1 INTODUCTION

The learning outcome of this report is to understand clearly the basic marketing mix and
its usage in practical scenario. In strategic marketing we focus on segmenting one or more
segments to serve differentiate a value proposition and there after we position that value
proposition in the mind of target market. The purpose of tactical marketing mix is to
deliver that positioning to the target market and create trial in the case of new products
and demand in the case of products or services. The tool that drive a tactical marketing
programmes are referred to as the marketing mix.
To bring out my assignment regarding extended marketing mix I have selected the
Company called TRIUMPH SRILANKA. We have collected the information about their
basic business environment and its marketing environment.
Throughout this report we are trying to present that how this company practice marketing
concepts while they are executing their business programmes. Since this is world
recognize company, studying of its Marketing tactics and marketing strategies will leads
to better understanding of practical usage of marketing theories.

2. HISTORY OF TRIUMPH
The corsetiere Johann Gottfried Spiesshofer and the merchant Michael Braun found the
corsetry firm Spiesshofer & Braun, with six sewing machines and six employees. They
began corsetry production in a barn in Heubach (southern Germany). Within a few years
the firm expanded to 150 employees. The business was known as Heubacher
Miederproduzent in the early days.
In 1948, the company reinitiated its dynamic development and from 1953 began trading
under the name Triumph International. From 1954 to 1959 Triumph expanded
throughout Europe, opening branches in Belgium, the UK, Sweden, Italy, Finland,
Norway, Denmark, Austria and the Netherlands.
In 1948, Corsets made a comeback, with Triumph International setting the pace and
becoming the market leader. At the same time, Triumph introduced a bra strap
manufactured with stretch yarns. 1956 marked the beginning of the long-lasting
collaboration with the renowned German couturier Heinz Oestergaard. Triumph
International

established

fashion

shows

in

which

for

the

first time the models wore no flashings under the corsetry. In 1959, the Berlin Hilton was
the location for the largest lingerie fashion show held to date.
The company Triumph International started out as a small-scale venture manufacturing
corsets in a barn is today one of the worlds leading lingerie businesses. And still it is in
the hands of the founding families, Spiesshofer and Braun. And it is the worlds number 1
intimate apparel company, which produces and markets bras, briefs, girdles, lingerie and
swim wear. Triumph operates in more than 125 countries with an overall turnover of
Euros 1.6 billion and has a workforce of 42,881 employees.

3 TRIUMPH SRILANKA
Triumph international Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, is a fully owned subsidiary of Triumph
International. The headquarters of the company is situated in Switzerland and Triumph
Sri Lanka operations commenced in 1994 and launched its first sales channel in 1995 at
the Majestic City. Based on the success at majestic City the concept was extended to a
multi-channel distribution strategy in order to effectively reach a wider group of
customers. The three main shopping malls Crescat Boulevard, Liberty Plaza and Majestic
City have an exclusive lingerie boutique and there are counters in all key locations such
as Odel, Nolimit, Beverly Street, Fashion Bug & fashion retailers island wide.
There is a dedicated sales counter at the head office to serve the dealers from the network
marketing channel, the retailers and any customers who walks in for purchases.
In 1995, July the Direct sales operation was commenced at Alfred House Gardens,
Colombo 03. Presently Triumph has a network of 25 active dealer centers and over 500
registered active dealers. Retail sales operation of Triumph International Lanka
commenced on Nov, 1995, to date Triumph has an active retail chain of more than 500
Outlets Island wide and in addition leading fashion retailers in the country also have
separate Triumph counters at their sales locations.
With its entry to Sri Lanka Triumph's signature presence is evident through open displays,
strong branding and innovative and colorful range of styles. Triumph in Sri Lanka is
known as a company that markets innovative and fashionable intimate wear and is
perceived as an "aspiration brand"
On commencing the second decade of existence Triumph continues to delight the
customers with an array of new styles, more exclusive locations for lingerie shopping
with an incredible ambience and service that you need to experience.
3.1 Vision of the future
A new modern Triumph Logo is at the very centre of a complete new corporate design,
with which Triumph will engage more directly with its consumers and their desires and
wishes. The current Triumph advertising campaign, photographed by the Swede Peter
Gehrke, shows the self confident Triumph woman in natural and realistic life situations.
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Triumph is also not only taking inspiration for its designs from within its own ranks: the
Triumph Inspiration Award has been created so that talented young hopefuls have the
chance to make a name for them in the world of fashion. The award recognizes the
talented young designers of tomorrow from all over the world and in doing so creates a
dialogue between the company and creative young consumers. The emotional bonding of
the brand follows via the Triumph Stores, which are not only a showplace for the products
but also, above all, promote personal contact with the target group.

