overview
Sana Safinaz started as a private design house in 1989 and has now become one of the most
popular of ladies fashion trends. The Sana Safinaz label now operates under a registered
company known as SS Fashion Resources. The brand was founded by Sana Hashwani and
Safinaz Muneer, and their ambitions were soon realized when just a couple of years after their
launch, they had gathered so much of the market that their brand was often considered a direct
competitor for Bonanza and TeeJays (which were the top brands during the 80s and 90s). Even
in the presence of tough competition in the industry, Sana Safinaz soon showed their potential
for growth. What differentiated Sana Safinaz from the rest was their approach towards fashion;
they capitalized on the changing trends; creating a unique fusion of modern and traditional by
experimenting with various designs including old and new.
Their catalogue has expanded from Haute Couture to include Bridal Trousseau, Pret, Diffusion
and Lawn, enabling Sana Safinaz to fit into every woman's life in one way or another. There are
more than 100 different designs, which can cost anywhere between Rs.2000 to even some highly
exclusive products that sell for around Rs.50000
After seeing much success in Pakistan, Sana Safinaz has now expanded to the Europe, Middle
East and India. Some of the countrys top models present their designs in fashion weeks and
designer exhibitions to much critical and public acclaim.



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Industry Overview and Competitive Analysis
Lawn Industry of Pakistan has become the largest revenue generating product of the textile
industry with seven hundred million meters of lawn fabric purchased annually according to
Textile Links CEO FarrukhMian. Being one of the lucrative businesses in the textile industry,
lawn industry has attracted a lot of investors especially those who have already have their
footsteps in the media and designing industry, for e.g. Deepak Parwani who recently launched its
new summer collection.
With the growing middle class of urban areas, coupled with growing number of working women,
lawn industry market has been significantly benefited with these movements. Industrialists are
seeing positive future prospects in this market; moreover after bearing heavy losses due to
plunging exports of textile products, producers say that they have found a good avenue for
business. Response to the product has exceeded expectations.
In Faisalabad the textile hub of Pakistan there are approximately 380 mills that manufacture
lawn. Most manufacturers hire passionate designers to create new and individual lawn prints.
Lawn, a light cotton fabric has experienced a substantial positive impact in its sale with the
advent of summer every season because women switch to the cloth to beat the heat. Nevertheless
the alluring market promotions featuring renowned models of Pakistan certainly act as an
impetus in the growth of this industry.
Looking holistically, this industry has not only aggravated the position of textile industry in the
country. Rather impacted various sectors by extracting good number of young girls as fashion
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designers, models and make-up artists. Moreover it created humongous profit for billboards
owners, event managing firms, photo and catalogues makers and many side businesses were
regenerated with the boom of this industry.
There are an estimated 60 premium lawn brands in Pakistan, with major players in this industry
being Nishat, Sana Safinaz, Gul Ahmed, Firdous, Al-Karam, Lakhani, Bareez, Kayseria,
JunaidJamshed, Bonanza, Crescent, Kohinoor, Five Star and Sitara Lawn. Everyone is trying to
gain competitive advantage in this less differentiated industry. The strength in the competition of
marketing best lawn collections is something that has actually rendered the phrase lawn wars.
In this fashion era buyers are more towards trend conscious and for that reason they easily switch
brands.
Up until three years ago, almost every designer lawn campaign revolved around the system of
two trends, mills contracting fashion designers to lend their names and expertise for limited
designer lawn, and, inversely, designers hiring mills to print their fabric. But then since now
many designers (especially those with investment capacity) realized that there was a lot more
money to be made if they could finance their own lawn instead of designing for mills.
Sana Safinaz, lan and SaniaMaskatiya, with Sapphire Textiles, all undertook the high risk and
followed the new philosophy of designing and printing their own fabric rather than depend on
mills, which have helped these brands to become well known and more profitable in the market
than before.
With huge growth history and future potential lawn is undergoing a revolution that is influencing
the dynamic of the textile and fashion industry, whether it is textile mill and designer
collaborations, ready-to-wear lawn or the introduction of cultural diversity into prints.
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Consumer Behavior
Behavior towards a particular consumption depends on aspects which are both internal and
external towards a consumer. While internal aspects include perceptions, learning, attitudes,
motivation and personality external aspects include society, culture etc.
