Acquisition project | Zouk

Elevator pitch

Question:

Have you ever found local artisanal & aesthetic handicraft items on trips but did not buy any because they were not functional?

Empathy:

You’re not alone in feeling guilty of simply hoarding handicrafts without putting them to use.

Pivot & Value:

Handcrafted and cruelty-free, Zouk brings stylish and functional products with an essence of Indian culture to the world.

Zouk effortlessly builds the narrative of a modern Indian classic lifestyle, by seamlessly combining contemporary & traditional elements to infuse elegance into your lifestyle. The brand offers products in the bags & wallets, footwear, and accessories categories - an intersection of fashion, sustainability & Indian culture.

Understanding the product:

Kotler's five product levels model for Zouk

• • • Core level product: Bags that are functional with closure zips, compartments & carrying straps suited for various occasions.
    • Generic level product: Bags that are available in different sizes and colours.
    • Expected level product: Unisex bags that are functional, stylish and suited for various occasions.
    • Augmented level product: Handcrafted bags with the infusion of Indian culture, better suited to complement the modern lifestyle for various occasions while retaining the contemporary element of being functional.
    • Potential level products: Sustainable, 100% cruelty-free and eco-friendly bags

Some questions

What are some of the questions you can ask to understand the product better?

1. 1. 1. What is the fundamental need or want that the product is solving for?
      2. 1. Quality, sustainability, convenient bags with the finesse of Indian craftsmanship & aesthetic.
      3. What are the basic features and functionalities that the product provides?
      4. 1. Indian design aesthetic
         2. Durability
         3. Functionality: Spacious, compartments, padded sleeves, sturdy straps & handles
         4. Affordable luxury
         5. Variety
      5. What other ways are users using to solve the same problem? If it is a new category, how else were people solving the problem?
      6. 1. Fast fashion alternatives - not durable, sustainable, luxurious or entirely functional
         2. Luxury brands - not affordable
         3. Chumbak, Baggit, EcoRight, Napp Dori, Rheson

Core Value Prop

Why should customers choose your products?

Step 1: The Main Benefit

1. 1. 1. What are you really in the business of?
      2. 1. A lifestyle brand that sells a variety of bags, wallets and shoes.
      3. What problem is your product or service solving for the customer?
      4. 1. Utilitarian & contemporary bags and shoes with Indian artisanal aesthetics
      5. What are the key features and customer benefits?
      6. 1. Combining traditional Indian artistry with contemporary styles
         2. Utilitarian bags - durable, versatile, functional
         3. Suits a variety of occasions
         4. Sustainable
         5. Affordable premium

Step 2: Ask your best customers about the Customer Benefits

1. • • Why did you choose us over our competition?Only product with a combination of all these factors:
     • • Conscious consumerism
       • Cultural prints with contemporary utility
       • Affordable luxury
     • Why do you keep doing business with us?
     • • Indian artisanal designs
       • Durable products
       • Sustainability
     • What words would you use to describe our company?
     • • Elegant, Indian, Spacious, Modern
     • If you were referring a friend to our business, what would you tell them about us?
     • • Gift them the product first
       • Conscious consumerism
       • Reasonable prices
       • Traditional artistry for modern needs
       • Functional & durable bags

Step 3: Gather all the insights​

• • • Curated thoughtful architectural designs to ensure utility
    • Handcrafted, eco-friendly fabric & cruelty-free produce
    • Traditional Indian aesthetics
    • Make them look modern & classy

Users

Before defining the ICP, let's take a look at its practical use cases:

• • • Shop bags: Browse & buy various types of bags suited for different occasions - casual, work, party
    • Gift: Browse and gift bags and gift cards to women
    • Travel bags: Browse and shop travel bags
    • Earn rewards: Sign up for their loyalty program and earn rewards with every purchase

Target audience

• • • Affluent professionals
    • Global luxury seekers
    • Eco-conscious consumer
    • Aspirational millennial or GenZ

User research

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ICP Table:

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High-level - TAM, SAM , SOM

TAM:

SAM: Acquirable %age of TAM

ICP prioritization

Market

Zouk: A new product in the new category This does not mean you don't have competitors, your competitor would be how your customers are currently solving for the problem.

Know you product category/market

1. 1. 1. Who are our competitors?
      2. 1. Chumbak
         2. Hidesign
         3. Baggit
         4. Rheson
         5. EcoRight
         6. House of Tara
      3. What differentiates us from our competitors?
      4. 1. A combination of these features: Conscious consumerism, Cultural prints with contemporary utility, Affordable luxury
      5. Who all are your competitors that pose a significant threat?
      6. 1. Chumbak - broad product range, strong branding
         2. Hidesign - market presence, global reach, premium positioning
         3. Rheson - Celebrity branding, youth appeal
         4. EcoRight - global reach, eco-focus
         5. House of Tara - Bohemian Indie style, functional
      7. What features or propositions do our competitors have that we don’t?
      8. 1. Chumbak - offline presence, broad product range, strong branding
         2. Hidesign - market presence, global reach, premium positioning
         3. Rheson - Celebrity branding influence, youth fast fashion appeal
         4. EcoRight - global reach, eco-focus, minimalist
         5. House of Tara - Bohemian Indie style, functional

In-Depth Competitor Analysis

Detailed out - TAM, SAM, SOM

TAM:

SAM: Acquirable %age of TAM

SOM:

Product stage decision: Zouk has achieved Product Market Fit and transitioned into the Early Scaling stage - experimenting different channels to identify what works best for them.

Design acquisition channels

JTBD

At the Early Scaling Stage, the business should focus on one channel partner and one paid channel.