4 PRINCIPLE BRANDS OF TRIUMPH

Triumph produces convincing designs that emphasise the uniqueness of every individual
body. It is dedicated to both women and men who love their bodies and want to do the
best for them.
Each of Triumphs four principal brands,

Triumph
HOM
Sloggi
VALISERE
Triaction
Mamabel

4.1 Triumph
Triumph celebrates the achievements of women of today and the brand name is more upto-date than ever.It is as mulitfaceted as those to whom it is dedicated while quality,
sensuality and versatility remain at the heart of this very special brand. .Triumph
celebrates the achievements of the woman of today. The brand name already implies this.
The products bring out the best in her, making her inner beauty shine and, if necessary,
hiding those small imperfections. It respects integrity while encouraging each and every
woman to emphasize what makes her unique and share it with her own particular world.
It provides answers and inspiration for every mindset and phase of life. Triumph supports
a young womans self-expression and love of changing trends. Triumph captures the
individual taste of those whove found their special style. A classic by Triumph addresses
a love of timeless elegance and optimal body shaping, whatever a womans age.
4.2 Sloggi
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Sloggi is the highest-selling branded brief in the world and it is because of its ultra-high
quality and unique comfort.
The sloggi brand likes to take a walk on the wild side whilst remaining true to its
origins as ultra comfy underwear. Triumph Internationals superior cotton-Lycra mix
provides the highest quality material and is combined with excellent workmanship. For
lovers of the stretch brief this means ultimate comfort when wearing these beautifully
designed pieces. For 30 years now, sloggi has been the favorite brand of modern and
active individuals.
Fresh design, bright colors and trendy cuts are the trademark of sloggi briefs, tops, bras
and swimwear ideal companions for the adventures of the Here and Now.
4.3 Valisere
While sloggi likes to see the wildness of men and women, Triumphs luxury brand
Valisre is dedicated to women who want to seduce the senses with breathtaking lingerie
VALISERE designs the mystery of the moment by choosing to be the brand for women
who dictate their terms of seductiveness.
Mysteriously holding the secrets of the female body, VALISERE treasures intimacy and is
dedicated to elegantly seducing the senses.
Mysteriously holding the secrets of the female body, yet tempting the eye and revealing,
lingerie is the most intimate and seductive of cover ups. VALISERE treasures this
intimacy and is dedicated to elegantly seducing the senses. In designing its collections,
the brand celebrates the allure of the female body. Creating exclusive pieces of
seductiveness, VALISERE indulges in fabrics that cherish the skin adding to the
sensation that already tempts the eye. Of French origin, the brand charms with elaborate
designs, exclusive fabrics, delicate embroidery, and outstanding workmanship.
VALISERE designs the mystery of the moment by choosing to be the brand for women
who dictate their terms of seductiveness.
4.4 Triaction
From soft comfort for non-impact sports to maximum support for peak athletic
performance: with Triaction bras and underwear, you're on the way to being a winner.

4.5 Mamabel

Comfortable support, perfect fit, convenient to use, for all mothers.

5 MARKET SHARE AND THE MICRO ENVIRONMENT OF

TRIUMPH
Since their are no proper industry data pertaining to the lingerie market rough calculations
have to be made. According to Triumphs calculations it has a market share of 35% of
customers and about 12-15% with respect to the pieces sold. The local market share
according to pieces moving is due to the fact taht there being lots of cheap local brands in
the market.
Their Micro environment of Triumph is rather Complex. Triumph focuses on three
different sales channels namely their wholesalers, direct customers and the distributors.
Other stakeholders also play an important role like the owners of the business and their
supplier which is Body Line Pvt ltd for products made in Sri Lanka. They focus on the
general public where they target different groups to create positive Public Relations and
they educate the general public about the lingerie industry, the product usages, create
positive images of brand. Triumph always keeps on introducing new styles new concepts
to target these customer groups.

6 MARKETING MIX OF TRIUMPH

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6.1 Product Mix

The product plays an important role when it comes to delivering customer value. Product
wise the focus is on high quality and innovative products. There is no question of poor
quality in Triumph because all the functions one would look for in a bra were adequately
provided by Triumph. It is very technically superior product as the measuring of a bra
offered a band size as well as a cup size and other main measurement tools elements
having introduced it to the local market. When they entered the market they focused on
creating attention through educating the people by showing them that the products that
they normally use do not essentially fit their requirements where as Triumph definitely
gives a better fit, it is comfortable, long lasting, and introduces the fashion element which
was somewhat a new concept given the peoples line of thinking about lingerie.
After penetrating into the market Triumph focused on their Quality Aspect to acquire the
customers because they made the customers realize that Triumph is superior to what is
offered in the local market. After the base level customers were educated they wanted
something that was far more sophisticated. The fashion aspect of Triumph was then
highlighted to make them realize that Triumph is not like any other normal bra but a very
fashionable one. They focused on better standard catering to various needs like the
strapless bra for evening wear, pushups or minimizes, sports bra for sports women,
maternity bra for nursing. Triumph brought in a new product range every six months to
retain their customer base and also to expand it.
Anticipating population trends, globalization, customer behavior and needs of the
target audience were needed to retain the existing customers:
When compared to fifteen years ago what the fashion industry was, it is far more
developed now. People spend more on fashion but they are not brand conscious. Also
most of the buyers are price conscious. With globalization people travel more often and
buy lingerie abroad because they associate those to high quality. However when they
travel around they are able to see for themselves that Triumph is a global brand and feel
comfortable purchasing it. Thus the feedback Triumph receives plays an important part in
retaining their loyal customers. When retaining customers Triumph focuses on desire,
action, interest and they look into more specific consumer needs. People who started
using Triumph wanted to stay with it because they realized it was far more superior to
what they used before which was offered in the local market and the experience was so
much better for the customers.
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6.1.1 The main reasons that attracted the loyal customer base of Triumph