The Pakistani markets and consumers alike are not what they were 20-30 years ago,with the
tremendous growth observed in Pakistans designer lawn industry and also taking into account
the distinctions in the socio-economic settings of Pakistan it is only fitting to assume that the
behavior of an average consumer towards the different brands of designer lawn would have
changed.
Recent years have seen very positive changes in the demographics of Pakistan. According to the
euromonitor report on consumer lifestyle in Pakistan, increasing urbanization, education and
incomes have resulted in a change in the consumer preferences and purchasing. The greater
levels of urbanization leading to a growing urban middle class and a rising trend in number of
working and educated women have led to an increased demand of the designer lawn fabric. With
the female population now more educated and independent the demand of products and brands
appealing to the female population was bound to increase.
Sana Safinaz has taken full advantage of such. Going back to the very start where consumer
behavior a result of the perceptions each individual has of a product and these perceptions are
formed by personal experiences and attained info from friends, family etc. Sana Safinaz by
providing high levels of customer satisfaction thru delivering on their core value proposition of
stylish, trendy and most of all Unique has not just associated itself to superior quality but also
has become a consumers favorite.
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The value proposition of Sana Safinaz i.e. uniqueness of its designs is also a reason the brand has
been able to gain such popularity. In fact for the SEC Ait is more than just a brand; it has now
become a status symbol. The element of uniqueness and exclusivity make the brand and its lawn
even more desirable so for personality types who like to show off or want to look apart and stand
out Sana Safinaz provides the perfect value proposition.
For many of its consumers Sana Safinaz is the key to social desirability. Women seeking
approval from their peers provide a huge market for the brand. Owing a Sana Safinaz would
make them look more posh and might help them impress their friend etc. leading to social
acceptance. For such consumers Sana Safinaz provides an emotional benefit i.e. fitting in and
social acceptance in addition to all the functional benefits of the lawn fabric.
A brand in order to gain loyal customers and build its brand equity has to not just deliver on its
brand promise but also take advantage of and adapt to changes in the market. In a nut shell Sana
Safinaz is a prime example of how a brand can build its resonance by delivering on its value
proposition and customers expectations.
Market Analysis
The womens clothing wear market in Pakistan is highly saturated as mentioned earlier there are
over 60 premium brands, withNishat, Sana Safinaz, Gul Ahmed, Firdous, Al-Karam etc. being
the leading players in the market. With this much saturation targeting the right customer base
becomes even more important. Even though in one of their interview Sana and Safinaz claimed
that their target market consists of every Asian woman but they primarily cater to women of SEC
A from ages of 25 to 60 (more or less). Since the market is highly saturated and competitive the
quality and nature of designs becomes a major differentiating factor. A fact that differentiates
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Sana Safinaz from their competition is that their merchandises arent available anywhere except
for the brands own outlets.
Sana Safinaz in general faces fierce competition from well-established and old brands like Al-
Karam and Gul Ahmed which not only have a loyal customer base of their own but also surpass
Sana Safinaz in terms of production capacity. Price is also a differentiating factor with Sana
Safinaz charging higher prices as opposed to its competitors in order to make their lawn more
exclusive and unique in front of theircustomers.
Challenge encountered by Sana Safinaz Fashion Resources
To completely explain the challenge encountered by the business it is important to explain the
target market of the brand.
Target Market Analysis
Sana Safinaz Fashion Resources is a luxury brand. As explained by Mr. Harris, the pyramid
below classifies the different types of clothing retailers in Pakistan:


Luxury
Brands
High-Street
Brands
Mass Retail
Consumer Retail
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In Pakistan consumer retail includes retail outlets found in markets like Zainab Market, Tariq
Road etc. Mass retail includes brands like Outfitters, Stone-age etc. High-Street retailers include
brands like Khaddi, Gulahmed, Nishat etc. Luxury brands include brands such as Sana Safinaz,
HSY, Next, Mango etc. As we move up the pyramid the number of consumers decrease
however the income level of consumers increase.
Currently the target market of Sana Safinaz Fashion Resources are women in the age category of
35-45 belonging to SEC A. To quote Mr. Harris, the target women include modern, trendy and
empowered women, who either earn or have the liberty to spend their partners money on luxury
clothing brands like Sana Safinaz. According to the designers Sana and Safinaz, their target
market is not only women from Pakistan but every Asian women between the ages of 35-45 are
the target market of the brand. Today the preferences and perceptions of consumers in Pakistan
have changed. Increased urbanization, education and incomes have changed the preferences and
purchase patterns of consumers. As women in Pakistan become more educated and independent,
they wish to stand out amongst their colleagues and friends and also form a unique personality.
