Sleek design for quick-bite spot

Today, Elephant is one of the largest design companies in India with strength of over 60 professionals, and with projects impacting India and eighty other developing markets across multiple domains and disciplines. The company acts in the areas of Branding, Product Design, Packaging, Print & other media and Multi-sensorial, Experiential Retail or Signage.

Some of its significant clients are Bajaj Auto Ltd, Hindustan Unilever, P & G, Britannia, Titan and Club Mahindra: Zest. It has international presence through strategic partnership with Continuum, USA and npk Design, The Netherlands. The company is also the Indian associate of The Design Alliance. 

CASE STUDY

Objective

Venky’s the leaders in poultry, chicken & ready-to-eat processed chicken delicacies were looking at establishing a chain of quick-service takeaway places as brand experience points. There was a need to create exclusive quick-service food experience for the youth keeping in mind their preferences, trends and comfort zones.

Solution Provided

Team Elephant observed several takeaway places and youth hang-outs to understand the needs and aspirations of this audience. A takeaway place is almost always treated as a place to eat a quick meal by young and hungry. The chicken eating young audience gives great importance to the food itself and would rather concentrate on the act of eating than spending a lot of time experiencing the ambience. By nature, today’s youth can deal with multi-media and multi-messaging. So, the need was to create a space that gives quick and effective presence of brand experience across all touch points.

Attitude and aspiration of service start with the name itself. The outlets are named “Venky’s Xprs”. The outlet wears a very sleek, international branding. It provides a well managed contemporary experience that is at par with any international fast-food chain.

Venky’s Xprs was designed with a bright brand ambience. Counters, tables and other furniture are designed with clean smooth lines in contemporary materials. Large stylised illustrations and posters in brand colours with witty messaging created the backdrop. Messaging was aligned to youth lingo and touch points like takeaway picture postcards, placemats, trays, cartons, glasses, counters and glow-boxes add to the refreshing youth buzz.

Benefits

The first retail outlet was launched in February 2010 at Pune. One could see stampede there on many days and the model will be gradually replicated across India.

Store designers in India are equally adept at evolving great in-store experiences when compared to international standards. The difference is the understanding Indian designers show towards the Indian retail consumer, the ROI for the business, and understanding of the Indian context of retailing. This is the edge most Indian store designers carry. It is use of technology and material sciences for retail we in India need to learn. Though international brands are present, most are tempering their presence and communication based on requirements of the Indian consumers and shoppers.

Ashish Deshpande, Director, Experience Innovation, Elephant Strategy + Design