The Fit The primary reason for customers to buy Triumph was that they wanted a bra that
fitted them perfectly. None of the other local brands offered a cup size like
Triumph did. Suppose the bandwidth is 34 the person with A, B, C cup will have
to buy the same cup size that is available in the local market where as in Triumph
it fits perfectly according to the body type

The Comfort
If an inner garment does not provide the adequate amount of support people tend
to feel very uncomfortable. By using Triumph they are able to feel the difference
when compared to the standard ones that are available in the local market. As a

result feel very confident.

Better postureAs Triumph takes steps to measure them and give a specific size people are very
happy with how the bra fits them and looks on them. With any outer garment it
can be clearly seen. So this will positively affect the way women carry

themselves.
It is a fashionable brand The wearer knows that they are using a brand that is current, contemporary, fun,
and innovative. By associating with Triumph these people are able to
communicate to the world that they have a high fashion sense and that they are
progressive. It was also very long lasting.

6.2 Price Mix

Triumph is superior not only in its product but also in its design (cup size, color, fashion,
various measurements etc). Triumph builds a loyalty by making the market aware of the
product by educating and giving information about the product. This was the major
reason to make their price premium in the market. Triumph had targeted the upper
segment of the market thus making it the only competitor in that segment. The customers
were willing to pay a premium price for Triumph because they knew they were
purchasing a unique brand that not everyone wears.
Triumph had many whole sale and retail shop all over the world as well as in the country.
And full ranges of the products are available in the market and try to acquire as much as
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costumers from the market. And in many fashion item shops triumph has its counter to
facilitate the products and distribute them. Triumph has recruited personalized sellers who
go to consumers and promote the product by educating how to use them, what benefits
they can have from the product and the ways that it is unique from other products.
Triumph also uses their website and costumers are able to browse any design. As to make
them more aware of product triumph gives user manual which include the way of
handling the product. Triumph has used these kinds of unique techniques to handle and
care for their customers and acquire new customers to enhance their market share
Once triumph acquired their customers as many as they expected and value adding
customers to their product their main forces is to build strategies to make them retain as
regular customers to triumph. Therefore they introduce loyalty cards and issue them to
consumers and give the credit points to recognize the frequent and value adding
consumers to award them as well as giving them discounts. Also the collect customer
feedback and with the help of the consumers information they treat consumers according
to their choice. Also specials of consumers are noticed and wishing cards are been send as
to make them feel more important to the brand. Triumph also engage in public relation
activities like recruiting multi cultural stuff, recycle waste and produce organic products
and respecting the rules and regulation which are impose by the government.
Since 1994 2001 triumph focus on telling customers that particular brand is there and
what the product is all about it was a very basic approach to add value to the customer.
After that from 2002 brand was already known to customers. So triumph has to change
the advertising method to more sophisticate. And the brand fashion expectation was
highlighted. Therefore triumph try communicate customers saying that this is not just a
bra it also fashionable and quality bra. (eg: sport bra, evening bra, maternity bra etc..) .
Also we track our efficiency by employee research center mystery customers and act as a
customer and see how they get the service and try to improve our service level with the
help of bench marks. Once the customer interacts with Triumph they try to encourage
them to come back by looking at the life time value of the customer.
6.3 Place Mix
Place or Distribution is the element in the marketing mix which ensures that products are
made available at the right place, right quantity, right time and the right condition.

Triumph uses various methods to make sure that the customers their desired products at
the right time, right place and the right condition.

Direct Channel
This is the main distribution channel of Triumph. This comes under the Lingerie
Boutique concept of having a fully dedicated lingerie store with full range of
Triumph products. And Triumph is the only lingerie brand to have a dedicated
lingerie shop in Sri Lanka.
At this point of time Triumph has 5 dedicated lingerie boutiques.

