abm communication bags creative duties of Urban Country

A shoes and leather accessories brand, Urban Country will launch its collection in India by the month end.

Urban Country, a premium leather shoes and accessories brand, has appointed abm communication to handle its creative duties. The multi-agency pitch took place in Delhi.

Brand Urban Country is a part of the $20 million Suri Shoes group, one of the largest shoe manufacturers and exporters in India. The brand will launch its maiden collection in Delhi later this month.

Rakesh Suri, managing director, Urban Country, says that the agency was chosen for its right kind of skill pool. Suri adds that it expected the agency to create awareness of the brand and communicate to the young customers (25-40 years) in a different manner.

"The footwear segment is a much cluttered market. Hence, we want to communicate about our brand in a different way and create a niche in the market. We are confident abm communication will help us in creating our brand identity and in providing creative inputs in areas such as in-store signage, design, management of website, social media and the press," Suri says.

Suri explains that having exported footwear to Europe for two decades, the company did not know much about the Indian market. Then, it launched its men's formal footwear brand Tredflex in Europe, which received a lot of positive feedback. Encouraged, Suri Shoes decided to try its hand in the Indian market with Urban Country, which will not only have collections from Tredflex but also a range of formal footwear for women, besides accessories.

"We did a market survey and got a feedback that there was a gap in the market. There was a need for formal footwear catering to professional men and women, who wanted the right kind of styling, and comfort that was value for money. Our styling and design originates from Europe, which we want to bring to India," he says.

The brand plans to have 6-7 stores by the end of the current financial year, Suri adds.

Explaining the immediate challenge, Abhijit Basu, managing director, abm communication, says that there are a lot of international brands currently in the market and many old brands are also doing well. However, the focus on corporate footwear is not that exciting. Basu claims that technology, superior quality and attractive price point will be the brand's advantage in breaking away from the clutter.

"We will build the brand from scratch. The focus of the brand is on corporate lifestyle, especially leather footwear and accessories. So, it is a niche product. Currently, we will help with the brand look, feel, value and even outlet designing. We are partly handling the digital requirements and will take care of on ground and gradually above-the-line activities," Basu says.

Suri Shoes has been exporting shoe uppers since 1987. In 1993, it moved on to leather shoes, which were supplied to the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, France, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand.