Selected as WCRCINT World’s Best Emerging Brands, AL Ikhsan Sports from Malaysia is driving values to it consumers by providing world class yet affordable sports products
In conversation with Vach Pillutla, CEO, Al Ikhsan Sports
Brand: AL-IKHSAN SPORTS
Country: MALAYSIA
COMPANY NAME:
AL-IKHSAN SPORTS SDN BHD
PRODUCT/SERVICE OFFERING:
SPORTS RETAILER
COMPANY VISION & MISSION:
Mission:AL-IKHSAN SPORTS TO BE THE #1 OMNI-CHANNEL DESTINATION FOR 20 MILLION SPORTS LOVERS OF MALAYSIA BY ENGAGING DEEPER AND CLOSER WITH THEM THROUGH A CLEARLY SEGMENTED RETAIL STRATEGY
Vision: KEEPING MALAYSIA FIT & ACTIVE BY MAKING SPORTS AFFORDABLE FOR ALL
COMPANY VALUES
INTEGRITY, HONESTY, SERVICE, ACCOUNTABILITY, NURTURING
YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BRAND:
1993
MARKETSHARE:
OVER 40% WITHIN THE MULTI-BRAND SPORTS RETAIL MARKET
CORE COLOUR COMBINATION OF THE BRAND:
ORANGE AND BLACK
MEANING OF LOGO OF THE BRAND:
THE LOGO STANDS FOR DYNAMISM AND THE BRIGHT FUTURE
APPROXIMATE MARKETING BUDGETS OF THE BRAND:
APPROXIMATELY 3% OF SALES
POSITIONING STRATEGY OF THE BRAND:
ENTRY TO MID VALUE SPORTS MARKET (EVERYDAY SPORTS)
PUNCHLINE OF THE BRAND:
MAKING SPORTS AFFORDABLE FOR ALL
MEDIUM OF PROMOTIONS USED TO PROMOTE THE BRAND IN THE LAST 2 YEARS:
SOCIAL MEDIA, RADIO, KOLS, OUTDOOR, IN-MALL, TIK TOK
ETHOS OF THE BRAND:
AFFORDABILITY AND VALUE
EXPLAIN THE 5 MOST CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS OF THE BRAND:
OVER THE LAST 6 YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE A SPECTACULAR INCREASE IN OUR MARKET SHARE BY EMBARKING ON A CLEAR POSITIONING OF AL IKHSAN BRAND WITHIN THE CONSUMERS MIND AND BY ENSURING A STRONG FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING PILLARS:
- BRINGING AL IKHSAN EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTS FOR GLOBAL SPORTBRANDS, LIKE NIKE, ADIDAS, PUMA, ASICS AND SKECHERS AT THE MOST AFFORDABLE PRICES
- DATA HAS NOW BECOME THE CORE OF ALL DECISION MAKING WITHIN THE COMPANY AND WE LOOK AT SALES BY BRAND, CATEGORY, SUBCATEGORY DOWN TO THE SKU LEVEL TO REFINE OUR INVENTORY MANAGEMENT – MOVING FROM GUTFEEL TO SCIENCE
- WE USE OWN PRIVATE LABEL AND LICENSED BRANDS TO OFFER RELEVANT AND EVENT RELATED MERCHANDISE AT VERY AFFORDABLE PRICE POINTS
- AL IKHSAN SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOW RANKED AMONGST THE MOST ENGAGING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS IN MALAYSIA
- A STRONG MARKETING STRATEGY TO COMMUNICATE AND ENGAGE WITH OUR CORE CONSUMERS, WHICH INCLUDES A 52-WEEK CALENDAR FOR DIGITAL AND 12-MONTH CALENDAR FOR OFFLINE ACTIVATION AND PROMOTIONS
FUTURE PLANS OF THE BRAND
TO DRIVE FUTURE GROWTH OF THE AL IKHSAN BRAND, THE TEAM HAS NOW EMBARKED ON THE FOLLOWING:
- STRUCTURED EXPANSION STRATEGY TO ADD AT LEAST ANOTHER 100 STORES OVER THE NEXT 3 YEAR PERIOD, WITHIN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA AND ENTRY TO EAST MALAYSIA
- INCREASING E-COMMERCE FROM THE CURRENT 5% TO 10% OF OVERALL REVENUE BY END 2023
- EXPANSION INTO MORE CATEGORIES OF DAILY USE SPORTS PRODUCTS LIKE FITNESS ACCESSORIES TO BRING GREATER VALUE TO THE LOCAL CATCHMENT
- RATHER THAN JUST FOCUSING ON GLOBAL EVENTS, WE ARE NOW CONNECTING TO MORE LOCAL EVENTS AND SPONSORSHIP AT GRASSROOT LEVEL.
CORE BRAND VALUES
INTEGRITY: DOING THE RIGHT THING IN THE RIGHT WAY AND KEEPING TO THE VALUE HELD
HONESTY: BEING TRUTHFUL AND STRAIGHTFORWARD IN CONDUCT NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION
SERVICE: BEING SERVICE TO EACH OTHER, THE CONSUMERS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE
ACCOUNTABILITY: ACCEPTING THE RESPONSIBILTY OF THE ACTION AND OWNING THE OUTCOMES OF THESE ACTIONS
NURTURING: BEING GENUINELY VESTED AND AT AN ENTERPRISE LEVEL TO DEVELOP TALENTS
HOW DO YOU CONNECT WITH YOUR TARGET MARKET:
USING A STRATEGIC MARKETING CALENDAR COMPRISING OF GLOBAL REGIONAL AND LOCAL EVENTS, WE COMMUNICATE AND DRIVE ACTIVATIONS WITH OUR TARGET MARKET. THIS IS DONE THROUGH OUR DIGITAL, EDMS, SOCIAL MEDIA, IN-STORE, KOL AND OUTDOOR CHANNELS
KEY PEOPLE POLICY IN THE COMPANY THAT DRIVES INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS OF THE BRAND:
WE TREAT OUR EMPLOYEES AS HUMAN CAPITAL, WHEREBY WE NEED TO INVEST IN THEIR CAPABILITIES AND CONSTANTLY WORK TOWARDS COACHING AND UPLIFTING THEIR SKILL SET. TO THIS END WE SPEND AT LEAST 2% OF OUR ANNUAL REVENUE
WHAT ARE THE CORE COMPETENCIES OF THE BRAND:
THE BIGGEST CORE COMPETENCIES OF AL IKHSAN BRAND IS THAT WE HAVE AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF OUR CORE CONSUMER BASE AND THEIR HABITS WHICH HAS ENDEARED US TO OUR TARGET
IMPACT ON CONSUMERS:
OUR CONSUMERS CONNECT US VERY STRONGLY TO EVERYDAY SPORTS, ESPECIALLY FOOTBALL. WHEN CONSUMERS THINK SPORT, ESPECIALLY FOOTBALL, THEY THINK AL IKHSAN SPORTS. THIS IS THE IMPACT THAT THE BRAND HAS BROUGHT TO THE CONSUMERS.
- MILESTONES OF THE BRAND IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS:
- IMPLEMENTATION OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE TOOLS (2017)
- SIGNING OF UMBRO LICENSE (2017)
- SPONSORSHIP OF NATIONAL GAMES (SUKMA) (2018)
- SIGNING OF LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB (2018)