Wholesale Channels
This is the channel where Triumph sells its products into other fashion stores like
Fashion Bug, No Limit, Odel, Beverly Street etc. with their own display racks.

Direct Sales Channel

Under this distribution channel Triumph has a network marketing model where it
encourages people to deal with the product and to sell the product on behalf of
Triumph to friends and relatives. This is an entrepreneual business model.
This channel gives strong individual sales due to the fact that word of mouth plays
a key part. More people are willing to purchase Triumph when a friend gives a
good opinion of the product. Currently Triumph has a network of over 450
registered dealers.

In this element of the marketing mix attention is created by ads in the direct channel
method while in the wholesale channel attention is created by the display racks and in the
direct sales channel attention is created by word of mouth where customers who have
used the product give a positive feedback to other potential customers encouraging them
to purchase the Triumph product.
The potential customers are acquired by the customer service skills of the Triumph
customer service agents who are very well trained. Even though Triumph does not have
complete control over the wholesale channel customer acquisition it does give customer
service training to the sales people working in the fashion stores with information of the
finer points of the Triumph range and the technical details of the Triumph brand.
Once the customer has purchased the Triumph product the whole quality aspect takes
over where the customer feels comfortable wearing lingerie which fits her perfectly.
6.4 promotions Mix

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In the marketing mix promotion represents the various aspects of the marketing
communication that is the communication information of the product with the goal of
generating positive customer response.
Triumph uses the following marketing communications decisions:

AdvertisingDue to cultural constraints here in Sri Lanka Triumph hasnt been able to advertise
its products on massive billboards and other ways it has advertised its product in
other countries. Triumph has mainly concentrated on advertising its products
through the press, with a bit of TV and through radio.

Sales PromotionsThere are different types of sales promotions that Triumph do.
One is the Seasonal promotions which are done mainly during the Christmas,
Valentines Day and avurudu periods.
Another promotional method used by Triumph is up selling; where when a
customer purchases a certain type of product he/she is given a discount to buy
another product.
Gift giving is another promotional method used by Triumph. Also is the gift
voucher promotion system.
Also Triumph within its own stores has tiers where customers buying above a
certain value are given additional incentives.

Personal SellingThis is mainly done through interactions with the customers by the Triumph staff.
The is arguably the most effective way of promoting the product because the
customer gets to know the exact product specifications which is difficult to put
through an advertisement and also more importantly the customers doubts and
questions are answered in personal selling.

Attention to promotion is done mainly by advertisements where the customers are

informed about the promotional activities which are current and are encouraged to visit
the stores. Using the customer information database Triumph sends out emails and post
cards to customers who might be interested in certain promotions.
Acquiring customers through promotion depends on the attractiveness of the promotion.
To acquire certain customers into the brand they get databases from different companies
also using features like dialog star points that are published they link up with them and do
simple promotions to get the customers to experience the product first hand.
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6.5 Importance Triumph places on promotional mix

Promotion - advertising:

Kotler and Armstrong provide an alternative definition:

"Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas,
goods and services through mass media such as newspapers, magazines, television or
radio by an identified sponsor".
Triumph creates attention by being the only high street lingerie brand in Sri Lanka.
Triumph is actually a superior product and Triumph builds loyalty by making the market
aware of the product by educating customers.
The main aim of marketing is to acquire as much as customers and give information
about the product as well as to make them understand there size and benefit of having
such quality brands
The triumph products have maintained the product quality level at the same level over
many years and making that as a fact triumph advertises frequently and make many loyal
customers and remaining them with the same feeling for the product through out the
period. Similarly customers who started newly using brand also wanted to stick to the
brand.
The value was created by making the customers aware of the product and finding the
need of customers and triumph basically started to build its trust with customers for the
main value adding factor for the product. And as a result this promotions Triumph had
gained a major part of the market share and remained as a profitable company.

Promotion - public relations

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The planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual
understanding between an organization and its publics
The role of public relations is to:
Influence the opinions of those publics by Reinforcing favorable opinions, Transforming
perhaps neutral opinions into positive ones and Changing or neutralizing hostile opinions
Triumph is an international company that hires employees from all over the world. And as
a global company Triumph acts responsibly towards the external environment both in the
product it self and manufacturing process. Also various programs are use to integrate
studies of environment as well as separation and recycling of waste.
Triumph offers the consumer the chance to wear their environment awareness next to
their skin. And use the latest, ecologically certified materials. Triumph also manufactures
certified organic cotton for their customers to acquire the whole market in the country.

