Over the past few years, the wearable technology landscape has evolved immensely with a host of new and upcoming devices, especially fitness trackers, coming into the hands of hundreds of thousands of eager consumers. With the advent of wearable technology, the acceptance among the Indian consumers has risen dramatically and will continue to do so in the near future owing to increasing interest in managing physical activity, calorie intake and staying in shape. This is the reason that brands worldwide are identifying opportunities in the Indian connected health and fitness market.
The wearable technology has entered the Indian market at a point in time where smartphone usage has crossed all boundaries. The fact that a fitness tracker can be paired with a smartphone, which can further help analyse personal data and provide the user with insights into his health and fitness is further fuelling consumer interest. Whether it’s counting steps, calories, monitoring sleep or setting goals, fitness apps push a user to perform his best. Using the smartphone platform in sync with the fitness trackers, brands are making sure that they become a part of a consumer’s daily routine making it more convenient for them to track their progress.
Having said that, beyond the fitness category, there exists a category of consumers who demand more than functionality. Catering to this category means infusing a sense of fashion and desirability into the products. The aim is to invoke the feeling of a lifestyle product when talking about technology since wearables make a strong statement about the user. Acceptability of wearables can be further pushed with advancements in product usability apart from functionality and quality. The consumer demands usability of a fitness tracker to go beyond his gym or yoga class.
The need of the hour is to offer appealing timepieces which serve as a fashion accessory apart from being at their functional best.
Realising the power of this extraordinary combination, the wearable technology industry has made efforts to expand their consumer base and appeal to women as well, while traditionally the consumer focus was on men. They are now focusing on products that are being designed for women who don’t want to have to decide between jewellery and gadget. To achieve mass-market adoption many wearable brands are partnering with fashion houses to broaden their visual appeal. With technological innovation at its rapid pace, the styling and design of the wearables will become one of the distinguishing factors as the Indian market is still at its nascent stage in terms of attractive wearable devices.
Looking at this immense potential, we at Timex expanded the Ironman portfolio with the introduction of Timex Ironman Move x20 and Timex Ironman Run x20 GPS. These were designed especially to cater to our consumers’ expectations who demand a confluence of style and technology on their wrists. We have blended utility and design into one fitness tracker that can be worn beyond the workout sessions to be a fitness buddy throughout the day. The focus was to not limit the product to a mere fitness tracker but become a part of one’s lifestyle.
Clearly, the booming wearable industry has come a long way. According to Accenture’s Digital Consumer Tech Survey, Indian consumers were most interested in buying fitness monitors, that is, 80%. As per a Ficci-PwC report, the country’s fitness and wellness market is likely to swell to R1 lakh crore by 2015. But every step forward faces challenges and this integration of wearable technology and fashion also deals with one. In an effort to provide a lifestyle offering, the wearable shouldn’t compromise on its functionality and features and the design shouldn’t let go of the brand’s aesthetics and legacy for the sake of being cutting-edge. The idea is to identify the right opportunity and the balance to make the offering a desirable one.
By Anupam Mathur
The writer is head—sales & marketing, Timex Group India
