The Lenzing Group (Lenzing) has redefined Tencel, as its textile premium brand at the 2018 Fibers & Yarns by Tecoya Group in Mumbai India. The redefining of Tencel brand is a key milestone of Lenzing’s new brand strategy to enhance product brand offerings, foster connection with customers and consumers, and drive consumer demand. Tencel is well positioned to be a major growth engine in the textile sector, with a brand portfolio that caters to distinctive usage – Tencel Active, Tencel Denim, Tencel Home, Tencel Intimate, and Tencel Luxe, all enabled by two versatile and highly compatible fibres, Tencel Modal and Tencel Lyocell.

Designed and based on the findings and insights of an extensive market research, the brand architecture is an important step for Lenzing to transform from a business-to-business (B2B) fibre producer to a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) brand. The redefined Tencel product brand, along with the tagline ‘Feels so right’, will enable Lenzing to embark on communication around messages that move beyond fibre types and characteristics towards everyday use and benefits that brands and consumers value.

S Jayaraman, Regional Commercial Director-South Asia and South East Asia, explains, “With a longer-term strategy to enhance connection with customers and consumers, 2018 will be a game changer for Lenzing. Globally, the wood-based cellulosic market is still small compared to the overall fibre demand and we expect greater growth in the foreseeable future.” Specifically, the South Asia market is poised to capture an even larger share of that growth because it has all the necessary ingredients for success in the textile industry – from infrastructure to cost competitiveness, from population size to people expertise.

“We are charting a bold new course to simplify our product portfolio and elevate our brand to bring more value to consumers and industry partners,” said Vernon Yeo, Head of Marketing & Branding for Asia, Middle East and Africa Region. “As Lenzing’s flagship brand in the textile sector, Tencel will grow beyond fibre types and functional characteristics, it will become a true consumer-focussed brand with a promise of something more functional and emotional. By elevating Tencel to a promise to the consumer rather than a product message to the value chain, we can start to excite consumers, retailers and brands about the holistic benefits of botanic fibers.” Guided by the brand promise of ‘Feels so right’, Tencel brings greater degree of comfort and higher performance to consumers while making them feel good about the choices they make. He said they to create a stronger connection with the industry value chain and consumers through our expertise around sustainability, especially in Tencel Modal and Tencel Lyocell fibres. In the long run, the plan is to build Tencel not only into a trusted B2B brand but also a preferred consumer brand, which provides B2B customers with ease to maximise marketing effectiveness and enables consumers to identify ‘feel-good’ products made with sustainable materials.

Newer avenues

New swing tags and marketing materials will be launched on a retail level to provide clarity on product benefit claims containing Tencel branded fibers. The swing tags, along with more detailed guidelines on B2B and B2C usage, are now available on Lenzing’s new e-branding service platform, which caters to B2B customers and retail partners, offering faster, more sustainable and more user-friendly solutions for certification and licensing.

“By applying the new brand strategy, we will take a more personalized and targeted approach to reflect the Tencel brand essence of ‘softness’ and ‘feeling good with a natural touch’ with local B2B customers, retail partners and consumers,” says Avinash Mane, Head-Commercial, South Asia. “We will work closely with the local industry value chain and retail brands to educate consumers about Tencel featured value propositions like product quality, functional benefits and sustainability. Co-branding programmes such as swing tags or packaging, and co-marketing campaigns with retail brands will enable us to reach out to consumers directly. With more brand exposure and ongoing consumer education from this year onwards, consumers will see more of us through the Tencel brand in apparel and home textiles and/or in our partners’ retail outlets in the South Asia region.”