Promotion - sales promotion

An activity designed to boost the sales of a product or service. It may include an

advertising campaign, increased PR activity, a free-sample campaign, offering free
gifts or trading stamps, arranging demonstrations or exhibitions, setting up
competitions with attractive prizes, temporary price reductions, door-to-door calling,
telemarketing, and personal letters on other methods.
Triumph gathers details of customers and does personal promotions. If there is a new
promotion they will be informed about it using the details. This sales promotion activities
was the main tools that make Triumph brands so popular at the market and make the
consumer be familiar to the brand
Triumph has it own website and catalogues that helps customers to place orders. And with
sales promotion consumers are given credit points as well as awareness of company shops
been located in the country. Triumph has built value of the product through sales
promotions and gained large number of loyal customers who bring back value to the
company.

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Promotion - direct marketing

Direct marketing is concerned with establishing an individual relationship between the

business offering a product or service and the final customer.
The planned recording, analysis and tracking of customer behaviour to develop a
relational marketing strategy
Triumph had located the targeted consumers and brings their attention by sending them
direct mail, brochure, leaflets about new products and their benefits and makes them
aware about the product.
Triumph also give customer feedback forms and take their information and try to fill their
requirements. With the help of their information Triumph identify customers important
dates and send card directly to their doors which make them unique in their direct
marketing.
Triumph has recognized that direct marketing is one of the most effective ways to create
value to the product and get value back to the company.

Promotion - personal selling

Personal selling is oral communication with potential buyers of a product with the
intention of making a sale. The personal selling may focus initially on developing a
relationship with the potential buyer, but will always ultimately end with an attempt to
"close the sale"
Personal selling is one of the oldest forms of promotion. It involves the use of a sales
force to support a push strategy (encouraging intermediaries to buy the product) or a
pull strategy (where the role of the sales force may be limited to supporting retailers and
providing after-sales service).

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Triumph captures the attention of the customers by introducing the concept of defining
themselves to others through the outer wear and defining themselves to them using
the inner wear. Like matching of color, design, shape etc.
One of Triumphs personal selling method was to recruit people who are interested in
dealing with the product and encouraging them to communicate and grow the Brand
triumph to their network of friends and relatives.
Triumph Personalized training has helped the personal sellers to easily give information
about the product and make customers stay with them for their life time. Triumph also has
given special rates to regular customers.

7 Marketing Strategies
7.1 Segmentation
The total viable market available to triumph is the female population in the age region of
12-70.And triumph has segmented the market mainly according to age. The market is
segmented into distinct groups of buyers with different needs, characteristics or behavior
that require separate marketing programs.Triumph has segmented the market into
different categories depending on different basses. One of which is age wise
segmentation.
Teenagers: They are the females in their early teens who between 13-18 years old
who generally need training bras and first bras.
Young Adults: The customer category who generally have a high disposable
income who also look at the fashion aspect.
Mature Adults: The customer category who are not so fashion conscious but
whose priority is comfort.
Elderly: The customer category where the customers dont necessarily dont look
for fashion and innovation but who purchase the range they always purchase (Classic
range).
Another method is depending on income. Since triumph being a premium brand the
target customer base is the upper middle class income rangers.
The market is also segmented according to the life styles and the attitudes of the
customers.
People who want to adventurous and bold
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People who want to be seductive and sensual

People with a I dont care attitude looking for everyday wear

7.3 Targeting & Positioning

Since triumph serves a niche market single segment strategy is the target marketing
strategy used by triumph. The image Triumph has created for itself over the years is a
premium, top range, high quality and fashionable lingerie range, targeting upper middle
class and above market segment.
When the market is taken as a whole and compared with other brands in the local market
like Senorita, Bobbys and the Chinese mass market Triumph might have a lower market
share but in the upper market range targeted by Triumph it is the only brand. Due to this
fact Triumph has been able to retain its customer base and also grow it because the
customers feel unique when wearing Triumph knowing that not everyone in the street is
wearing it.
When comparing Triumph with Midnight Divas who also target the higher section of the
market Triumph has a distinct advantage because Triumph products are targeted for
customers who look for stylish, fashionable inner wear as well as comfortable daily wear
while midnight divas target customers who look for sensuality only.
7.4 Provide Customer Service Methods and Evaluate Customer Feedback
7.4.1 Provide customer service
Triumph offers a detailed training programme when it comes to improving their customer
services. They have an approach which focuses on popularizing the brand through mainly
their six steps of selling triumph method.
The new staffs they recruit are given a comprehensive training from the job description to
the organizational citizenship behavior that is expected of them. Whereas existing staff
will be trained even on a regular basis while on the job and refreshed once in every three
months.
Special sessions are carried out to educate the staff on what the product is all about, new
products that are introduced, their benefits, what material its made of , what it is
supposed to do to the wearer and many other key areas that needs to be addressed.
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There is also training for third party staff once in every three months where they are also
brought into the office for half day coaching sessions where they are trained and given in
depth information about the Triumph brand and its products.
7.4.2 Evaluate customer feedback
In todays increasingly competitive market, it is important both to delight and to avoid
disappointing the customers. Thus, they have a system for obtaining feedback from the
customers. They try to encourage much feedback from customers. For that they have
customer feedback book at every store. So they can rectify their mistakes and make
Triumph stores a better place for customers to shop.
Triumph also has a website through which customers can contact Triumph and give their
feedback. Also Triumph international mostly contacts customers through the E-mails. So
customers give feedback through it also.
By properly analyzing the customer feedback received Triumph has been able to retain
their customers by giving them want they want.
7.5 Use Brand Equity
Brand equity refers to the value of a brand. Brand equity is based on the extent to which
the brand has brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality and strong product
associations. Brand equity also includes other intangible assets such as patents,
trademarks and channel relationships.
Basically customer loyalty was created by quality and the high quality of the Triumph
product made sure that customers would always come back.
Triumph gives loyalty cards to loyal customers who visit the store regularly. Public
relation was the important area to triumph to have loyal customers and increase brand
loyalty. The loyalty programme encourages customers to regularly visit the store thus
increasing the brand equity.