During the past few years the fashion industry has researched and provided various products and
brand appealing to the female population in Pakistan. Females between the ages of 35-45 prefer
to wear clothes that are of distinctive styles. These women prefer unique and exclusive designs
that match their personality and are willing to spend on such products. This is one the main
reasons why the Sana Safinaz brand has gained popularity amongst and loyalty from consumers
since its inception. The brand provides unique and exclusive luxury products that are aimed to
gain attention of the affluent Asian women who wish to stand out.

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Challenge encountered by the business:
Currently the marketing team at Sana Safinaz Fashion Resources have two types of target
market. The diagram below explains the two target markets of SS fashion resources.

The desired target market include women between the ages of 25-35. These young women are
educated and employed but according to Mr. Harris they may not have the purchasing power like
the women in the actual target market. These women prefer trendy clothes and are always
attracted to vibrant and unique designs. However they are not consumers of luxury brands like
Sana Safinaz because their purchasing power is limited. Sana Safinaz fashion resources aims to
establish a connection with the desired target market. SS fashion resources wants to ensure that
when women aged 25-34 enter the age of 35 and above they eventually become the consumers of
the brand Sana Safinaz. To ensure this the marketing team at Sana Safinaz has to develop
strategies for the covet target market. The challenge for the marketing team therefore is to
research and develop appealing and magnetic marketing strategies and content for the desired
target market. This remains a challenge because since the inception of the company the
marketing team at SS fashion resources have only focused its marketing towards the actual target
Target Market
Desired Target Market:
Women between ages 25-34
Actual Target Market: Women
between ages 35-45
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market i.e. women between the ages 35-45. However now the marketing strategies have to
completely change to conform to the desired target market keeping in consideration that the aim
is not to make these women the consumers immediately but to engage with them in a way that
when they enter the age of 35 they eventually become the consumers of the brand Sana Safinaz.
Alternative Explored to deal with the problem
At SS fashion resources marketing is currently done through four mediums:
Outdoor Marketing: Outdoor marketing includes advertising done through billboards, panels,
posters/standees in shopping malls etc.
Static/Print Marketing: Static/print marketing is done through print advertisements in newspaper
and popular fashion and lifestyle magazines e.g., Hello Pakistan, SHE etc.
Digital Marketing: Mostly done through social media forums such as Facebook, Twitter,
Snapchat and Instagram. The company has a well-designed website and a global e-store. The
Facebook page is updated 24/7 with news about the brand or the figures associated with the
brand Sana Safinaz. Mr. Harris claimed that the Facebook page of Sana Safinaz has the highest
number of real fans (likes) compared to other brands in the fashion industry. He said that he
makes this claim based on the responses received when a campaign or contest is done through
social media.
Dynamic media Marketing: Dynamic media marketing refers to the marketing done through
videos, and other products released on the social media. One such product would be the digital
catalogue video (explained later) of the latest collection of the brand Sana Safinaz.
Below the line promotion: Below the line promotion at Sana Safinaz is done in various ways.
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Few examples include: a) lucky hour: On a busy day the store manager decides to give a gift
voucher of Rs. 4000 to any person who spends Rs. 10000 and above in the lucky hour, b) Hot
Date: Tickets to newly released movie given to 10 couples (selected through lucky draw) who
make purchases of Rs. 6000 and above in that particular month and c) 30% of on all product on
the third Wednesday of every month between 12 noon to 3PM.
To solve the problem described earlier the marketing team needs to devise strategies and
attractive marketing content for the desired target market so that they become more familiar with
the brand. The marketing team at Sana Safinaz believes that the young generation today is very
fast-paced. The youth doesnt have the time to read through newspapers, magazines etc. instead
they prefer on-the-go things. Therefore the perfect medium to target the young women are the
social and digital media. The few alternatives explored by SS fashion resources to target the
desired consumers are:
E-Mag:The proposed online magazine would contain every information regarding the brand. The
magazine would not only include content related to the brand itself but also regarding the
happenings in the fashion industry of Pakistan. The e-magazine will also contain information
about recent contests, BTL activities and other interesting activities at Sana Safinaz retail outlets.
