We spend 3.5 to 4.5% of our revenue on advertising: Jockey India’s CMO Nihal Rajan

When the 144+ year-old brand, Jockey, first entered the Indian market in 1995, innerwear marketing was dominated by messages that leaned heavily on traditional, masculine notions of strength and power. Competitors in the space emphasised bold, rugged masculinity in their campaigns, and amid this messaging, Jockey brought a fresh perspective with its focus on comfort, self-expression, and personal freedom. With this, the brand was gradually recognised for its tagline ‘Jockey or Nothing’. Over the years, it has attempted to communicate the importance of freedom to the youth through its innerwear, outerwear and athleisure clothings.  

As the brand stays rooted in its philosophy of ‘freedom’ and ‘self-expression,’ its campaigns are designed to resonate across a wide range of demographics, from metro cities to Tier IV towns, according to the brand’s CMO, Nihal Rajan. The Night and Underwear market in India is projected to generate a revenue of US$1.06 billion and Jockey, with its latest campaign aims to communicate with Gen Z by speaking to their needs.

Research revealed that Gen Z is more open to experimentation in both their careers and lifestyle choices. This insight has driven the brand’s messaging for its campaign ‘Nothing Fits Better’. In an interview with Social Samosa, Rajan highlights that Jockey aims to be the voice of this new generation, offering clothing that fits into their explorative lives, while maintaining comfort and style.

The message of ‘Nothing Fits Better’ was first launched in 2016 and has created a ‘legacy’ for the brand, according to Rajan. The campaign has evolved over the years in a bid to shape Jockey’s message of not just fitting well in wardrobes but fitting into the dynamic, everyday lives of its consumers.

With four ads, the brand has showcased how it fits into various lifestyles and activities that today’s youth engage in, positioning the brand as an extension of their routines. 

With this, the brand has taken a democratic approach to its media mix strategy, balancing traditional channels like TV and outdoor advertising with social media and influencer marketing to reach younger audiences.

While Jockey has not used Indian celebrities as campaign faces, it engages with the Indian audience through strategic collaborations on Instagram and YouTube. Social media has become a key tool for Jockey India, where the brand connects with consumers through collaborations with celebrities and influencers. 

With influencers and celebrities like Rannvijay Singha, Karan Tacker, Barkha Singh, Anushka Hazra and more, the brand has attempted to communicate that consumers can integrate its products to keep their fitness goals in check and style themselves with comfort. 

The brand's YouTube channel showcases lifestyle videos that reflect real-life moments and aspirations to show relatability without needing a celebrity endorsement.

With Jockey's Q4 profit rising by 38.1% to Rs 108.20 crore, Rajan discusses Jockey India's marketing strategy, engaging with younger audiences, specifically Gen Z, its storytelling in campaigns, media mix, sports collaborations and more. 

Edited Excerpts:

Could you share the details behind Jockey India's 'Nothing Fits Better' campaign? Can you share the insights that went behind crafting the campaign? What is the objective and message you aim to convey through this campaign?

I think ‘Nothing Fits Better’ is almost like a legacy campaign. We started in 2016 and continued to evolve to where it is now. It's been more than eight years and that talks about the power of the campaign and the message that we have been trying to communicate to the consumer. This time, the objective is not just to remind people that Jockey fits well into everyone's wardrobe but also that it fits equally well into their lives.

With this campaign, we are talking to the younger generation and the lifestyle that they live in, the activities they engage themselves with, and how the brand seamlessly fits in each of those situations. The key objective is to build a stronger connection with younger consumers. The entire idea was to show how it fits well and continues to fit well with ever-evolving generations.

The strategy doesn’t only focus on marketing efforts through certain channels but takes a 360-degree approach. With a focus on outdoor advertising, we are covering over 100 cities across India, including metros and non-metros, and roughly 630 plus sites that have been taken for the same purpose.

But at the same time, we have also created digital-first films. We know this consumer is lot more digital native, spends a lot more time in terms of engaging content. That's where we also ensured that we had a point of view ready, to connect with them directly. It’s a holistic campaign.

The campaign will make a strong outdoor presence while also reaching a significant portion of the consumer base through targeted social media channels.