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And traditional retrenchment was taken twice a year and sample regular customers and
fills customer feedback form and customer preference and way to improve our brand
loyalty.
Triumph had never dropped their quality and that make their brand very loyal among the
customers in the market. They focus on getting many young people into the brand
Triumph and getting them to experience.

8 ANALYSES BUYER BEHAVIOR ON TRIUMPH

Triumph analyses any aspect of business or issue from the marketers point of view to
understand what takes place in the minds of their consumers so they are able to predict
their reaction to Triumphs marketing strategy. Due to identifying this correctly they were
able to predict the future trends in consumer needs and align their marketing mix to
satisfy consumers. They have also observed the importance and relevance of factors like
motivation, perception and even learning when it comes to women actually purchasing
lingerie.
They have further analyzed that socio cultural aspects have a big impact when it comes to
influencing a consumer to make that final decision. Sri Lanka is somewhat a conservative
culture when it comes to branded items. Therefore the attitudes they have build up over
the years is somewhat difficult to change because a bra will always be looked upon as a
functional element not a fashion element to be spent unnecessarily upon, however this
attitude seems to be changing. Though not widely visible like in a country like India Sri
Lanka has many social categorizations so the upper social class only seems to be
associating themselves with the high quality, expensive Triumph products. If they think of
targeting the other social classes, maintaining their premium might be an issue. However
when it comes to the work environment especially peer pressure or what other people in
their groups buy when it comes to lingerie influences the other person even though their
need might lie elsewhere. It is also likely that the family values will be continued. If the
mother uses Triumph it is likely that the daughter will follow suit therefore they
encourage concepts like mothers getting the first bra for their daughter etc.

Buyer Behavior Model

PROBLEM
PROBLEM RECOGNITION
RECOGNITION
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Interna
l
search

Interna
l

INFORMATION SEARCH

External
EVALUATE ALTERNATIVES

search

PURCHASE DECISIONS

POST PURCHASE EVALUATION

When Triumph initially entered the market they used this model to decide about the
appropriate marketing strategy that needed to be used in order to effectively target and
position them in the top end of the market. They realized that the problem was that people
had to buy whatever the local brands had to offer which was of cheap quality and did not
offer appropriate cup sizes or fitted garments. Then they started looking up information
internally about the cost structure of their lingerie, the materials that were used and they
used real life models to test the appropriateness of their garments where they were able to
analyze their own shortcomings as well as the failures that were there when it came to the
local products. Externally they studied how effective it was and studied the feedback and
responses they received from customers to gather external information. They realized that
the consumers were faced with options from the local market and cheap imports.

9 CUSTOMER LOYALITY AND RETENTION STRATEGIES

Customer loyalty is fundamentally created by the quality of the product and the brand
where the customer who purchases the triumph brand stays loyal to the brand. Triumph
also has its own loyalty programme aimed at customers who visit Triumphs own stores
called the Goddess Club.
The Goddess club is also known as the goddess circle, is an exclusive club for loyal
Triumph customers. They are also awarded with goddess loyalty cards. The reason for
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offering this loyalty programme to customers who visit the store is because they are
generally affluent than the other customers who visit fashion stores also more in line with
thinking triumph as a fashion brand. Therefore they are given the full range of items
within their own stores.
They are also given loyalty cards and their demographic information is also taken so that
they can use it for promotional activities so that triumph brand is constantly reminded to
them. Once the customer interacts with Triumph they try to encourage them to come back
by looking at the life time value of the customer. Attention is focused on grabbing the
customers imagination and where they tell them to look at what they offer and to stick
with them.