Litmus test: Is the product ready for acquisition?

User buys a Zouk bag → AHA moment: the bag looks aesthetic & is convenient → Friends/colleagues compliment the bag → You brag about the added comfort → Social standard raises → Triggers more people to buy it out of FOMO or to try it out

Zouk appears to be ready for acquisition.

Channel selection framework

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Channel priority order:

1. 1. 1. Meta Ads
      2. E-Commerce Ads
      3. Content loops
      4. Referral program
      5. Organic search

Paid Ads

Channel selection:

ICP H & K spend time on the following:

• • • • Google
      • YouTube
      • Instagram
      • Amazon, Myntra
      • Swiggy, Blinkit

Audience segment:

• • • Google: Affluent professional women aged 21 to 40 with income > 6LPA living in Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities optionally even with travel history
    • Instagram: Affluent professional women aged 21 to 40 with income > 6LPA living in Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities with an inclination for a luxury lifestyle and past online shopping behaviour for lifestyle enhancements.
    • Amazon, Myntra: Men & women aged 21 to 40 with a behaviour of buying premium lifestyle products
    • Swiggy, Blinkit: Affluent professional men & women aged 21 to 40 with a record of shopping non-household products

Campaign structure: performance management

• • • Campaigns - core objective:
    • • Buy a Zouk product
      • Sign up for Zouk insider membership
    • Ad groups:
    • • Age: 21 to 30
      • Gender: Women
      • Location: Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities
      • Affluent millennials & aspirational GenZ
      • Interest: Travel, Lifestyle enhancements, Indian cultural aesthetics
      • Behaviour: Purchase of lifestyle & luxury goods, Handcrafted products, online search or purchase history of Bags
    • Ads:
    • • GIF Ads
      • Video reels
      • User testimonials
      • Campaign Ads
      • Brands Ads

Ad impression to conversion.

Marketing pitch for the ICP

Make choices that matter; a luxury that speaks to your values and style!

Step into the world of Zouk, where the finest Indian craftsmanship meets modern luxury without compromise. For the woman who aspires to make her mark, you deserve a bag that reflects both your impeccable taste and commitment to a better world.

The Zouk bag, it’s not just a bag - but a statement piece for the woman who demands beauty, comfort and conscience in everything she owns.

Designed to turn heads in the chicest circles of your city and beyond, this bag is a finesse of the vibrant traditional Indian aesthetics into the everyday luxury wardrobe, without compromising on comfort, quality and ethics.

Whether you’re stepping into a boardroom or meeting friends for dinner, from your coffee runs to client meetings, let your bag reflect your belief in making choices that matter.

The best of both worlds - premium, sustainable fashion with an unmistakable Indian soul. Because luxury isn’t just about what you wear; it’s about what you stand for.

Ad creatives

• • • ​

Content loop

1. #MyZoukLook campaign
2. 1. Hook: Social signalling
   2. Generator: Customer
   3. Distributor: Company/Social media
   4. ​
3. #CarryWithPride campaign
4. 1. Hook: Sounding smart
   2. Generator: Company
   3. Distributor: Customer/LinkedIn
   4. ​​
5. #MyZoukStory campaign
6. 1. Hook: Personal connect
   2. Generator: Customer
   3. Distributor: Company/Social media
   4. ​

Referrals

Current design of the referral program

• • Referral details:
  • • The referrer earns ₹50 Zouk Cashback when the referee makes a purchase.
    • The referee also receives ₹50 Zouk Cashback.
    • Zouk cashback is the platform currency that can be utilized only on Zouk products in the Zouk site.
    • Details of the referral program: available in the Menu > About us > Zouk insider
    • ​
  • Referrer flow:
  • • ​
  • Referee flow:
  • • Upon opening this link, the referee is taken to the account creation page.
    • After account creation, 50 Zouk coins are automatically credited to the user’s account
    • Once the referee purchases from the site, 50 Zouk coins are credited to both the referee and referrer as promised
    • ​

Analysis of current design:

What’s missing?

1. 1. 1. 1. Happy moments/flows are not identified
         2. Not targeted to happy customers
         3. There is no means to track the referrals for the referrers
         4. The incentive is low - 50 Zouk coins - Zouk bags are premium products with a luxury pricing model. 50₹ doesn’t add much value to the customers buying products in the range of 1k to 10k with an average order value of 2200.
         5. The redirect interface is not very intuitive or catchy unlike Airbnb - it redirects users to the account creation page
         6. The rewards program has incremental incentives which is not the case for the referral program.
         7. Makes user sign up before showing the products

What’s good?

1. 1. 1. 1. Easy to share or use links instead of the referral code
         2. Easily visible and accessible option to invite/refer friends from anywhere on the site
         3. Platform currency - makes the user come back to the platform

Improvements to the referral design

1. Identify happy flows and happy users: happy moments:
2. 1. Product delivery
   2. Returning customers who place an order
   3. No return request
3. Nudge the happy customers to refer (or after happy flows): customers who can be nudged for referral:
4. 1. Returning customers who place an order
   2. Customers who have not requested a refund/return
   3. Rating/feedback to returning customers > 4 on a scale of 5
   4. Positive sentiment in product reviews
5. Referral link - a story, not redirect to the account creation page; shouldn't make user sign up before showing the products
6. 1. ​
7. Track referrals - an interface
8. 1. ​
9. More incentives
10. 1. 2x incentives if the referee takes part in the Zouk social media campaigns for referer
    2. Compounding incentives for the referrer with every new referral
    3. Identify potential collaborators based on their behaviour on other apps - get them to share a referral code - more incentives for more acquisition/conversion. Build a content loop.

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