Could you share the research and consumer insights that drive the creative direction of Jockey's ad campaigns? How do these insights shape the storytelling approach?

We have learned this right from the start, from previous campaigns like ‘Freedom or Nothing,’ and more importantly now, that you need to be the voice of the consumer. You don't need to tell them what you feel or what the brand feels internally, but rather take external insights and build a point of view based on that.

The communication through ‘Freedom or Nothing’ was the voice of the consumer. This is how the generation today feels, and we were just the medium to express their emotions. That's the insight across any marketing communication we are leading with, focusing on consumer insights and being a vehicle to express what they feel, starting a conversation.

This continues now as we look at how the current generation is much more open and a lot more experimental and explorative in choosing different careers, professions, and alternative ways of working, while still being happy with what they are doing. They are not confined to a box, and I think that was the insight for this campaign.

Through the research, especially since this is a very targeted segment - mostly Generation Z, with the bullseye being 23-24 years old - it became clear that people wanted communication that relates to them. It shouldn't come from the brand but should come from them.

And this was clearly evident in our research, and that's exactly what we have done. If you look at the campaign, it’s really a slice of their life and how Jockey is fitting into their life. That’s the objective, and based on that, we built the entire approach for marketing.

How does Jockey’s core philosophy of ‘freedom’ and ‘self-expression’ influence the themes and messaging in your campaigns, particularly when targeting different demographics like Gen Z?

I think the philosophy of ‘Freedom or Nothing’ is true for everyone. It's relevant to you, me, someone living a more dynamic, high-flying life, or someone just figuring out what to do next, whether in a metro city or Tier IV town. 

Everyone is trying to find themselves and figure out what they want to do in life. With that as the core philosophy, we wanted to be the perfect partner in that journey, whether it’s underpants or outerwear, helping you do what you want to do in the most comfortable way.

Our products deliver comfort and flexibility. We offer a wide range, starting with innerwear and expanding to outerwear, the MOVE collection for a more active lifestyle, and athleisure, which combines a relaxed yet active approach. The idea was to surface the philosophy through both our communication and our products.

What we have realised through the ‘Freedom or Nothing’ campaign is that it resonated across geographies and tiers. We received an overwhelming response from the market and our trade partners. Taking that bold step to be the voice of the consumer was well appreciated.

What does the brand's overall marketing strategy look like in India, and how do you ensure that the brand message resonates across diverse consumer segments? Could you elaborate on the media mix strategy for the brand? How do you balance traditional channels with digital platforms, especially in reaching younger audiences?

We are a highly democratic brand, which means we connect with both the top Tier and Tier IV consumers. This inclusivity is also reflected in our collections, which cater to various needs and market segments. When we look at our overall marketing strategy, we aim for a holistic approach that cuts across different tiers, geographies, and market segments.

However, it's also important to stay true to the specific consumer segments we target. From an EOS point of view, we are active throughout the year, as you have seen in the past. 

As the festive season approaches, you will see more market activations. We will focus on specific markets or consumer segments at certain times and through different channels. For example, digital will target one segment, while outdoor might target another.

Being a democratic brand, we plan to continue using diverse channels that resonate with different geographies and consumer segments. In terms of media mix, social media has become a key currency, our strategy this year has been digital-first. When we launched ‘Freedom or Nothing,’ it was one of the lead campaigns, and it performed well during the 2020 World Cup, resonating with consumers.

Moving forward, our media mix will include TV, outdoor, social, and all necessary activations across channels, including influencers. Our mix is balanced, but we will adjust our focus on specific channels depending on the message and target audience.

With Jockey's Q4 profit rising by 38.1% to Rs 108.20 crore, what is the advertising budget you look at for different channels? How do you allocate resources between TV, digital, OOH, and other platforms?

We spend 3.5 to 4.5% of our revenue on advertising. 

Brand building is paramount for us as a company. Whether it's a tough year or a good year, we have never shied away from spending the right amount of money on building the brand and engaging with consumers. That will continue to be a driving force when we look at our overall budget. The market is changing, and consumers are evolving, so we need to continuously engage with them and let them know that Jockey is evolving alongside them.