9.1 Strategies used to build profitable customer relationships

In the Sri Lankan market Triumph was the first branded lingerie product that entered into
the market. At a time when the locally manufactured brands and imports were
substandard, Triumph was the only product in the market to offer the right comfort, fit
and style. It was very superior product comparatively with the measuring tools being
introduced into the local market for the first time.
Initially they focused on awareness and education to create the required attention that was
needed. They followed a basic level of marketing by bringing their attention to their own
consumer needs by telling them not to worry about the discomforts that they are currently
feeling as with triumph, they will not feel that anymore.
During 1994 to 2001 period Triumph built customer relationships purely on the basis of
trust. The customers got to know that the product was of best quality, international
standards, where

production was sourced from Europe and Asia even the lace,

hooks, straps, netting were of very high quality. Customers then were able to understand
that this product will have the same effects over a long period of time, for years and that
every Triumph product they by will have the same level of quality. This is how their
automatic trust started building up.
Brand got more attention during 2001- 2002 where the approach changed. With the
sophisticated range being introduced the people were able to understand that while they
used outer garments to define themselves the inner wear can also be used to define
themselves. With these relationships building up the whole concept of glamour, colour,
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matching sets of bra & brief was introduced. Due to this they were able to change the
mindset that innerwear is a fashion element not just a functional element.

10 SWOT ANALYSIS

A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic
planning process. Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as
strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as
opportunities (O) or threats (T). Such an analysis of the strategic environment is referred
to as a SWOT analysis.
A firm's strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for
developing a competitive advantage. The absence of certain strengths may be viewed as a
weakness. In some cases, a weakness may be the flip side of strength. Take the case in
which a firm has a large amount of manufacturing capacity. While this capacity may be
considered a strength that competitors do not share, it also may be a considered a
weakness if the large investment in manufacturing capacity prevents the firm from
reacting quickly to changes in the strategic environment. The external environmental
analysis may reveal certain new opportunities for profit and growth. Changes in the
external environmental also may present threats to the firm.
The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the firm's resources
and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates.
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We can analyze this Triumph international Lanka (Pvt) Ltd according to the SWOT
analysis.

Strengths

The heritage it brings

The 120 years experience

Significant level of innovation that is brought into the market

High level of quality and technical expertise

Weaknesses

Using new technologies like internet and social media

Some other consecutive approach in advertising

Opportunities

Have an opportunity to grow fashionable bras.

An unfulfilled customer need

Arrival of new technologies
Loosening of regulations in cultural department
Removal of international trade barriers

Threats

Other brands coming into the market like Monthe, which is created by Mas
Holdings. Its currently developing in India

Conservative nature of public regarding Lingerie items

11 MARKETING ENVIRONMENT OF TRUMPH

Marketers should understand the marketing environment before come to the marketing
decision. Marketing environment is any individual, group, organization or any other
dimension

that

directly

or

indirectly

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influence

marketing

decisions

of

organization.Therefor marketer should recognize variable of environment and its impacts

due to following reasons

To identify marketing opportunities

To recognize threat for organization
Segmenting the market and selecting target market
Determine the positioning strategies
Designing appropriate marketing mix and other marketing programs.

We have done the pest analysis of triumph as follow.

11.1 General environment

A PEST analysis is an analysis of the external macro-environment that affects all firms.
P.E.S.T. is an acronym for the Political, Economic, Social, and Technological factors of
the external macro-environment. Such external factors usually are beyond the firm's
control and sometimes present themselves as threats.
In this company also we can see the Political, Economic, Social, and Technological
factors. The following are examples of some of the factors that might be considered in a
PEST analysis in a Triumph international Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

Political Analysis

Political stability

Risk of military invasion

Legal framework for contract enforcement

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Intellectual property protection

Trade regulations

Economic Analysis

Government intervention in the free market

Comparative advantages of host country

Infrastructure quality

Labor costs

Social Analysis

Demographics

Class structure

Education

Culture (gender roles, etc.)

Attitudes (health, environmental consciousness, etc.)

Technological Analysis

Recent technological developments

Technology's impact on product offering

Impact on value chain structure

Rate of technological diffusion

The Use of Information Technology for Triumph

Email is one of the Information Technology tool used by Triumph to market its
product. Email is a powerful, low-cost communications tool that businesses are
using to market their goods, provide better customer service and work more
efficiently. Email can provide a cost-effective way of marketing. Customers can
be targeted cheaply and instantly and, unlike other forms of marketing, email can
be easily and quickly forwarded to colleagues or friends. Encouraging the

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recipients of marketing emails to forward them on is known as viral marketing or

word of mouth.
Triumph has a database of about 8000 people most being its regular customers. It
uses the data base to inform customers about new products, new collections, and

sales promotions. External databases are also used for promotional activities.
Even though Triumph does not offer e commerce facilities it uses its website to
give in depth information about Triumphs product range. The website also offers

an e catalogue for the customers to browse through.

Triumph also distributes interactive CD s which tries to capture customers
attention and bring them into the Triumph brand.

