JK Lakshmi Cement has announced a new relationship program for dealers - JK Lakshmi CHAMPS. The program has been devised in consultation with Evolve Brands, which won the mandate post a multi-agency pitch.

The program would focus on building customized marketing and relationship programs for dealers across the brand’s different markets, and is extended to dealers by invitation.

Besides sales, the program would also map dealers on engagement on parameters like POS management, mystery shopper and maintenance of glow signs. 

The claim is that this program would be ‘very different from the other run of the mill programs and schemes run by other cement companies’, as it would engage them both on the sales and other sales-related parameters. The program also claims that it would be distinct because of its ‘softer touch’ customized to dealers’ cultures and backgrounds. 

According to a company statement, the program has been well received by partners in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and is now on its way to the North and West markets.

On awarding this mandate to Evolve Brands, Sunil Agarwal, Head-Marketing Services, JK Lakshmi, said, “Evolve had a crystal clear ideology in weaving this program for our dealers.” “Their immense experience with cross-section of the industry was paramount which helped us swing the decision in their favor,” he added.

Agarwal, noted, “It was imperative for us to take an initiative in this direction of delighting our dealers in the current market scenario  and Evolve helped us weave a complete strategy to fast forward this approach with clear differentiators against what other cement companies were doing in the marketplace. The program would encompass around acknowledging certain business achievements besides addressing some softer issues of any relationship”.

KJ Singh, Co-Founder and CEO, Evolve Brands, credited the marketing team at JK Lakshmi Cement for their clarity in attempting something unforeseen with the dealer channel.

”We were not wanting to suggest the same mundane incentive approach to delight the dealers. It was an oft repeated scenario when every other company wants to cherish their dealers and ultimately end up showering discount approach or freebies like foreign trips. For us, it was imperative to take this brief as unique, considering the psychographic profile of the dealers involved were also from C and D category towns. The exposure and interpretation of what the company means by a relationship program is different in these towns,” said Singh.

Singh explained that the program would help create a platform for determining and re-aligning a comprehensive matrix of touch points for the brand with the dealer community.