The magazine would highlight the changing fashion trends in Pakistan to ensure that the young
women are updated and are interested in reading the E-magazine. The purpose of launching e-
magazine is to ensure the presence of the Sana Safinaz brand in one of the most popular media
amongst the younger generation.
Sana Safinaz Acoustic Keys: The most beloved thing in Pakistan followed by Cricket is Music.
The emerging music industry of Pakistan confirms the statement. The marketers at Sana Safinaz
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think that they can effectively use music to engage the young women in Pakistan. To accomplish
this purpose, recently the brand icons Sana and Safinaz introduced the famous singer Zoe Viccaji
as their brand ambassador. With Zoe Viccaji on board the marketing team is set to release the
Sana Safinaz Acoustic Keys. Sana Safinaz acoustic keys is the compilation of various songs
sung by Zoe Viccaji. The songs and their videos will be released on social media forums
(primarily Facebook). The purpose of this is to again attract the young women to the Facebook
page of the brand and also to help the young women relate to the brand. This way the women
aged 25-35 would be able to relate and connect with the vibrant and energetic image of the brand
portrayed by the music videos.
E-blog: The e-blog will include all the activities related to the brand. The eblog will be different
from the e-mag because the e-blog will only include news and events pertaining to the brand
Sana Safinaz. The e-blog would include real time updates, news and reviews regarding the
brand. The e-blog would therefore be used for real time marketing a promotion technique that
is rarely used in the fashion industry marketing.
Text Messages: Statistics show that in 2011 approximately 237.58 billion text messages were
exchanged by Pakistani mobile phone users. Marketing through text messages is emerging in
Pakistan. The main advantage of this marketing is high reach and low cost. Sana Safinaz Fashion
Resources aims to use text message marketing in combination with the other alternatives.
Chosen Course of Action and Result:
The first and foremost chosen alternative is the Sana Safinaz Acoustic Keys. For the purpose of
this promotion they have already taken the singer Zoe Viccaji on board. Although the company
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plans to eventually implement the proposed ideas of e-blog and e-mag but Sana Safinaz acoustic
keys would be released before the other alternatives are implemented.
The company still awaits the result of Sana Safinaz acoustic keys as the project is still in
implementation phase however the introduction of Zoe Viccaji as the brand ambassador has
already attracted the young population towards the brand. The marketing team believes that the
introduction of the renowned artist Zoe Viccaji is helping in creating a vibrant, energetic and
youthful image of the brand that the young women can relate to.
The result of text messaging marketing is very quick. Mr. Harris explained that the result of the
events, promotions and BTL activities marketed through text messages could be gauged fairly by
the footfall in retail outlets. SS fashion resources have experienced increased footfall in the retail
outlets soon after text messages marketing.
The brand Sana Safinaz wants to pursue mediums other than the traditional marketing mediums.
Through exploring more interactive marketing mediums the brand will be able to sustain its
image and also increase the consumer base. The marketers at Sana Safinaz believe that if they at
this target the women aged 25-35 and track their activities and increase the attractiveness of the
brand Sana Safinaz through being visible and attractive than these women would become loyal
consumers of Sana Safinaz in future.




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References
Ahmed, M. H. (2014). Marketing Issues for Sana Safinaz. (M. T. Noman, K. Shahab, M. K.
Raza, M. Tanveer, M. U. Qureshi, & S. Ghofran, Interviewers)
Dar, H. (2012, March 26). Channelling the lawn business. The Express Tribune. Retrieved from
http://tribune.com.pk/story/354877/channelling-the-lawn-business/
Isani, A. H. (2013, March 18). LAWN REVOLUTION. Herald Dawn. Retrieved from
http://herald.dawn.com/2013/03/18/lawn-revolution-2.html
Market research provider, Euromonitor International. (2012). Consumer Lifestyles in Pakistan.
Euromonitor International. Retrieved from http://www.euromonitor.com/consumer-
lifestyles-in-pakistan/report
Najeeb, F. (2011, March 04). Industry Expands as Demand Rises. The Express Tribune.
Retrieved from http://tribune.com.pk/story/127225/industry-expands-as-demand-rises/
Rana, I. (2012, May 05). Lawn: the new money-maker for the textile industry. The Express
Tribune. Retrieved from http://tribune.com.pk/story/374258/lawn-the-new-money-maker-
for-the-textile-industry/