Why is Fastrack revamping its Smart business?

Fastrack has been part of smart wearables for more than five years. The fashion tech brand’s marketing head puts the spotlight on the new identity and plans ahead.

Titan’s Fastrack has upped its wearables portfolio by onboarding Ranveer Singh as a brand ambassador for Fastrack Smart, a sub-brand that offers smart wearables. The brand has also launched the first campaign ‘Follow Yourself’, that comes with a new proposition, a new logo, and a range of offerings.

With the new campaign, Fastrack has also unveiled a dedicated ad film featuring the Bollywood actor. In a very high-octane and particularly colourful mise-en-scène, the commercial runs a high-tempo rap song performed by the Bajirao Mastani star. 

Fastrack has been part of the smart wearables industry for more than five years, since the launch of Fastrack Reflex in 2017. Over the years, the brand has maintained a fairly consistent presence within the category. 

According to Adithya Raj, who is the marketing head of the wearables business - Titan, with the launch of Fastrack Smart and the onboarding of Ranveer Singh, the brand aims to establish itself as one of the leading fashion tech smartwatch brands in India. 

He says, “In this direction, we have taken a couple of initiatives. From the product perspective, where we plan to launch 35 to 40 products this year. We are also focusing on design language and innovation.” Fastrack Smart recently launched a 1.96 inches arched-display smartwatch called Fastrack Limitless FS1 Pro, which the brand claims is the first in the world. 

Speaking on the genesis of Fastrack Smart, Raj reveals that the brand has embraced a new identity, with a new logo and proposition. “The idea is, with the combination of product and marketing the strategic initiative, we can work our way to become the leading fashion tech brand in India, in smartwatches, it is critical. That is how Fastrack Smart was conceptualised.”

The newly announced tie-up with Ranveer Singh appears to fit right into the appeal that Fastrack has conventionally exhibited. The synergy between the actor and the brand, according to Raj is an ideal mix to woo the intended audience. “With the kind of energy Ranveer Singh brings to the table, and our identity, it is a smart match.”

The brand communication with the new campaign is aimed at Gen Z, empowering them to walk away from societal norms and follow their hearts. The rap song touches upon some social constructs that the youth come to face, that aren’t necessarily the blueprint for a happy life. 

“Ranveer being Ranveer, he’s a true superstar who wears his heart  on his sleeve, and follows his own unique style.”

The campaign is conceptualised and executed by Leo Burnett. 

Speaking on the target audience, Raj reveals that the campaign is aimed at Gen Z, with efforts to pull in other age groups who identify with the brand message. The digital-first campaign is also going to see placement in OOH and regional media. 

“We have a strong and balanced approach between online and on-ground. We plan to be heavily focused on Insta, YouTube, while also pushing our performance marketing on Amazon and Flipkart. When it comes to offline, we’ll be present in more than 100 cities with high-impact outdoor ads.”

The collaboration with Ranveer Singh is limited to smartwatches, as per Raj. But the brand is aiming to foray into other product categories moving forward. “From a wearables perspective, we are getting into other categories as well. We launched something called as FPods, which is our TWS (True Wireless Stereo) offering, where we have generated sales of nearly 50,000 units in the last two weeks or so.”

From a distribution and sales perspective, Raj reveals that the general trend in the smartwatch category in India is roughly 70% online and 30% offline. But for Fastrack, 2022 was the complete opposite with 70% sales offline. 

“But thanks to the new launches, in the last couple of months, with Revoltt series on Flipkart, we sold 30,000 units in 18 hours. With strong launches and the right price point, we are confident that the approach is going to be balanced between online and offline.”

In terms of locations, Raj points out that the brand’s audience is spread out across India, with bulk of the brand’s business coming from Tier 3 and beyond cities of the country. “The top ten cities only contribute 30% of our sales. We have a very strong presence in Tier 2 and beyond cities, with a lot of traction in South and West of India.”