12 DRAW BACKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRIUMPH

12.1

Draw backs

Following drawbacks related to the overall Triumph company.

1. Increasing cost of quality raw materials
Demand depends on the price of products the prices of related of the Triumph
products and consumers' incomes and tastes. Supply depends not only on the price
obtainable for the product but also on the prices of similar products, the techniques of
production, and the availability and costs of inputs. Because of increasing the prices
of Raw Materials Company have to increase their final product price.And because of
increasing cost of designing also a disadvantage for triumph.
2. The famous American lingerie chain Victorias Secret, main competitor of
Triumph operating in the upper-middle price sector, mainly invests in promotion.
It also employs the most expensive models, like the long-legged German, Heidi
Klum. Because the quality of its products does not change,
3. Other thing is most of the products are sewn in Asia just like the lower-price
sector of companies, it is a disadvantage for triumph.
4.

lack of the artistic features and individuality which are so necessary for lingerie.

5. Ending of concessions: quotas and tax benefits such as GSP +

6. Global economic downturn that causes low demand for high-end lingerie.
7. Now with whole world is facing to a economic down turn, triumph also effecting
from that because they are selling their products internationally. And to sell their
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products at a higher price is a big problem.80% of sri Lankan products export to

the USA and Europe countries and those countries now cancelling their orders
also a big issue for srilankan garments such as Triumph.
8.

Increasing labour charges in developing countries

9. Possible diseconomies of scale due to over expansion of markets

10. Shortage of skilled labour
11. Socio-cultural implications in marketing and promotional activities
12. Heavy capital investments in manufacturing and distribution
12.2

Recommendations

We would like to recommend that it seems that Triumph has an great International future
and they should keep up their good work and try to get touch with companies all over the
world. They should also focus on getting closer to the customer through retailing and
branding. Other recommendations are as follows.
1. Triumph can be benefited from many women viewing lingerie as a relatively
inexpensive pick-me-up at a time when the recession was biting into other areas
of spending.
2. Innovation and new product development (NPD) have soared as young and older
women alike rediscovered the fashion potential of bras and underwares.Valesere
in particular, acquired a much greater fashion status in 2009, causing volume sales
to increase. More young women are now wearing these bras and there has been a
great deal of innovation in underwear garments, which are now staple garments
for many young female consumers.
3. Technological advancements have driven the brassiere (bra) industry, and the
market is currently highly competitive in terms of offering products with unique
and multi-functional properties. Manufacturers have also used technological
development to increase the comfort and effectiveness of shape wear, which has
become a major sales driver for the sector. As Triumph does not offer e commerce
facilities it uses its website to give in depth information about Triumphs product
range They can use these latest technologies to promote and sell their products
online

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4. No doubt the industry will bounce back after the worst of the recession is over. In
terms of the retail market, the competitive arena is becoming increasingly
crowded. Lingerie specialists, both on the high street and online, are encroaching
on the territory traditionally dominated by the mixed retailers and fashion
multiples. Supermarkets, too, are looking to increase market share by offering
designer styles at high-street prices. Like Marks & Spencer (M&S) the dominant
lingerie retailer Triumph also has the ability to increase its sales with this new
opportunities coming ahead.
5. The market is definitely looking upwards in terms of quality and sophistication;
however, in the future, pricing will not be a problem for Triumph.Online retailing
for lingerie has proved successful, and this will add to an extremely pricesensitive market for Triumph.
6. Triumph also can bring its own trends in an increasingly exciting and competitive
period for the lingerie market.
7. Now many people use these bra items as a fashion item Many Western women
place a great deal of importance on their physical appearance, especially their
breast shape and body image. Triumph can take this as a advantage and try to
make different types of garments which are suitable for the timely fashion. And
the Western media, especially advertising, emphasizes a woman's body shape,
especially her breasts.The market is now fully open for Triumph
8. Another advantage which Triumph can get is its unique way of presenting
underwear. Triumph has introduced a specific new consumer lifestyle to retail
outlets. Its underwear has not been sold not as a functional clothing unit, but as
some sort of emotional expression.all these reasons can get as an opportunity to
spread the market share of Triumph.
9. Other things that Triumph can achieve is as follow.
10. Securing sources of quality material suppliers through backward integration
11. Maintain the uniqueness in designing , manufacturing and distribution to secure
customer base
12. Continuous innovations and inventions at all levels of business activities

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13. Securing skilled labour with an incentive scheme

14. Negotiate nationally and internationally for concessions: quotas and tariff
concessions
15. Participate in trade shows and international exhibition as a part of promotional
program
16. Partnering with global giants for better performance

CONCLUSION

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REFERENCES
Kotler, P. and Armstrong , G.(2006) Principle of Marketing,11th ed.
Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited.

(2008) Triumph International (Online) Available:

www.triumph.com/lk [Retrieved on the 18 Nov 2009]

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