Classmate : Brand Strategy and Brand Extension

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Brand Strategy:

Classmate as a brand promises to deliver notebooks of high quality and Eco-friendly paper. It is the pioneer of organization of the notebook industry. With its product features and customer value have ensured that the customers always prefer classmate over its competitors.  Also the number one status of the classmate notebook has been the status symbol for the customers.

Classmate has devised such a strategy that has always catered to the requirements of the target group by introducing variants. This helped classmate to strengthen the loyalty factor and this helped in establishing the emotional connect with the brand.

Low single digit market for spiral notebooks: Focusing on school kids and youth, the ITC Classmate Pulse range of spiral notebooks add to the convenience apart from being durable. As against a high double digit market for spiral notebooks in developed markets, it is a low single digit in India. However, ITC sees this segment growing in years to come. These notebooks offer a wide range of designs and showcase rich art and textures in vivid palettes.

All set with the trend game: In a society that gets excited with selfies, the ITC has come up with a range which enables them to have their photos on the notebook. They can also have a customized cover based on their favorite picture and have it delivered home.

Classmate puts in a lot of focus on brand management. It consistently delivers the product that matches the expectations and also provides additional features. It enhances the emotional connection within the people by its ad campaigns which focus on uniqueness and also specialties in a kid.


Brand Extension:

 ITC’s extension into ‘Classmate’ stationery:

  • ITC made its foray into stationery with ‘Paperkraft’ in 2002 
  • Expanded into the popular segment with ‘Classmate’ in 2003 
  • Classmate became largest notebook brand in the country 
  • Classmate & Paperkraft have become a natural extension of the consumer

Sub-Brand: Classmate
  • Classmate Notebooks
  • Classmate Pencils and Mechanical pencils
  • Classmate Pens 
  • Classmate Colors and Sketch pens
  • Classmate Erasers and Rulers 
  • Classmate Sharpeners
  • Classmate Geometry Box
Line Extension: Classmate Notebook
  • Classmate Longbook
  • Classmate Short Notebooks, Notebooks and Registers
  • Classmate Drawing books
  • Classmate Graph books
  • Classmate Lab Practical
  • Classmate Spiral Notebooks
  • Classmate Notepad
  • Classmate Minipad

With the name of their Sub-Brand Classmate they were ranging in two multi brands i.e. 
  1. Paperkraft: In notebook and stationary: They dealt in the normal to premium range

   2. Colorcrew: In Colors and drawing stationary

POD's and POS's for the Brand Extension:

Points of Differentiation:

Product Differentiation: Durability, conformance quality, reliability, repair ability, style, performance quality differentiate a product 
Design Differentiation: Classmate has very good cover design that differentiates it from its competitors. The customers register the design at the first look and hence prefer classmate over others. 
Services Differentiation: Ordering ease, delivery, installation, customer training, customer consulting, maintenance repair and returns differentiate services 

Points of similarity:

Regular range of stationery like competitors 
Similar reach & target group 
Similar price range

ITC Limited, the diversified business conglomerate, is seeking to woo students with its wide range of innovative Classmate notebooks and other brand extensions, including Pulse 3D range and Selfie cover books, and all sorts of trendy stationary items.

Shailendra Tyagi, Chief Executive, Education and Stationary Products Business Division of ITC Limited, said, “ITC Classmate has at its core the driving commitment to ensure consumer delight with its high-quality, innovative and visually appealing products."



Sources: 




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