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Titan, a Tata group company entered the watch market in 1987.

Since then it has developed into one


of the most recognized brands in India. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by A&M, Titan emerged
as the top brand in the consumer durable segment.HMT, the undisputed leader of the wristwatch
market before Titan's entry completely neglected the quartz watch segment. Titan successfully filled
this gap. Its wide range of designs, high profile advertising and distribution network helped it gain a
substantial market share in a short span of time.The Titan brand was essentially positioned as a
premium brand. As a result the lower segment was left uncovered. After it entered into a joint
venture with Timex, it made inroads into this segment too. Internationally, Timex is seen as a mid-
priced quality watchmaker. Its association with Titan in India led to wrong segment targeting. Here,
the middle and higher income groups were buying its watches. In 1998, this association came to an
end erasing Titan's presence in the lower segment. Since then, it has launched the Sonata range of
watches that is in direct competition with the Timex range.

These watches are priced between Rs 800 to Rs 7500. If Titan misses an opportunity to attack itself,
it can often recover simply by copying the competitive move. They projected the watch as a fashion
accessory. 2) "Strong competitive moves should always be blocked" Most companies have only one
chance to win, but leaders like Titan have two. 4000* Lower segment: The Sonata and Exacta range
caters to this segment. However this strategy can be applied mainly to the lower range or digital
range of Titan's watches, as the concept of 'class' remains constant over a period of time. In other
words, Titan should strengthen its position by introducing new products that make obsolete its
existing ones. The different market segments that it targets include:* Upper premium segment: This
range includes Tanishq and a new brand (soon to be launched) , Phillipe Charriol. All watches are
highly water resistant, ranging from 50m to 100m. * Speciality segments: These are special segments
that tend to overlap with the others, because they are not mainly differentiated on the basis of price.

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