You can see this reflected in our spend and market presence, which indicates that we dedicate a healthy percentage of our overall revenue to brand building.

How does Jockey plan to deepen its connection with Gen Z, and what changes have you made to your brand messaging to better engage this audience?

The messaging will be clear through the campaign itself. As I mentioned, the campaign is a slice of their life, which creates a strong sense of relatability. When consumers see it, they will recognise that it reflects their own experiences or could easily be their own. Achieving this emotional connection is key to effectively communicating our message.

While we have traditionally focused on a younger demographic, this campaign specifically targets Gen Z to build a deeper connection with them. This generation is driving significant changes not just in fashion choices but also in work and lifestyle preferences. 

It’s important for us to engage directly with Gen Z and adapt our approach to resonate with their evolving needs.

That said, we remain a democratic brand and will continue to value all our consumers, including those who have been with us for over 30 years. This campaign is tailored to Gen Z, but we aim to communicate with and include all our consumers.

How have shifts in consumer preferences influenced your marketing strategies, and how do you plan to adapt to further changes in the men's innerwear market?

If I look back five years, our media mix and media spend were very different from today. This consumer is very digitally engaged, and sometimes this generation is digitally native. Hence, it's difficult to catch their attention. The conversation has to be engaging and relatable.

Our approach now involves building focused, digital-first films to talk to this consumer. Moving forward, our choices in channel mix and new handles will continue to evolve. We are also looking at building more ground activation to engage with this consumer directly.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Barkha Singh (@barkhasingh0308)

Some of these efforts will continue in the future as well. This is an evolving generation, and what they liked two years ago is changing. The bigger message is that we have to continue to evolve with the consumer, and that’s what we will do.

Jockey has previously launched its ad campaign during the T20 World Cup. What are your goals when it comes to associating with sports, and how do they align with Jockey’s brand image? Are there any upcoming sports sponsorships you plan on initiating?

For some time, we have had a range called Jockey MOVE, which is designed for active enthusiasts. This range supports your fitness goals and helps you be the best version of yourself every day. We aim to be a lifestyle brand, not just focused on innerwear but touching various aspects of your daily life.

Our associations with sports events like the IPL and the World Cup have been part of our strategy to connect with this generation, particularly in a sport as engaging as cricket. These partnerships align well with our Move range and our broader lifestyle focus. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rannvijay (@rannvijaysingha)

We don't have a fixed plan for future sports partnerships, but we will continue to pursue opportunities that fit with our brand's evolution. For instance, our association with Bangalore Football Club continues this year. These partnerships are more organic and will evolve as we grow and adapt our brand's journey.

You will continue to see Jockey in the active space because it is a crucial part of our brand.

Can you shed some light on Jockey's expansion plans within the men's innerwear category and how these plans are reflected in your marketing and advertising efforts?

From our overall brand portfolio, we have men’s innerwear, women’s innerwear, men’s outerwear, women’s outerwear, juniors, accessories like socks and caps, and towels. Our product portfolio is well-rounded and aligns with the core of the brand.

Our intent is to continue strengthening each of these verticals and enhance consumer reach. The main challenge today is not about having the right products, but about penetration, ensuring that consumers are aware of our offerings, such as our high-quality hoodies and track pants.

The goal is to build a stronger consumer connection around our core pillars. From a portfolio perspective, we are well-positioned and have products that meet consumer needs effectively.

What can we expect from Jockey in terms of future campaigns? Are there any upcoming projects that will introduce new themes or innovative storytelling techniques?

Our philosophy will remain consistent. We will continue to focus on consumer insights and adapt our approach accordingly. As the season progresses, particularly with the upcoming festive period, we will follow up with a women’s innerwear campaign, followed by a men’s outerwear campaign, a thermal campaign, and then a juniors' campaign.

Expect a lot more activity and engagement from us as we move forward. It will be a busy season with numerous campaigns planned.

What are the brand's short-term and long-term goals?

Our primary goal, whether short-term or long-term, is to convert every single consumer in India into a Jockey consumer. That’s our central vision, and we are focused on achieving it.

We see ourselves as a democratic brand, committed to providing the same level of comfort and best-in-class product value to all our consumers across segments, tiers and generations. That’s truly our only vision and mission.