Things and times certainly have changed. Definitely from the times when you ordered a custom-configured computer from a manufacturer. Now, one can configure a high-end luxury television, and that too with a mobile app.
The company that has come up with this cutting edge innovation is US-based Vu Technologies that also operates out of Mumbai. One of the R&D centres of the company, which is known for its super TVs, is located in Bangalore.
Vu Technologies CEO Devita Saraf, who was in the city for the just-concluded TechCrunch India 2013 event, told this correspondent, “We are coming up with a whole customisation of television products. We are creating online platform through which one can customise one’s own products.”
The innovation has just been launched, and the company plans to sell 1000 TVs online per month. It will need eight months to get there.
Saraf incidentally was also in the city for discussions with possible partners to transform this innovation into a e-commerce venture. She said, “Bangalore is the place where you get the entire backend industry to build an entire ecommerce company. And if I am able to find the talent, I will set up (the division) right here in Bangalore.”
The initiative probably has roots in the way Saraf sees things. “People’s habits these days is to go from reading the newspaper on the mobile phone to Googling up products. Any e-commerce initiative will have to be cellphone-friendly.” This is where the app comes in.
Vu Technologies, which does its entire marketing in-house, will be relying on social media, but not in the conventional manner. The company’s CEO said, “Social media is important and we have a strong base. But the connect between social media and revenue / ecommerce is a blurred line. First, everyone today is a social media expert. Second, people who may not buy your product are liking it. So you may get these lovely numbers to throw to your management, but how are you really going to monetise it?”
So Saraf is taking things to the next level. “People can now customise their own televisions on www.tech.vu/custom and share it on social media.”
The point is not just to create awareness for the product, but also allow the customer to show off the configuration s/he made for oneself. And of course, buy too.
Things have changed otherwise too. “The concept of India being a backend where thousands of coders do basic level work has changed to customer-centric innovations for which you have to look at the world as a playground for sourcing. But your development happens locally where your NPD (new product development) team deals with customers and creates products for them. This is an interesting trend for us because India has always been the backend of the world whereas I am more passionate about building my own brand.”
Today, Vu products are sold in 70 countries.
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